Community First: Why Your Connections Matter Most with Logan Locke

Transferring colleges sounds like a clean new start until you’re living it. The credits have to line up, the social circles feel sealed, and you’re trying to make big career decisions on a shorter clock. We sit down with Logan Locke, a senior finance student in the Honors College at Arkansas State University, to talk honestly about what it takes to regain your footing and build momentum fast.

Logan shares what pushed him to transfer, why the “extension of high school” fear often isn’t real, and how community becomes a serious career advantage when you treat it like part of the work. We dig into Greek life at a smaller university, leadership lessons from managing chapter finances, and the underrated value of showing up consistently in class, student organizations, and campus programs.

We also get practical about career prep: how Logan landed a role at Centennial Bank, what his Corporate Finance Institute fintech certification covers (think financial technology, regulations, and modern banking, not get-rich crypto hype), and why networking still beats a perfect resume in an AI-shaped job market. The mindset that ties it together is “learn, adapt, lead,” and it’s a reminder that progress is built through steady reps, not one flawless choice.

If you’re a transfer student, a new student, or just feeling behind, this conversation will help you rethink the timeline and focus on what you can control. Subscribe for more stories like this, share the episode with a student who needs it, and leave a quick review with the best advice you’ve ever gotten about college. @Arkansasstatemedianetwork.

0:00 Welcome and Logan’s Resume 1:27 What is Alpha Lambda Delta? 1:50 Exploring Fintech and CFI Certifications 2:52 Why Transferring Feels So Awkward 4:39 Choosing A-State After the U of A 6:32 The Myth of "High School Extension" 7:50 Finding Community Through Greek Life 10:40 Mentors and the Power of Effort 12:59 Life Advice: Try Your Best 14:10 Advice for Future Transfers 16:06 Working at Centennial Bank 17:49 Why You Must Stand Out 21:29 Learn, Adapt, Lead as a Mindset 23:30 Rapid Fire Campus Favorites 26:20 Best Study Spots and Snacks 28:44 A-State Athletics and Campus Vibes 33:34 Staying Connected as an Alumni 35:49 Defining Progress at A-State

Transcript

Welcome And Logan’s Resume

SPEAKER_01 0:10

Hi everyone, it's Corey Keller with the Arkansas State Media Network and Partners in Progress. Today I have with me Logan Locke.

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Hi.

SPEAKER_01 0:18

Woo! Welcome, Logan.

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Thank you. Thank you for having me.

SPEAKER_01 0:21

Good. Well, as a 2020 and 2022 alumni, I always love the opportunity to talk to current students. So here's a little bit about Logan. Logan is a senior finance student in the Honors College at Arkansas State University, graduating May of 2026. So how many days is that?

SPEAKER_00 0:40

It's almost I guess it's a little under two weeks.

SPEAKER_01 0:43

He's not counting or anything.

SPEAKER_00 0:45

No.

SPEAKER_01 0:45

A transfer student who found his footing at A-State, Locke has built a record that spans banking, fraternity leadership, and academic competition. He currently works at Centennial Bank, serves as vice president of Alpha Limd Delta, and previously turned around the finances of Phi Delta Theta as its treasurer. Great work.

SPEAKER_02 1:06

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:06

He is also a CFI certified fintech professional and a participant in the CSBS Community Bank Case Study Program. Welcome.

SPEAKER_02 1:17

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:17

That is quite the resume at such a young age. So I had to ask beforehand, but please tell our listeners what is Alpha Lambda Delta?

SPEAKER_00 1:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

What is it?

SPEAKER_00 1:28

It's uh it's a freshman honor society honoring students above a 3.5 GPA. Uh it's actually a national honor society. So we do have conferences with other chapters and other events uh nationwide, including a conference and a summit yearly.

SPEAKER_01 1:45

Nice. And CFI. So tell me a little bit about what that is.

SPEAKER_00 1:50

Of course. The Corporate Finance Institute is actually a uh company based in Canada. Uh they do financial certifications um, including banking analysis, financial ratio analysis, uh, a bunch of other ones. But I specifically went for fintech. So that's like financial technology, including uh fintech, wealth tech, reg tech, which is just, I guess, buzzword jargon for you. But uh it covers the blockchain, financial transactions. Um, it also includes things like uh insurance and wealth fundamentals for banking and institutions uh spanning federal regulations.

