Packed with Potential

Cynthia Blanchard
BBA, Finance

Cynthia Blanchard, a College Station native, began her college career during the tail end of the pandemic. Although she describes herself as shy, she was excited to embrace new experiences and meet new people.

Her first year on campus was relatively relaxed as she focused on academics and adjusting to life in a new city. Still, she participated in the Emerging Leaders Academic Success Program (ELASP) for Freshman program, an experience she says she’s never regretted.

“The next year, I became a mentor for ELASP for a freshman mentee,” Blanchard said. “That position pushed me to pursue more opportunities socially, academically and career-wise. I did a few internships, joined the Ted Bauer Leadership Certificate Program, became a Bauer Ambassador, worked with Frontier Fiesta and served on the Homecoming Committee last semester.”

Her involvement is even more impressive considering her four-year streak on the dean’s list, all while holding down several jobs where she honed her networking skills and stepped outside her comfort zone.

“I’ve been a cashier at H-E-B for almost a year,” she said. “You practice your small talk every day. That’s also where I feel like I’ve developed a lot of communication skills, talking to someone new every five minutes for eight hours.”

After graduation, Blanchard will relocate to the Dallas-Fort Worth area to begin her career as a financial planner.

Daniel Kalathoor
BBA, Management Information Systems

For Daniel Kalathoor, there was one goal when he started college:

“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I just knew I wanted to do better than I did in high school.”

Now, three years later, Kalathoor has broadened his horizons, got involved, and taken every opportunity to make the most of his accelerated time at Bauer.

“I was recognized as one of the top 100 undergraduate business majors by “Poets&Quants,” and recently won the Ted Bauer Leadership Award for my work as the Fall 2024 corporate relations officer for the Management Information Systems Student Organization (MISSO),” he said.

In his officer role, Kalathoor used out-of-the-box thinking to propel the organization forward and find new ways to connect with sponsors.

“We always looked at it from the perspective of how MISSO could benefit from a partnership with businesses, but I flipped it around and started pitching the value our students bring to them,” Kalathoor said. “I wanted to show them how they could extract value from Bauer students. I was able to obtain two new sponsors for MISSO that have helped us immensely.”

Helping his fellow students has been a central focus for Kalathoor and a driving force behind his success at Bauer.

“Yes, it benefits you professionally, but I think it’s also about leaving this place better than you found it,” he said. “You’re contributing to the legacy of those who came before you while leaving it better for everybody who comes after.”

Once Kalathoor cements his legacy on May 9, he’ll transition into a full-time role with Apache Corporation, where he previously completed one of several summer internships.

Ah Rum Lee
MS in Business Analytics

Ah Rum Lee holds many titles: energy and technology consultant, analyst, Bauer Student Employee of the Year, Master of International Commerce, mom and soon, University of Houston graduate.

A native of South Korea, Lee came to Houston with hopes of continuing her education, expanding her opportunities, and finding a balance between her practical insurance knowledge and the world of analytics. But perhaps most importantly, she came to build a new dream alongside her daughter.

“I want to dream with my daughter and find a way to make my dreams come true, so she can learn from that and make an even bigger dream for herself,” she said.

As a student, Lee worked hand in hand with Bauer Associate Professor Xiao Ma, developing innovative solutions for mass grading, honing her research skills and building new analytical expertise to apply in her career.

“Over the last two years, I’ve grown up and developed both professionally and personally,” Lee said. “I’ve become a lot more patient with students, with my daughter and with my studies.”

That patience paid off. Lee maintained a near-perfect GPA throughout her graduate studies.

After she moves her tassel from right to left, Lee will continue working with a local company but says she’s always seeking new challenges. Her goal: to keep growing professionally while maintaining the work-life balance that allows her to keep dreaming with her daughter.

Ricca Lontoc (BBA ’24)
MS in Accountancy

“My friends were doing it, so I wanted to do it too,” isn’t the most traditional reason to choose a path, but when your support system is as strong as Ricca Lontoc’s, it might just be the perfect one.

Lontoc, a soon-to-be Master of Science in Accountancy graduate, has spent the past four years developing her network at the University of Houston. An avid learner, she says the sense of community at Bauer was a key reason she chose to pursue both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees here.

“Even though most people are commuters, the community is still together,” she said. “My friends and the people here have helped me through ups and downs and made learning so fun.”

A commuter herself, Lontoc’s support network extends beyond the Cougar community. When she began college as an undergraduate her father, a healthcare professional, was concerned about her staying in the dorms during the tail end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“He would drive me to campus and pick me up every single day,” she recalled. “Looking back, I really take those memories to heart because I realized how much my parents supported me through this.”

As for what’s next? “Every accountant’s dream, the CPA licensure!” she joked.

“Chad Larson set me up really well to study for the CPA exam when I took Advanced Accounting last semester,” she said. “It was hard, but I really think the material in that class helped me a lot with my internships and now as I’m moving into taking the test and looking at the job market.”

Ealena Telson
BBA, Management Information Systems

Ealena Telson’s future is as expansive as the galaxy, and not just because she’ll soon be putting her Bauer degree to good use at NASA later this summer, however, it wasn’t exactly a smooth 3-2-1 liftoff.

“I came in with the plan to get an internship my first semester, but that didn’t happen, and that was OK.” Telson recalled.

After that initial setback, Telson became more determined than ever. She began working as a barista, slinging java while studying ahead and preparing for classes in Java and database systems.

“My proudest academic moment was taking both of those classes simultaneously and acing them.” she said.

Through her preparation, academic success and networking skills, Telson secured two summer internships at NASA—one as a procurement contract specialist and another as an IT specialist working in management analysis. There, she deepened her knowledge of management information systems and gained confidence as a professional.

