Well, hello there, welcome to my first blog post! My name is Andrew Marks, and I am majoring in Business Management with a focus on Management and Marketing. After having attended Alvernia University from 2008-2011, I unfortunately had to walk away from my first bachelor’s degree in political science due to personal family reasons. In the Fall of 2022, I finally made the decision to finish what I had started, but this time in business. Penn State is a staple in my family, with a majority of my in-laws being alumni. Being a Pennsylvania native myself, it was an easy choice for me to decide where I should complete my degree. I am excited for this journey to close one chapter of my life and open a whole new one.

I reside in the keystone state with my wife, Sarah and our 7-year-old daughter, Michaela. We have 2 dogs, 3 cats, a snake and a turtle (we are huge animal lovers!). We love to spend our time as a family, doing arts and crafts, going for walks with our dogs, watching movies, etc. Some of my interests include, investing, card collecting, playing video games and learning. I currently work full-time at Barry Callebaut, the world’s largest chocolate supplier, as a Sr. Financial Analyst and Controller for the North American Region. My company supplies the cocoa powder to large candy making corporations such as, Hershey, Godiva, Lindt, etc. I am in charge of advising everyone on where to best allocate their funds. Some of my accomplishments are, Black Belt Certification in Lean Six Sigma, member of the National Eagle Scout Association, and member of the World Campus Student Advisory Board.

I am taking this class as it is a requirement for my major. But being a Sr. Financial Analyst, I heavily rely on many of the systems that are being discussed in this class and have also always wanted to learn the ins-and outs of all these programs. I am familiar with Tableau, Minitab, Data Studio, and many of the other programs that Microsoft uses. I have been in manufacturing for over 13 years, climbing from operator to senior level Financial Analyst. I use every opportunity I can as a chance to learn something new. I love my current career and what I do, but my ultimate goal is to open a business with my wife. That is why finishing my degree and absorbing everything that I learn is very important to me.

I have wanted to do this for myself and for my family for a very long time. Now that I have finally taken the leap, I am going to give it 110%. I feel like I am finally at a place in my life to commit to this and set an example for my daughter. I know she is watching me, and I hope that she follows in my footsteps one day. The world of business is fascinating and opens doors to so many diverse career paths for everyone. I look forward to putting the knowledge that I learn in this class toward not only into my current position, but all future endeavors as well. Here’s to accomplishing my goals!

Thank you, dear readers, for stopping by. I wish you all nothing but the best of luck as you navigate through your own journeys.