SPEAKER_01 2:32

So you said it also kind of covers like crypto and Bitcoin. It does, yeah. Like a crypto advisor now.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

No, I wouldn't go that far.

SPEAKER_01 2:40

I do have that's a different podcast.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

I do have some money in in Bitcoin and I I keep an eye on Ethereum, but I wouldn't say I'm I'm I'm good investment advice. Don't listen to me at all. Please don't listen to me.

SPEAKER_01 2:52

Yeah, that's a different podcast. We won't um include that on this one. Well, good. Well, we're so glad to have you today. So let's talk a

Why Transferring Feels So Awkward

SPEAKER_01 2:59

little bit about you. So where are you from?

SPEAKER_00 3:00

I'm from Jonesboro, Arkansas.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Uh so you're from here. Okay, great. So where did you go to school?

SPEAKER_00 3:06

I went to Valley View High School, uh, and I graduated in 2022.

SPEAKER_01 3:10

Okay, so it said you're a transfer student. So where did you come from?

SPEAKER_00 3:13

I have two alma mater secrets out of the bag. I did start at the University of Arkansas, uh, but I ended up transferring here.

SPEAKER_01 3:21

Okay, transferring. That's a big decision. So, what made you initially want to fly the nest and go across the state to our friends who shall not be named?

SPEAKER_00 3:33

I think it's just a crazy opportunity. You you're raised in one place for your life, and you're like, I want to make a spontaneous decision and go across the state, maybe follow some friends and make some new ones along the way. But sometimes those pieces don't exactly work out, and you decide that you want to move back home and and pick up college there.

SPEAKER_01 3:52

Yeah, that decision must have been hard.

SPEAKER_00 3:54

It is hard. Uh, transferring is a very awkward experience. I feel like when you're transferring, you you don't really have that sense of community. Like I'm from Jonesboro, but in other students' cases, I feel like you wouldn't have necessarily such a connection with the community. You're coming in maybe sophomore, junior year, and you're just completely like confused on what's going on. I feel like it's such an interesting process because on one hand, it's you're you're doing something for your career and your college career, and you only have so much time left, and also you have to build that community with the time you have left.

SPEAKER_01 4:32

Yeah. When you made the decision to transfer, how did you make the decision to come to A State?

SPEAKER_00 4:39

Yeah, my parents are both alumni. Um, so my dad and mom both graduated in 90. Uh, they always heavily encouraged me to go to A-State, but I was uh the black sheep and decided to go to Arkansas. That pieces move around, things don't work out in life, and that's okay. We get over it, we accept that. Um, I think coming to Arkansas State, you know, it's one of the more reputable colleges. It's in my personal opinion, my favorite college in the state. Um, go Red Wolves. But no, it's it was just kind of like a personal decision. You come to this conclusion that you want to start over, you want to get a sense of community, and I mean, looking at the classes and ever the way everything's outlined, it's like so perfect for at least finance on my behalf because it really set me up for success. And I don't think people really think about longevity in that way. You think about getting the prime experience, you're not thinking about your academics as much. And when when I decided to transfer, I was thinking more academically based, how much time I have left and how much I can really get out of it.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Yeah, absolutely. I think, and this can be kind of our PSA to the Jonesboro kids that might be listening to this. And I remember I was I lived here for six years when I was a student. I had a lot of friends that were from Jonesboro, obviously, and a lot that were not, and I was not from Jonesboro, I'm from Stuttgart. And um coming here, I felt like I heard a lot of the same sentiment from people from Jonesboro that they were like, I was really worried it was going to be like an extension of my high school life, and I didn't want that, and I didn't want it to feel like I'm not leaving necessarily, but most of my Jonesboro friends built such an expansive network that it didn't feel like an extension of high school. Can you expand upon that? Did you have a similar sentiment?

SPEAKER_00 6:32

Of course. I I did go to the U of A partially because of my high school experience, not in a bad way, just in an I want to move on from this kind of way.

SPEAKER_01 6:41

Try something new.

