“I want to say, ‘OK, here are my goals, now how do I achieve them?’ I am constantly seeing if I am on the right path to accomplish what I want to accomplish,” says Kara Brown. Photo: Wayne Armstrong
Every student has his or her own secret to success, but for senior finance major Kara Brown — who works full time in addition to taking a full schedule of classes — working smart has become a mantra to live by.
“One of the biggest traits that I’ve had to learn quickly is time management, and being flexible and adaptable,” says Brown, who works as a financial representative at Northwestern Mutual.
Brown, a Tennessee native, transferred to the University of Denver in her sophomore year, and she is thriving. Among other awards, she received the Financial Executives International Scholarship, given to talented students in finance and accounting.
“She is someone who really takes initiative and represents herself and the institution very well,” says Rebecca Damas, one of Brown’s mentors in the career center at the Daniels College of Business. “She’s very mature and very personable.”
A self-proclaimed “outdoor junkie,” Brown enjoys running, hiking and mountain climbing. She also is committed to volunteerism, lending her time to the Colorado Common Cause, Colorado Lawyers Committee and many more when she’s not at work or in the classroom. With so many commitments, she says it is important for her to stay driven and on track.
“I’m very big-picture oriented,” she says. “I want to say, ‘OK, here are my goals, now how do I achieve them?’ I am constantly seeing if I am on the right path to accomplish what I want to accomplish.”