POOLE COLLEGE OF MANAGEMENT CLASS OF 2018 TY ELLSTROM

THANK YOU Before I begin my presentation I would like to thank the Poole College and its entire staff for giving me such a great opportunity here at NC State. The idea of becoming part of such a unique community is not only exciting but promising. My future lies inside of the walls of Nelson Hall and I appreciate the hard work and time every staff member puts in to each student. I plan on making the best of my time in Poole College. With the fantastic support of my advisors and leaders I know I am guaranteed to do well.

MY STORY My name is Thomas Henry Ellstrom, but most people call me Ty. Thomas and Henry are both family names, but the T from Thomas and the Y from Henry seemed more creative in my parents’ minds.

MY STORY I was born in Fort Hood, Texas while my dad was fulfilling his ROTC requirements after graduate school. Once he served his time we moved back to North Carolina where we lived in Rocky Mount.

MY STORY My parents were divorced shortly after the transition back into the Tar Heel State. They have never stopped supporting me despite the divorce, and have always remained civil for my sake.

MY STORY I attended high school at Rocky Mount High school in Rocky Mount, North Carolina. I frequently visited my dad in Raleigh, however, so the area is like a second home to me.

MY STORY During my time in school I played many sports and made many life long friends. I have played soccer my entire life. Unfortunately my career hit a speed bump my sophomore year when I tore my ACL. The injury was one of the hardest obstacles I’ve faced so far in my life, but I overcame the injury and finished out my two years on the field with some of my closest friends.

MY STORY The challenge of having divorced parents has been a blessing in disguise for me. My stepparents are some of the most influential people in my life and have been instrumental in my pursuit of a business degree in Poole College. My stepmother, Anne, is the global human resources supervisor for StubHub, a field I am very interested in entering. Before that she worked in Zebulon in the human resources department of the synthetic wine cork company Nomacorc. My stepfather is the chief financial officer of a local construction company in my hometown of Rocky Mount. I’m always fascinated talking to them about what they do in their workplace.

MY STORY My father has been the most instrumental in my pursuit of a business degree. He recently took a job with an up and coming analytical software company based out of Seattle, Washington called Tableau. Supervising government software sales is something my father has been working with for the last 9 years after working with emergency management at the state. The combination of politics, marketing and new era analytical software makes me jealous of him sometimes. All of these reasons have led me here to Poole College.

MY STORY Entering Poole College my main goal is to get my foot in the door as quickly as possible. I would love nothing more than to spend my summer after freshman year interning somewhere. Networking is an enjoyable and necessary activity that I plan to partake in over my next 4 years here, and interning after two semesters of school is critical to my plan for success. Finding an internship is going to be my most difficult task this year.

MY STORY This first semester I am most excited about networking. Getting to know a group of people with the same interests as me is something I have been longing for for quite some time now. I love working with people and learning the dynamics of a group. This is mainly why I am extremely interested in human resources.

MY STORY Being a child of divorce with multiple families, parents and loved ones makes me feel like I am unique in not only Poole College but in society as a whole. Divorce is always looked at as a negative in a child’s life that could possibly harm them in some way down the road in their lives. I feel the exact opposite. Being able to connect with so many family members has taught me lessons about life and becoming an adult. I am surrounded by people who support and love me unconditionally. This never ending support and love from such a large and diverse group of people sets me apart from many people.

THANK YOU Once again I would like to thank Poole College and whoever may be reading this presentation for their time and effort. Investing your time in teaching such an important skill in a global economy to young adults is something to pride yourself on. I greatly appreciate everything Poole College does for its students, and I plan to take full advantage of all you all have to offer. Thank you again.