SPEAKER_00 6:42

Yeah, you you just want to try something new. And you come back here and you kind of realize that although there's like 200 kids from your high school going to a state, I maybe see one of them every couple of months. It's very rare. So I don't, you're not really building on that high school experience, you are stepping away from that. It's it's cool to keep in touch with people from high school. Like if I see somebody walking around campus, I'll say hi. It's it's not awkward. You just both kind of pass that high school stage and you're building and expanding your career, so you're gonna move different directions, and that's completely okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:20

Yeah, and uh a nice thing to remember is connections are important. So it's nice to know people and have that security blanket of home, but you can make it what you want. That experience this experience of college is so unique and not like any other thing you're going to do in the real world, and this is probably also the easiest and best time to make friends. So that is um good

Finding Community Through Greek Life

SPEAKER_01 7:43

to hear. So you're also a part of Greek life. So, what has your Greek life experience been like since transferring?

SPEAKER_00 7:50

Greek life was honestly super amazing because you're going from an SEC school with a huge rush life scene or Greek life scene, you're going from a rush with thousands of kids that are geared for this their whole life, and you're coming to a smaller base, but you're making more of a genuine connection. And going into my pledge class, there were maybe 15 to 20 something guys, and because of that, I was able to make a more genuine connection with these people and build strong, genuine bonds. Um, I love the guys at Fide, uh Roll Fi, uh did our little hand sign that we do.

SPEAKER_01 8:29

Oh no, I was an alpha game, Ghost Squirrels, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:32

But yeah, uh it it really forces you to make a deeper connection with the guys within the fraternity. It's not really you meet a pledge fam and then you you go along with that for the rest of your college career. You know every guy by a name basis, and you're able to do things and hang out with him that you normally wouldn't do on such a large scale. And I feel like Arkansas State is really moving towards uh an expanded Greek life scene because they are doing things and having initiatives, especially with Fidealt right now. They're really hammering down on their initiatives, trying to go outside the box. And I have to say that's a part of Harris and Hurricott's work. He's just really great at what he does. Um, and I'm proud that he's the president of the fraternity now because uh when I started, he was really uh forward on his ideas and his initiatives, and he's since gone through that and just absolutely killed it.

SPEAKER_01 9:22

Mm-hmm. Yeah, we Greek life at an SEC school sometimes seems like it can be hard to compete with. But I remember going through Rush and I was feeling all of the same experiences or recruitment, whatever the formal term is. Sorry, Greek life, please don't come for me. But um, whatever the formal term is, I was going through it to be recruited to a sorority, and it felt still very intense. It still felt intense in a good way, like something you really wanted and yearned for, but it still felt like something that was very attainable. And like you said, when I got in my sorority, it still feels big. It still feels like there is different personalities, and you're not all the same because there is enough people and diversity among the grades, but it's still feels like a community, it still feels like women, or in your case, guys that you know that you're going to build relationships with, be intentional with, be friendly with, do service projects with, or you know, serve in whatever capacity with without being so large that you don't get to know people. So I agree. I share that sentiment for sure.

Mentors And The Power Of Effort

SPEAKER_01 10:36

What made you confident that A-State was the right place to finish your degree?

SPEAKER_00 10:40

Yeah, after I transferred, you know, getting into classes, going into classes four or five days a week, you're just meeting people all the time. You're making connections, you're getting the best education in the state. Uh, you're making genuine connections with the professors, and there's not really much you could ask for besides that. It's very academically charged. You're doing great things in the classroom, you're getting hands-on casework projects, you're getting tons of homework assignments that are beneficial to what you're learning and affect your outcomes. And you're getting to speak to the people beside you and and talk to them day in, day out. And uh, two of my friends, uh Ethan and Charles, uh, they were classmates at one point. We we hit it off in class. It might have taken a few weeks, but just making sitting around and making those genuine connections really drives you to want to push for a degree here, uh, knowing that you have options and what you put in is what you get out of it. Um, and I've definitely learned that as now a graduating senior, it's you're everything just revolves around what you're putting out there. And the harder I worked in my classes, the more it really drove me to get my degree here. Because when you really take the time to think about it, you're not getting these opportunities anywhere else in the state. Uh, there's such a big competition pool, but here you can really decide what you want, how you want to grow your life, how you want to change your career, and then just shoot for it.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

Yeah, it seems like you get a lot of individualized attention even in class. Like you said, if you seek out those opportunities, they will in turn come to you. Have you had a mentor or anyone that has kind of helped guide you through this process or given you great advice along the way?

