Mesa State Graduate… Craig Engstrom
Entrepreneur, World Traveler
He's got the world in his hands.

Craig graduated from Mesa State College last May with a bachelor's degree in Human Resource Management. Originally from Rawlings, Wyoming, Craig Engstrom now lives in Kazakhstan. Craig would tell you it is the people in his life who believed in him and helped take him so far in life.

Need an education? MSC has scholarships for tuition and fees
Picture this. It is late summer, you just found out the full scholarship you were counting on to pay for college didn't materialize. Freak! What are you going to do? Wanting something as big as a college education, but not having the means to get that education, can be a big problem. For some, this would be a panic opportunity. No scholarship, no college education. For Craig Engstrom, it meant he needed to find another opportunity . Craig graduated from Rawlings High School in Rawlings, Wyoming. He had worked through his high school years at a fast food chain, making his way up to Swing Manager for the night shift. No small feat for a young man attending school full time. The scholarship he had banked on was through the fast food chain where Craig had been employed. Craig's parents were not in a position to help him finance an education at the time.

Craig began asking around and someone along the way told him about Mesa State College. Craig made a trip to Grand Junction and met with an Admissions Recruiter. The recruiter told Craig about a scholarship that he could apply for and not long later, Craig received the Mount Garfield scholarship covering tuition and fees. Craig made a trip to Grand Junction and met with a Recruiter. With the help of the recruiter, Craig applied for and received a Mount Garfield Scholarship, which would pay for his tuition.

Need a place to live and food to eat? MSC has positions in the residence halls
A place to live would be nice, and some food would help as well. How can you get money for room and board? Again, Craig started looking around for option. After talking to people on campus he found out about an Assistant Counselor position with the Activities Council that would cover almost all of his room and board. Craig could run in the upcoming election on campus to "win" the position. Craig talked with different students on campus and won the election. Problem solved. Craig didn't stop there, over the course of his four year duty at Mesa, Craig became a resident assistant and eventually the President of the IACHRUH.
The election proved successful for Craig. The counselor opportunity gave Craig a chance to have an impact on students. Craig's job was to direct fellow students on where to get support or access resources on campus.

The opportunities with the resident halls grew. Craig went on to become a Resident Assistant for 2 years. He also served as Resident Director, president of the Campus Residence Association, and the 1998 President of the Intermountain Affiliate of Colleges and Universities Residence Halls (IACURH).

Several professors across department lines believed in Craig and helped him along the way. In the Human Performance and Wellness department, Craig took a class, which led to the creation of a Helmet Awareness Program in area elementary schools. With the professor's encouragement, Craig wrote an article on how to put on a program in elementary schools as a community service project. The article was submitted for publication to a Health Journal.

Craig found many opportunities at Mesa State. His advise to college students, "Just look around you, and get involved in something you believe in, regardless of what it is. College provides a great opportunity to try things out with the support of the college community around you."

Need to beef up your resume? Enter the Dixson Center's Student Entreprenuer Contest
Or unleash your imagination in class and try out your ideas in the real world, they might just lead to getting your ideas published in a scholarly journal.
And the winner is......Craig Engstrom for his business proposal, Funky Monkey Fundraising. Mesa State College Student Entrepreneur of the Year, presented by the Dixson Center. The award is given to a student who... Funky Monkey Fundraising. A business idea that Craig submitted for the competition. Not the first taste of entrepreneurship for this Mesa State College student. Craig had started a dj business out of the back of his dad's truck in high school. The venture was quite successful until someone stole the idea and actually stole all of Craig's equpiment. That was alright, Craig was getting ready to start college in the fall and wouldn't have time for the side business.In business, Craig heard about a student competition through the Dixson Center for Entrepreneurship. He focused on a business unit he called Funky Monkey Fundraising. His strategy was to provide faster service at a lower price. Craig entered the competition and won.

Craig takes his success in stride. "You don't have to be anybody special, I'm not someone who will change the world. But I can make a difference to one person and that person can make a difference to someone else until you look down the road and you start to see a bigger picture".

The Peace Corp was a natural choice for Craig. Helping people who are less fortunate make their lives better, one person at a time. He will be there for 2 years, 3 months, or until September 2003. After three months of training to learn the language (Russian and Kazakh), he will then teach business and economic development to college students. For the majority of Kazakhstan people this will be the first contact with an American.

