This has been a crazy semester and unfortunately, our graduating seniors semester was cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic. This group of seniors included some of the most involved brothers in our chapter and it's a shame their last semester was affected like this. This post serves as a way to spotlight these individuals and their accomplishments throughout their time in DSP at the University of Kansas.
Joe Lienemann is originally from Phoenix, AZ and joined DSP in Fall of 2019. He enjoyed attending chapter every week and just seeing all of our brothers. DSP showed him that many people are in similar situations to him and willing to help any who asks, a trait which embodies a Deltsig. He advises underclassman and other brothers to attend as many events as possible and get to know your fellow brothers! Joe was also involved with the Supply Chain Club at KU and stresses the importance of getting involved.
A supply chain management major, Joe will be doing the Operational Development Program at Faurecia and pursuing an MBA following graduation. We wish him nothing but the best in his future and our chapter is so lucky call this extremely kind, tall, and goofy individual our brother!
Originally from Overland Park, Emma Nelson is a Marketing and Business Analytics major with a minor in Spanish. She joined DSP in Fall 2017 and, as a pledge, she attended LEAD in Omaha. There, she was able to get to know brothers outside of chapter and felt much more welcomed, making it her favorite DSP memory. She studied abroad in Buenos Aires last summer and is moving to Ft Collins, CO following graduation.
Emma says that college goes by so fast and emphasizes how important it is to make the best of the 4 years. Our chapter will miss our animal loving, rave attending, super chill brother but we know she will do great things in Colorado and wish her the best of luck!
Kurtis Rood joined DSP in Fall 2016 and served on exec for 2 semesters where he had a chance to voice his opinions and make a difference in the chapter. He was also the first member of the Evans Scholarship House to be in DSP and today, there are 4 of them with some holding exec positions (all 4 of which are stellar, making Evans Scholars recruits a worthy pursuit). Semi-formals are Kurtis’s favorite DSP memories as they gave him a chance to bond with brothers and get closer to some who he may not have known very well before. They are also always just a good time!!
In addition to DSP and being an Evan’s Scholar, Kurtis also received the Professional Selling Certificate at KU and studied abroad in China in the summer of 2018. He stresses the importance of getting involved, studying hard, and enjoying your time which goes so fast.
A double major in Marketing and Management/Leadership, Kurtis will be working as a Field Sales Representative in Kansas City for TTI, a power tool company following graduation. Our chapter will miss our friendly, motivated, intelligent brother but we are excited to see all he will achieve in the professional world.
Originally from Dallas, TX, Simone Levy pledged DSP in Fall 2016. In her time with DSP, Simone served as fundraising chair, VP of Pledge Education and the Habitat for Humanity Chair. She was instrumental in the Habitat for Humanity partnership that our chapter had in 2018 where brothers both raised funds for and actually built a house for a family of 5 in Lawrence. This experience and our amazing semi-formals at Quintons with lots of 90s bops are her favorite DSP memories. Outside of DSP, she also studied abroad for a year at the London School of Economics.
Simone says that you get out what you put in, echoing our sacred motto that “he profits most who serves best”. She also stresses the importance of being bold, trusting yourself, making new friends, and most importantly enjoy being in college and don’t forget to celebrate yourself!
A Business Analytics and Finance major, Simone will be working as a Business Technology Analyst for Deloitte Consulting in Dallas following graduation. Simone has had a significant impact on our chapter in her time here and will be leaving a long lasting legacy. We will miss our personable, dedicated, and persistent brother very much but wish her the best in her professional career and know she will achieve great things anywhere she goes.
Originally from Kansas City, Meili Estep is a Supply Chain Management major minoring in Environmental Studies. She joined DSP in Spring 2019 and her favorite DSP memory was attending LEAD in Denver earlier this year. Meili appreciates how DSP helped her connect with other business students at KU and emphasizes the importance of stepping out of your comfort zone! Outside of DSP, Meili also studied abroad at CIMBA Italy, volunteered at the Sexual Abuse and Trauma Center, worked for KU Catering and the Chancellor’s Office, and was a member of Sigma Kappa.
Meili is heading to Atlanta soon and our chapter will miss our bubbly, intelligent, Childish Gambino loving brother very much, but we are excited to see how she’ll help change the world around her and succeed wherever she goes!
Originally from Rogers, Arkansas, Holly Schwarz joined DSP in the Spring of 2017. Her favorite DSP memory was attending LEAD in Denver earlier this year where our chapter was able to both bond and grow professionally. Outside of DSP, she also studied abroad in Paris and was a member of the Marching Jayhawks.
A double major in Accounting and Psychology, Holly will be interning with PwC this summer before returning for the Masters of Accounting (MAcc) Program at KU next year. Holly emphasizes the importance of connecting with everyone you can because you never know when an opportunity could present itself! Our chapter will miss our friendly, motivated, traveling brother but luckily we’ll still get to see her smiling face around the B-School for a bit longer as she completes the MAcc program!