SPEAKER_00 12:21

Um, I wouldn't really say I've had a mentor, but uh, my professor, Heather Nelson, now the vice chancellor, uh, I would consider her a mentor. She, in my last semester, has given me some of the best life advice I could ask for. And on top of that, helped me delve into professionalism, professional career building, building a brand for myself. And I I feel like that's probably the best it gets. Honestly, just having someone who supports you, watches out for you, and makes sure you're headed down the right path is the most important thing ever.

SPEAKER_01 12:53

Is there any words of wisdom that she has given you that you would like to share or tell others?

SPEAKER_00 12:59

There are so many, but as long as you're just trying your best, that's that's all you need to do. You can be everybody uses this as a platform for building. And when you really break it down, there's some people that are gonna have this set up as a timeline. They know exactly where they're going from high school. But as long as you just round yourself out and and get involved, put effort into things and believe in yourself, that's all that really matters.

SPEAKER_01 13:31

You don't have to have it all figured out when you start college.

SPEAKER_00 13:33

No, never.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

But I think motivation and hard work and just dedication to the craft, whatever that may be, whether that's finance and accounting or that's exercise science or philosophy or whatever it is, if you just put in the time and energy, you will reap the reward. I totally agree. Um, and I think you're a great testament to your college journey does not have to be cookie cutter and it doesn't have to be pretty necessarily. It doesn't have to fit into a box. So someone's looking to transfer, what advice would you give them? Or someone's just thinking about going to college, what advice would you give them now in hindsight?

SPEAKER_00 14:10

Yeah, of course. I don't think you can really plan out your college career and your destination. You don't need to know what you're doing after college, and you shouldn't treat it as a timeline. I think college is an important experience and you're starting an adventure. Um, I don't I hate to use this analogy, but Christopher Columbus set out from the southern blue. Yeah, he set out from southern Europe heading to Asia and subsequently hit the United States. So, I mean, you don't have to have the whole voyage planned, but as long as you have a destination and some sort of a goal to reach, you're still gonna get there, even if it's if it's not the way you planned.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

I had this like pretty picture in my head when I came to college. I really did. I was like, I am going to be a physical therapist, I'm going to get my degree in exercise science, I'll get my doctorate of physical therapy, I'll get married, I'll do all these things, and life will be amazing. And I sit here at 28. I have an exercise science degree, a master's of communication with sports production. I did three years of television freelance work for sports reporting, and now I work in healthcare.

SPEAKER_00 15:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:31

And just finished up my doctorate of healthcare admin. So your plan is not linear. Usually it looks like a hodgepodge of the spaghetti news.

SPEAKER_00 15:40

Oh, it's always going to be. I started, I started as an international business marketing major at Arkansas, transferred here, went pre-law econ, loved that, but law is not for me. I can't, I can't do it. I don't want to do public service work. I I don't want to do federal legislation. So I transferred to or switched my degree major focus to finance banking. And that's where I've been ever since.

Landing A Bank Job And Standing Out

SPEAKER_01 16:06

So your experience at Centennial Bank, so you go from class to work. How did you get this job? Did they encourage you to get this job through your major?

SPEAKER_00 16:15

No, they actually didn't. Um, I was doing literally nothing on the side besides frat stuff. And I I told my parents that I wanted to get a job that was probably applicable to my major. So I started applying for like 30 to 40 places just looking for a job. And eventually one contacted me back, Centennial Bank. Um, and I got an interview at the downtown East Washington branch, and I've been there ever since. It's it's been an amazing experience, and I look forward to building on my career at Centennial Bank going forward postgrad.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

You heard that Centennial help our man out here. Please need a job. Yes, he needs it.

SPEAKER_00 16:59

It's in progress. We're working on it.

SPEAKER_01 17:01

Oh, good. Okay, okay. To be continued, yes, we'll need a social media post update later. Yeah. Yes, thank you.

SPEAKER_00 17:06

This is going on LinkedIn.

SPEAKER_01 17:08

Yes, it will. Don't worry. We'll send the link. So it doesn't have to be pretty. No. And anyway. But I think sometimes those experiences are more meaningful because you work through the challenges, you work through the hard times, and you really have to not only find yourself in the process, but find what makes you happy and be fulfilled.

SPEAKER_00 17:27

Of course.

SPEAKER_01 17:28

Which truly, at the end of the day, happiness is important. And we want you to be happy here at A State because we think it's the best.

