Allen Richardson with Dean, Dr. Hamid Akbari
Allen Richardson ’19, originally from Oakdale, Minnesota, graduated from Winona State with a Marketing degree this past May. Throughout his time at WSU he has been involved in various areas of the university. From being the President of Prentiss-Lucas Hall to coordinating the College of Business Induction Ceremony, Richardson has given a lot to WSU.
He discovered that the College of Business has wonderful opportunities to help him Create His MORE, and wishes that he would’ve found it sooner. Perhaps his focus would have been on the college rather than housing. Housing gave Richardson valuable leadership roles like becoming the President of Prentiss-Lucas or becoming a Resident Assistant at Haake, but the College of Business has allowed him to become the Lead Content Creator of the Furthermore blog and the Dean’s Project Leader, where he started the first ever College of Business Induction Ceremony. It has also allowed Richardson to start the Create Your More Banquet with the help of McKenzie Koepp. With their efforts, the event has flourished with another one planned for in the fall of 2019.
Allen Richardson with McKenzie Koepp
Winona State has taught him that if you think you have a good idea, go find people with the resources to help you make it happen, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. His favorite part of his WSU experience was becoming friends with so many other students on campus. His words of wisdom for future Warriors are to embrace the outdoors and Winona as a whole. Visit the local restaurants instead of the national chains, and don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.
If you could tell your freshman self one thing, what would it be?
“Get more involved than you think you may need to be. Seek out ways to make a difference on campus so you can make an impact while you’re here.”
Throughout his college career, Richardson found many people to help motivate and propel him forward. Including his friends, “there were many times I didn’t believe in myself but they were there to remind me that I can do it, they were right most of the time.” Hamid Akbari, the Dean of the College of Business, was also a huge motivator for Richardson as well. Akbari believed in him and encouraged him to do things he never thought he could do. It was this belief that inspired Richardson to make a difference. Sarah Stockwell, Richardson’s supervisor, was also a huge motivator for him. He went to her on the daily and she always gave him advice and helped him to see other people’s perspectives. There are so many others like Kim Vogen, Kathy Robinson, Jason Knight, and Debbie Block who encouraged him and assisted him while he was at the College of Business. As Richardson reflects, he feels as if “I will always be in debt to them.”
Allen Richardson at the Create Your More Banquet
Ryan White, a Marketing professor at Winona State has pushed Richardson the hardest. Serving as his academic advisor all four years at WSU, Richardson credits him for pushing him to pursue a job opportunity with the Dean. Professor White saw that Richardson had the potential, encouraging him not to settle, and to keep pushing himself.
Post graduation plans are for Richardson to stay in Winona to pursue several job prospects in an effort to save money to pay back some of his student loans. In the next five years, he will be looking to enroll in a master’s program to earn his PhD or his DBA. However, as of today, Richardson is unsure what the future holds for him. “Thanks to the College of Business, I know whatever road I go down I will be successful.”