Craig wants to return to Grand Junction someday. The environment is great and the people are nice. He wants to pursue his masters. He thinks Mesa State is an outstanding, affordable, prime environment for learning. Mesa State has good scholarships, small classes, instructors who have doctorates from around the world.
Need a scholarship to attend grad school? Jot down your experiences and successes at Mesa State, throw in those good grades from having professors who believe in you and support you throughout your college education and...you just might surprize yourself
Craig takes his success in stride. You don't have to be anybody special, I'm not someone who will change the world. But I can make a difference to one person and that person can make a difference to someone else until you look down the road and you start to see a bigger picture.

Want to see the world? Craig was offered a great position teaching business in Kazahstan in the Peace Corp. Many Mesa State students travel to places like Costa Rica to study plants or to ancient Mayan ruins.
Kazahstan

That is how Craig ended up at Mesa to begin with. He had planned to attend a university in Montana with his hoped for scholarship. Craig had worked through high school at a fast food restaurant, all the way to Swing Manager for the night shift. When the scholarship didn't come through, Craig was optimistic

Turn your problems into opportunities...you might just be surprized.
What does the future hold for this world traveler, entrepreneur, and Mesa State graduate? Perhaps grad school, he's already been offered a scholarship at Emerson College in Boston. One thing is for sure, if there is an obstacle up the road, Craig is sure to turn that problem into a challenge and an opportunity. What if we had Craig's outlook and approached all of our obstacles as opportunities? Where would we be today? We won't know unless we give it a try. The world is full of opportunities.

A story of opportunities and the people at Mesa State College who can take you so far.
When people believe in other people, the results can be amazing.

In business, Craig heard about a student competition through the
Business Center. Craig entered the competition and won. In a class, he worked on a project which has turned into .The Peace Corp was a natural choice for Craig. Helping people who are less fortunate make their lives better, one at a time.

What does the future hold for this world traveler, entrepreneur, and Mesa State grad? Perhaps grad school, he's already been offered a scholarship at ___. One thing is for sure, if there is an obstacle up the road, Craig is sure to turn that problem into a challenge and an opportunity. What if we had Craig's outlook/optimism and approached all of our obstacles as opportunities? Where would we be today? We won't know unless we give it a try. The world is full of opportunities.

Business Plan Competition Awards
The business plan competition is open to all Mesa State College students from all schools and majors.

" Pick up contest packet at Mesa State College, Houston Hall Room 100.
" Prepare a business plan for a new venture in Western Colorado.
" Submit the business plan as per required timeline.
" Prepare the business plan using the required format. The business plan must be prepared using the Small Business Administration (SBA) outline as found on their website. A copy may be obtained at Mesa State College, Houston Hall, Room 100.
" Several finalists will be chosen from those submitting business plans. Should you be selected as a finalist, you will be asked to give a 15 minute presentation of your business plan to a group of hypothetical investors. Pick up contest packet at Mesa State College, Houston Hall Room 100.
" Prepare a business plan for a new venture in Western Colorado.
" Submit the business plan as per required timeline.
" Prepare the business plan using the required format. The business plan must be prepared using the Small Business Administration (SBA) outline as found on their web site. A copy may be obtained at Mesa State College, Houston Hall, Room 100.
" Several finalists will be chosen from those submitting business plans. Should you be selected as a finalist, you will be asked to give a 15 minute presentation of your business plan to a group of hypothetical investors.
The winner of the competition will receive $500 plus recognition at a public luncheon
Senior Craig Engstrom has been named recipient of the Student Business Plan Competition, sponsored by the Mesa State College School of Business and Professional Studies. Engstrom is majoring in Business Administration at Mesa State with a concentration in Human Resource Management.

Engstrom´s business plan involves a school fund-raising business called Funky Monkey Fundraising. The plan includes a business description, analysis of competitors, goals, supply systems, pricing policies, advertising plan, legal requirements, and financial requirements for the business.

Engstrom received a $500 cash award for submitting his winning business plan. Engstrom will graduate in May and then spend two years with the Peace Corp.