SPEAKER_00 17:34

It is the best.

SPEAKER_01 17:34

It is the best. No questions asked.

SPEAKER_00 17:37

No doubt.

SPEAKER_01 17:39

So you're getting close to the finish line. You're a senior. What do you think students underestimate about the value of their time here until it's almost over?

SPEAKER_00 17:49

I feel like at A State specifically, people neglect the sense of community. They don't take the time to, I guess, necessarily analyze what's going on around them and get involved in it. So when I was a transfer student coming in, you know, you come from Arkansas, you want to get involved in every program, you want to see the sports team succeed, and you want to be a part of something bigger. And I feel like as a graduating senior, I've definitely gotten that out, but I've I've seen a lot of people kind of neglect this. Like you can put so much work in and you can get so much benefit from it. But there's so many people that are just sitting there and wanting to blend in. And I think in my personal philosophy, you have to stand out. You have to stand out, or you're never gonna get anywhere professionally. You have to take that risk, you have to believe in yourself a little, and you have to be able to transform and adapt your life to this new standard because everybody's using AI, everybody's magically performing their turning the resume into something special. How are you gonna compete with that? With opportunity and community. If you know someone, you're more likely to get a job and and form a career in in that field, or if you have some kind of specialized opportunity, like the CSBS banking competition, or I mean, in my experience, um we'll go with the CFI FinTech Professional or even the uh leadership and entrepreneurial management class I took with Dr. Shields and Professor Nelson. You have to be able to stand out. You're talking to these employees, these CEOs and executives that are highly regarded in the industry, and some especially in Arkansas, you have to be able to go up to them, shake their hand with confidence, and be able to speak to them about what you're doing and ask questions.

SPEAKER_01 19:46

Yeah, I could not agree more. And even just the friends that you make here. One day they might be a CEO, a vice president, a um a chancellor of a university. And those are contacts that are going to help you professionally, personally, and just hopefully be a friend that you can call should you need advice, should you need just someone to talk to, or just want to catch up about your time here at A State. And it's it's great to know that A State is big enough to where you can have a plethora of opportunities like studying abroad or working for a major sports team or um even being involved in local community, like working at Centennial Bank, like you do, or participating in different challenges or competitions. I mean, it's really it's neat to see how the opportunities here are diverse, but yet still very attainable and reachable. Like you said, if you just put yourself out there. So would that be your advice to a new student?

SPEAKER_00 20:44

Definitely just put yourself out there. Believe in yourself, be a little experimental. It doesn't have to be cookie cutter, you don't have to have any predestined plans. Just just put yourself out there. Um, make sure that you're being genuine and authentic. Don't tell people lies. That doesn't really work out for you in the long term. Um, people like more genuine people. Um it just it just works that way.

SPEAKER_01 21:08

Yeah, it's fun. It's really fun. When you're just being yourself, people you will find your community, you will find your people for sure.

Learn Adapt Lead As A Mindset

SPEAKER_01 21:18

So you've written that success isn't about a single decision, but about how you consistently learn, adapt, and lead over time. Where did that belief come from and how has A State tested that?

SPEAKER_00 21:29

Yeah, so I actually touched on that in my Daniel and Cody Brown from Big River Steel article. Um, coming in, you have to, like as a transfer student, you have to really learn how to adapt. There's so many moving pieces going on, and you're going to fail. It's it's obligatory. Failure is isn't an option, but it's something that happens. Uh, failure is good. You have to accept and learn to fail. And by doing that, you're going to consistently learn to adapt. And by going into adaptation, you're going to be able to come out as a stronger person, and that's going to give you the opportunities you need to lead. Leaders aren't always going to be perfect, as you've probably noticed. There's a lot of discourse and things that go on behind the scenes that you don't even really think about. And being able to adapt will make you significantly better leader, especially over time. I think I really internalize that because making a decision is still a decision in itself. Wise words from Cody Brown, uh, operations management at Big River Steel. He we talked post-class and he really solidified that mantra of learn, adapt, lead. He he talked about his experience coming in from A State to Big River Steel, going from um criminal investigation major to a an operations and logistics manager at Big River Steel, and having to adapt and learn from what he was doing to transition into this position really felt inspiring. Especially as a young professional, you're going into this big career, and even if you don't know what you're doing, you can still learn to adapt and then you can transform that and then lead with that because the skills built under leading are the ones that are going to push you further in leadership.

