Meet Kyle Gemmer. Kyle is a member of the Class of 2023, graduating with a major in Business Administration (Marketing emphasis) and a minor in Economics.

Kyle’s college career started at a community college. Going into the community college, Kyle’s goal was to transfer to a four-year university, and he was able to accomplish that. Once he transferred to Chapman, he set a new goal to graduate college with good grades and to find an industry in which he could apply the concepts learned in class, but also an industry he finds interesting and enjoys. Big or small, Kyle found that he was able to accomplish most of his goals and truly believes setting goals for yourself is a healthy thing to do.

Favorite Classes & Professors

The class that made a mark on Kyle’s Chapman experience was Operations Management (MGSC 346). He says that he “really enjoyed this class because my professor explained how the concepts we were learning in class applied to real-world situations using his own experience. This class taught me a lot and gave me an idea of the kinds of jobs I might like to have in the future.”

Kyle also said that it was Professor Paul Lu who has made the biggest impact on him here. He went on to say “Not only was he incredibly knowledgable in the subject of operations management, but I was able to talk to him about his career in aviation, which has been a long-time interest of mine. Professor Lu even went as far as to provide me with some guidance on positions that I could look for to enter the industry.”

Advice to First-Year Students

Kyle’s advice to first-year students is to “just say yes.” He says, “So many opportunities will present themselves to you, and you need to be open to them. It’s okay if you end up not liking something, but you can’t say you don’t like it if you’ve never tried it. So just say yes.”

Additionally, Kyle recommends that students go to their professors’ office hours to connect with them on a deeper level. “College is about making connections, and there’s no better way to learn about things you’re interested in than by talking to the people who have actually done it,” says Gemmer. He says his professors have been incredibly knowledgeable and are always willing and happy to point him and his classmates in the right direction.

Post-Grad Plans

Ideally, Kyle would love to find a role within the aviation industry and has also considered attending flight school to get his pilot’s license – potentially working toward flying for an airline.

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We are incredibly proud of you for accomplishing your goals and working toward entering the industry of your dreams, Kyle! We wish you nothing but the best of luck in your future endeavors. Once a Panther, always a Panther. Congratulations!