“They trusted me with managing entire projects,” Telson said. “I was leading meetings, presenting my work and ideas to people in high positions. They really stretched me and showed me what I’m capable of doing.”

Her stellar work eventually led to a full-time job offer with NASA, but not without another hurdle.

“In January, a lot of federal jobs were seeing changes and layoffs. As interns, our futures felt uncertain, even though we had already signed on,” she said.

Telson tapped into her support system and resources. “I’m part of the Business Women Society here, so I started connecting with recruiters again, looking on LinkedIn and working all of my sources.”

One key member of her support network was Bauer in D.C. Fellowship Director and Bauer Honors Advisor Colleen Davies.

“We can shoot her a message and she’ll get back to you as soon as she can, sometimes literally the next second,” Telson said. “She’s always sending us opportunities.”

In the end, everything worked out. Telson officially secured her position at NASA, where she’ll begin her full-time career this summer.

Ian Ulrich
BBA, Finance & Marketing

Ian Ulrich’s time at Bauer has been bookended by challenges beginning at the tail end of the pandemic and graduating during a time of economic uncertainty.

“When I started, the hardest part was getting involved and meeting people,” Ulrich recalled. “Now, the biggest challenge for many people is the job market. There’s a lot of uncertainty with the economy.”

But despite global headwinds, Ulrich hasn’t let anything stand in his way. He originally enrolled at the University of Houston as an economics major, but quickly realized he needed a change.

“I switched over to finance as a pre-business major, and that’s when I really started to fall in love with Bauer,” he said. “I had the opportunity to double major, so I picked up marketing too, and started taking some of those advanced courses that helped shape my journey.”

Another vital part of that journey has been the people who make up the Bauer community.

“Everyone I’ve been able to meet and become friends with has been really amazing,” Ulrich said. “Seeing all that around me really motivates me to be successful and be the best version of myself.”

Ulrich also found time to motivate others—serving as president of the Business Consulting Organization and as director of marketing for Bauer Ambassadors.

“I wanted to be involved to give back,” he said. “As an ambassador, we do tours for all the incoming students. Being able to tell them about some of the amazing opportunities here at Bauer, how classes work, the internships and the clubs we have on campus, was super rewarding. I loved sharing that experience with people just starting their journey.”

As his time at Bauer ends, Ulrich leaves with no regrets. He graduates as a double major, a two-time student organization officer, a dean’s list scholar, and a half-marathon runner and he’ll soon begin his full-time role as a Commercial and Investment Banking IDP Analyst at JPMorgan Chase in Dallas. 

Jordan Underwood
BBA, Finance

Jordan Underwood lives by a simple motto: Be fearlessly authentic. 

When Underwood steps into a room, his infectious smile and positive energy make it clear he’s ready to take on any challenge that comes his way.

“Don’t leave anything for granted or take anything for granted, because we’re only given one life, and I want to try to achieve as much as I can,” he said.

Underwood has been working toward his goals since before he even set foot on the University of Houston campus, earning both his high school diploma and associate degree through a dual enrollment program in 2022.

He brought nearly 50 college credits with him when he enrolled at UH and immediately began seeking ways to grow, take on new opportunities and become the most authentic version of himself.

“I’ve had a lot of incredible opportunities,” Underwood said. Over his three years on campus, he participated in the Deloitte Summer Bridge Program, Bauer Honors, and Student Government Association, finding ways to push himself while leaving a unique mark on each program.

“I’m constantly challenging myself to do something that’s never been done before. I want to take advantage of every opportunity, build my personal brand, build my network and make sure I stand out, as a student, as a worker and as a job candidate.”

Getting involved and standing out has paid off for Underwood. After graduation, he will begin work as a severance tax consultant, helping a local tax group prepare accurate filings for companies in the oil and gas industry. He landed the job thanks to connections he made on campus.

“I met them at the Rockwell Career Center career fair,” Underwood said. “I’m so grateful to everybody there because if not for them, I would not be where I am today.”

Vivian Wang
BBA Management Information Systems; Bachelor of Science, Public Health

Attending school in her own backyard opened a world of opportunities for Vivian Wang.

“I’ve lived in Houston for almost 14 years now,” Wang said. “Coming to Bauer has changed my life. It’s motivated me to be more driven, take part in case competitions, career fairs, programs and clubs and given me the chance to see the world.”

Wang joined Bauer College her sophomore year, adding an MIS major to her degree in Public Health.

“When I got to Bauer, everyone took things seriously. Everyone was doing internships, side projects, or side hustles while doing school,” Wang recalled. “So, I thought to myself: I really could explore a lot of my options here, experiment with different interests, and collaborate with other students who are pushing themselves too.”

One of those collaborations resulted in a trip to the nation’s capital and a first-place trophy. Wang led a team to first place in the CoreNet Global Academic Challenge, stretching herself outside the box and exploring the world of corporate real estate.

“I never thought about applying to something like a real estate competition,” Wang said. “It is so valuable to be part of a real estate organization that’s international and then doing a national competition with other university students. Education isn’t just books and studying anymore.”

Education isn’t just confined to the university campus, either. Wang says one of her greatest educational experiences was the chance to observe international business operations in Greece.

“Getting insight into how a business runs in a different country is mesmerizing,” Wang said. “When you compare it to the U.S., it’s like, ‘Oh, this is something I’ve never experienced.’ You learn about how their economy works and how culture influences their business. Getting to go somewhere outside the U.S., you realize the world is bigger than you thought.”

At the end of the day, Wang says Bauer was the perfect choice.

“I had an interview question last year about who a role model is or someone you look up to that has changed your outlook on life,” Wang said. “I had a hard time answering that question, but if I could change my answer, I’d say that I truly believe Bauer College has changed my life. I’m so grateful to be part of this community.”