SPEAKER_01 23:30

I totally agree. You know, diamonds are made under pressure. So if you're willing to adapt and to change and to consistently evolve and be flexible and know that your path is not linear, it's gonna have bumps and curves and turns, and you know, change is inevitable and change is a hard thing to do because I think we're innately rewired to have a routine and to want things to go how we planned it, but that's just not how the world works sometimes. But it's great that you're seeing that at a very young age and getting to meet with professionals in your community and continue to network and grow as an individual. That's only gonna help you in professional life. So I commend you on that. That's amazing.

Rapid Fire Campus Favorites

SPEAKER_01 24:14

Um okay, so we're gonna have a little fun now. We have about 10 or so ish a little longer minutes. So I'm gonna use my handy dandy friend, ChatGPT, and we're gonna have fun. Okay fill in the blank. Okay, okay, ready? Scarlet Ann.

SPEAKER_00 24:35

Howl?

SPEAKER_01 24:37

Good one. Scarlet and black. Nice. Wolves.

SPEAKER_00 24:42

Red. Oh, you're saying wolves first.

SPEAKER_01 24:44

Wolves. Oh howl?

SPEAKER_00 24:48

Yeah. It took me a second.

SPEAKER_01 24:51

I was like, oh yeah, we're here. We're back.

SPEAKER_00 24:53

My brain simultaneously went to the Minnesota Timberwolves. I was about to say Kevin Garnett.

SPEAKER_01 24:59

What? This is the Arkansas State Media Network. That's so funny. But yes, Timberwolves, sure. Absolutely. Red Wolves, too. Um okay. Favorite place to study on campus.

SPEAKER_00 25:16

Oh, I gotta say the Delta Center for Economic Development, uh, the computer lab in there. It's you just get to you get to hang out. I mean, when there's not class. Do not go in there when there's a class. It's I it's a really awkward experience because there's maybe 30 kids and they're all on the computers and they're getting a lecture and you're sitting in the back and wondering what's going on and why they keep staring at you.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

You I fear you're speaking from experience.

SPEAKER_00 25:44

Yeah. Yeah. Once or twice. It was on action.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

I was not an economics student, so I did not have my ID did not get me into the building. So I was always very jealous of my business friends because that is such a nice space. But we have great space in the library also. I also like to study in the humanities building when it was open. I love chaos and like sound and things. So those little pods, do they still exist? Yeah. Love them. I'm showing my age. I'm like, are they still here? Like I was here in the Stone Ages, but um loved that area. Favorite place to eat on campus?

SPEAKER_00 26:20

Starbucks. I I like getting a uh, yeah. Uh I mean I haven't had a meal plan in a few years, but I would say Starbucks simply because I can get like an iced mocha or I not iced mocha. I don't drink iced mocha. I like a iced vanilla latte, sometimes almond milk, sometimes one percent. And and I'm feeling uh when I'm feeling like I need a diet, skim.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

Oh get a skinny one.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

Skinny. Or I do an espresso over ice. That's a little evil, but we take those.

SPEAKER_01 26:48

When you're having a hard day, you just need a little espresso over ice.

SPEAKER_00 26:51

Nice, especially when it rains.

SPEAKER_01 26:52

What is your like studying snack? Do you have a favorite snack?

SPEAKER_00 26:56

I like eating protein bars. Uh so bare bells. Those are the best. Those are the best. The salty peanut one tastes exactly like a Snickers one.

SPEAKER_01 27:04

It really does. I have one in my purse.

SPEAKER_00 27:06

They're so good. The the chocolate dough one gets a little overwhelming after you've had it a few times, and then the cookies and cream one kind of tastes. Sorry if you're listening from it tastes like whey. Like if you've ever had the protein powder, it tastes exactly like that. Now you if you it it's like if you hardened a protein shake.

SPEAKER_01 27:26

Oh. This is now a nutrition podcast for anyone that's listening.

SPEAKER_00 27:30

All right, guys, you gotta hit your macros for the day. Uh make sure to prioritize protein low carb.

SPEAKER_01 27:36

Okay. Fiber. Put in your diet, protein. How many grams of protein per day should we be getting?

SPEAKER_00 27:42

Uh probably 0.6 to 1 gram of protein for optimal muscle building.

