Near and Deere

Looking back, Savanna Douglas laughs about the time she called her parents right after class, bursting to share the good news: "Guess what I learned today about tax exemptions!"

But seriously, it was difficult for the then-sophomore to contain her excitement for what she was learning and discovering at St. Ambrose: she loved accounting. And it didn't take long for Deere & Company to recognize her potential. This past fall, after wrapping up a second internship with the Fortune 100 company, and eight months before graduation, Douglas was offered a full-time position in Deere's three-year Financial Development Program (FDP).

She starts in June, just weeks after she graduates, and will spend one year each in Deere's three accounting divisions: general ledger, unit, and corporate.

Douglas will put to use her Bachelor of Arts degrees in Management and Marketing, as well as her minor in Accounting. And, as Ambrosians do, she will embrace every possibility, including relocating at least once. "Yes, that is exciting. There are so many different locations across the country where I could work for Deere," she said.

A pre-graduation job offer from a highly respected worldwide corporation is a laudable accomplishment, but also a natural byproduct of SAU's focus on experiential learning. It also highlights the unique ability of SAU College of Business programs to equip students with the highly sought skills, ethics, and practical knowledge they need to succeed. In fact, Alex Denton '19 also caught the attention of Deere & Company and accepted a position in the same development program eight months before graduation.

"I was thrown right into the mix after I started. It was nice to immediately have that trust and level of responsibility," Denton said. "The goal of FDP is to get as much exposure to the company as possible. I will get to see the entire accounting process from factory to corporate to government," he said, adding afterward he will get to choose which specialization to pursue.

"With Deere your options are unlimited. You have opportunities to explore and try new things and create your own path," he added.

Denton came to SAU fully intent on a career in accounting, unlike Douglas, who began classes undecided on which business degree to pursue. In her second year, she chose Management as well as Marketing, even though she felt a strong pull toward accounting. When she turned to her marketing professor for advice, John Byrne, PhD, empowered her to explore her accounting interest and to examine all of the possibilities. She is extremely glad she did.

Today, Douglas is confident she chose the right career path, and again, it is difficult to contain her excitement.

"I am from the Quad Cities, and when I was a kid and thought about what success in business would look like, I pictured John Deere," she said. "Being able to tell people I am graduating from college in May and will work at a Fortune 100 company speaks to the value of my education. For Deere to look at an SAU student and say, ‘I want to hire that person because I know they are well-educated and know what they are doing,' it really means a lot to me."

–Dawn Neuses '94