Current Arizona State University student Cameron Prohaska was inspired to pursue higher education in high school through an extracurricular business competition he competed in. “This [competition] helped put me in place for a better paying career in the future by learning about the different aspects of business,” he said. However, instead of immediately jumping into college after high school, Prohaska took time off to discover his interests and passions.
At age 22, Prohaska enrolled in ASU Academic Alliance partner, Golden West College, where he completed his general education requirements for his associate degree. During this time, Prohaska owned a small clothing business which required business acumen and accounting skills to track his orders. While Prohaska always knew he wanted to pursue a degree in business, the time he gave himself to find his passion and run his own business ultimately guided his decision to pursue a bachelor’s degree in accounting.
“Learning about the market for secondhand clothes as well as brand new clothing items to sell for profit actually got me interested in accounting,” he reflected. “I was able to learn a lot more about gross profit and how I wanted to grow in the future if I want to start up my own business someday.”
After touring ASU, Prohaska knew that he wanted to finish his higher education as a Sun Devil. “I chose ASU because of the professors and classes. I have friends that are ASU alumni, and they’ve always told me great things about how smooth the courses run each session,” Prohaska explained. “Working at Starbucks and being aware of the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, I began to act on transferring to the university as soon as I became eligible.”
In addition to the the 100% tuition coverage he receives being a part of the Starbucks College Achievement Plan, an academic partnership between ASU and Starbucks, Prohaska was also able to receive a personalized transfer experience through ASU Online’s MyPath2ASU™ program.
“The ASU MyPath2ASU™ program helped me through seeing what tasks I needed to get done next,” he explained. “I was able to remain organized and focused by staying on track and being in contact with my enrollment coach on a semi-weekly basis.”
Prohaska no longer runs a clothing business, but he still enjoys buying and selling clothing while completing his bachelor’s degree. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in accountancy, he plans to work for an accounting company and pursue a master’s degree.