SPEAKER_01 27:47

Okay. Sure. I have an exercise science degree and I took nutrition and I'm like, I should be knowing these things. Per pound.

SPEAKER_00 27:59

Per pound.

SPEAKER_01 27:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 28:00

Yeah, because if you're if you're eating one gram of breast, you're probably on four calories.

SPEAKER_01 28:04

Yeah, you're having a hard day. That's hilarious. Okay. So do you use like the gym or anything on campus?

SPEAKER_00 28:13

No, but I I go to the trim gym. Great local company.

SPEAKER_01 28:16

Oh, support local business. The Red Wolf Center is pretty nice. I like the indoor walking track.

SPEAKER_00 28:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:22

These are things I miss now because I wish I lived in a community where I just had a gym like a block away. I would never go. I was on the dance team, so we had like mandatory workouts. So I think that made me not want to work out any other time. But I yes, I miss I miss the Red Wolf gym for sure. When you go to sporting events, what's your favorite?

SPEAKER_00 28:44

Basketball. I really love basketball. It's I love NBA.

SPEAKER_01 28:49

Uh Timberwolves.

SPEAKER_00 28:51

Yeah, I'm actually a big Knicks fan. Oh uh, I love all New York sports, but that's a little off topic. Uh the Red Wolves basketball have been great. They've been improving every year. And then you've got Coach Pannone coming in, making big changes. Oh. And especially next season, it's looking great.

SPEAKER_01 29:07

What are you expecting to see from him?

SPEAKER_00 29:09

Uh I'm expecting to see an SBC title charge, honestly. I think I think they can do it. They've shown consistency in year one. Let's run it back and go year two. What about Coach Rogers and the women? Ooh. They're great.

SPEAKER_01 29:25

They're great.

SPEAKER_00 29:25

They're they're amazing.

SPEAKER_01 29:26

They're they have a title.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

They they are they are titled up. Uh spectacular team. They've they've done some crazy things. They even went to the women's final four, which is like, I guess, crazy uh in terms of A State. Um, and that was what um I don't remember what the tournament's called. It's the it's the WNIT for invitees of people who didn't make the big dance. But I mean it's they barely they barely lost.

SPEAKER_01 29:57

And that it was a heartbreak match to first female basketball coach too at A State. I mean, she's really a pioneer of the program.

SPEAKER_00 30:06

Absolutely. Groundbreaking.

SPEAKER_01 30:08

Do you ever go to volleyball?

SPEAKER_00 30:09

I have not been to a volleyball match.

SPEAKER_01 30:11

Okay, well, I used to do sports reporting for volleyball, and I have to say it is quite entertaining. I love it. It's really fun, and to be in the combo, formerly the combo now, first national bank arena, is just really fun. Have you been to any concerts on campus?

SPEAKER_00 30:27

I have not.

SPEAKER_01 30:28

What? Y'all have good people come. I don't listen to a lot of country, so it's not like in my genre, yeah, but the environment's really neat.

SPEAKER_00 30:37

Yeah, I could imagine. I've seen it.

SPEAKER_01 30:39

I did once see Rascal Flats when I was in college, they came. Rascal Flats. I'm trying to think about like Dirk Spentley, maybe came. I don't remember, but it was awesome. You know, Taylor Swift has been here.

SPEAKER_00 30:51

Yeah, it was long, long, long, long time ago.

SPEAKER_01 30:53

It was. That was in her country era.

SPEAKER_00 30:55

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:55

But now at least she knows we exist. You know, that's pretty cool. We're on the map. We are.

SPEAKER_00 31:01

We guys, your favorite artist knows who we are. So if that's not a reason to come to A State, I don't know what is.

SPEAKER_01 31:07

I mean, what can I say? I didn't see her going anywhere else, you know? So pretty cool. What is one thing when you got on campus that you instantly loved?

SPEAKER_00 31:19

I love walking.

SPEAKER_01 31:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 31:21

I love that they have all the paths carved out. Uh, they're always well maintained. So I'm a big walker, and there's just some beautiful scenery. Like when you're walking to from Pack Place to the business college, it's there's like a nice ambiance going on, and you can see caraway when you start passing the humanities, and there's so many trees, it's sprawling landscape. It's it's just nice, especially on like a warm day with little breeze going on. It's like you gotta take your airpods out and just enjoy it all.

SPEAKER_01 31:52

Yeah. Campus weather, when it's a good day, it's it's really nice. If you could give the College of Business a theme song, what would it be?

SPEAKER_00 32:03

Um, you know what? Let's go with let's go with the adults are talking by the strokes. I'm a huge The Strokes fan.

SPEAKER_01 32:11

Oh, so what can you give us a taste of either the song or the lyrics? Okay.

SPEAKER_00 32:16

Uh it's it's been TikTokified. It's like da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da da.

SPEAKER_01 32:23

Uh-huh. And then what are the lyrics? Are they any ones that stick out to you?

SPEAKER_00 32:29

Let's see. I can't I can't really give a specific lyric, it's just the sound. It's maybe because I was listening it to like the energy. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 32:36

We're here for the energy, yeah. Okay, cool. I said previously maybe like money, money, money, yeah. Money for Mama Mia.

SPEAKER_00 32:43

Yeah, it's it's kind of like um the whole song is kind of about like corporate entities. So I kind of felt like that's because the adults are talking or referring to like people in suits making executive decisions. So I think that's kind of what did it, along with like the energy. Maybe I was listening to it on the way to class the other day.

SPEAKER_01 33:03

I don't it's a good association song. Yeah, love it. So suits in class. Do people wear suits in class?

SPEAKER_00 33:10

On occasion.

SPEAKER_01 33:11

Really?

SPEAKER_00 33:12

Yeah, they have an interview or something, they'll wear a suit, or if there's like a conference going on, you'll see somebody come in with a with like a nice gray or blue suit.

SPEAKER_01 33:19

Oh, nice, very cool. What would you say is your day-to-day attire on campus?

SPEAKER_00 33:24

I usually wear khakis and a polo because I have to go to work at the bank like either before or after, and I am not gonna change in that work bathroom.

SPEAKER_01 33:34

You heard it here first.

Staying Connected As An Alumni

SPEAKER_01 33:36

So let's talk about becoming an alumni. I kind of cried a little whenever I graduated because I was just so sad to be done with school essentially and move away, and all my friends were moving away, and it felt like a big transition for me. How are you planning to stay involved with campus or with this A-state community that you've built after school?

SPEAKER_00 33:57

I mean, I'm staying in Arkansas for sure, 200%. I really want to go towards Northwest Arkansas, but I want to stay grounded and involved in A-state activities. So any alumni activities that come up, it's only a four-hour drive, and you can always make the trip home, but also through like donations and keeping in touch with the people I met and the the friends I made and the the professional connections here. Like it's just going and doing that, staying involved, staying in the know, being aware of what's going on. I think that's the most important thing you can do. And then just encouraging them to keep doing what they're doing because Todd Shields is is building something special, and I feel like if you stay tapped into that, it'll become even better.

SPEAKER_01 34:43

I feel like this should be like the Todd Shields promotional podcast. Every podcast we've done, we've talked about what an exceptional job he's done, but he's truly just a testament to the great leadership that we've had historically at A-State and how um we have just had people that have continued to innovate and change the university for the better and grow it in a way that is sustainable and advantageous for all students. So I'm very, very grateful for him and also grateful for him for having me do this. This is so fun.

SPEAKER_00 35:12

And in my entrepreneurship class one week, he actually did serve as a panelist and told us about how how groundbreaking of a of a tenure it was to get here. And so I really think that he's done an amazing and stellar job at just building the campus. And now every year we're having inclined growth rates and the campus is becoming something really special.

SPEAKER_01 35:37

Yeah, I concur. He's done a great job. So, last question as this is partners in progress, you're about to be a partner in our community. What does progress look like for you and for A State?

SPEAKER_00 35:49

Progress is just going out there and making a change every day. So as long as you're working hard towards something, that's what really counts. And being a partner in progress is is kind of the fundamental steps of going through the alumni process and still staying involved and being some somebody that understands their grassroots, knowing where they came from, what they built, and giving back to that.

SPEAKER_01 36:16

Absolutely. It takes all of us to continue this university and help it grow. Love it. Well, thank you so much for joining us today, Logan. I really appreciate your insights. It's been great to get to know more about you and your journey here.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

Thank you for having me. Yes.

SPEAKER_01 36:30

Well, that was Partners in Progress through the Arkansas State Media Network. Wolves up.