Originally from Nicaragua, Michelle Pallais joined DSP in Fall 2016 and has served as our Chancellor, VP of Community Service, and Fundraising Chair. Her favorite DSP memory is building the Habitat for Humanity House and she acknowledges that DSP has given her a group of friends that have helped her throughout her college career and with whom she’s made endless memories. Michelle emphasizes the importance of getting involved and says that the more you give to the organizations you’re a part of, the more you will enjoy your college career.
A double major in Finance and Marketing with a Concentration in International Business, Michelle will be going to work as a Transaction Advisory Analyst at EY in Dallas following graduation! Michelle has been a model brother within our chapter and has truly given so much. We will miss our friendly, selfless, dedicated brother greatly, but we are confident she will continue making us proud and wish her all the best as she enters the professional world!
Originally from Owatonna, Minnesota, Luke Bunkers joined DSP in Fall 2018. His favorite DSP memories are the 2019 and 2020 LEAD conferences (Chicago and Denver) where he gained a sense of community within our chapter. He also studied abroad and interned in London. Luke emphasizes the importance of pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and notes that you can gain more from each other than from any class. Reaching out to peers and creating lasting relationships is key in his opinion and we couldn’t agree more (and DSP is a great platform to do so).
Luke wants to thank everyone who made his time in DSP memorable and emphasize how much he truly appreciates you all. A marketing major, Luke will be working as an Account Manager for Guardian Life in Kansas City following graduation. Our chapter will miss our kind, funny, and unbelievable stylish brother so much but it’s comforting to know he’ll just be a short trip away.
Originally from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, Jared Loiben joined DSP in Fall 2016. He fondly remembers right after his initiation when he was headed to Mi Ranchito to celebrate with the brothers and another brother’s car broke down. Everyone was standing around watching brothers fix it. He was most impressed by the fact that no suits were ruined in the process. This memory encompasses the true helpful, resourceful, and professional nature our brothers strive for! Outside of DSP, Jared also participated in alternative breaks at KU. Jared encourages finance majors to read Wall Street Prep, Mergers and Inquisitions, and non-fiction books such as Barbarians at the Gate and the Taking of Getty Oil to learn more than classes could teach you.
An Accounting, Finance, and Business Analytics major, Jared will be continuing his educational career at Wisconsin Law School following graduation. While our chapter will miss our intelligent and motivated brother (and pledge interviews may never recover from his absence), we know his drive will take him far in life and wish him the best at law school and beyond!
Originally from Owasso, Oklahoma, Daniel Jones joined DSP in the Spring of 2018. He previously served as our chapter president where he improved chapter relations with other organizations at KU, most notably through the Professional Business Gala held last November. His favorite DSP memory was Chicago LEAD where he met a lot of really great people who he looks forward to keeping in touch with for years to come. Daniel stresses the importance of finding something you think is cool and committing to it as this is how you’ll find your passion—intentionally stumble around looking for it. Even if you learn it’s not your passion, you’ll learn something from the commitment and be better prepared to stumble into something else. Daniel wore many hats in his time at KU including President and Co Founder of the KU Blockchain Institute and I think it’s fair to say he found Blockchain as his passion but it wasn’t without stumbling around a bit.
A Supply Chain Management and Finance major, Daniel will be headed to Bentonville, Arkansas after graduation to work as a Supply Chain Analyst for Sams Club Corporate. Our chapter will miss our personable, motivated, and innovative brother so much (and we don’t know what we’ll do without his constant Blockchain pitches) but we know he is going to do amazing things anywhere he goes and we are thankful we had a chance to benefit from his leadership skills.
Our last, but certainly not least, senior spotlight is Kara Henry! Originally from Bloomington, Illinois, Kara Henry joined DSP in Fall 2016. She attended LEAD in both Chicago and Omaha and most recently served as our VP of Chapter Operations. Kara found DSP to be an integral part of her personal and professional development and emphasizes that being constantly surrounded by like-minded people can push you to be the best version of yourself. She truly believes that some of the best and brightest minds in the B School over the last 4 years have been DSP brothers and this creates a drive to always be involved and better yourself. Kara found DSP to be a family and knew she could always count on brothers for help and a friendly face to sit by in Cap Fed. Kara’s experiences in DSP encompass what the goals of our chapter are and showcase the benefits of being a part of our brotherhood, we are lucky to have had such great growth and leadership over the past few years to create the environment we currently have and Kara was an instrumental part in this transformation.
Kara advises underclassmen to get involved and make the most of every moment, especially considering it ends sooner than you think. She also stresses not to compare your dreams or drive to your classmates, just be happy for them! True to her word, Kara has been very involved outside of DSP by studying abroad at CIMBA, going to Houston and Charleston, South Carolina for Supply Chain Management Club, being a peer mentor for BUS 110 and 120, participating in the Leadership Challenge twice, doing the 3PL Logistics program, interning for Kohl’s corporate merchandising, organizing the Professional Business Gala, and working for KU Catering (along with brothers Meili, Sarah, Cooper, Luke, and Tatum!).
A Supply Chain Management and Environmental Studies major, Kara will be heading to Milwaukee, Wisconsin after graduation to work as a Merchandising Analyst for Kohl’s Corporate! Our chapter will miss our friendly, dedicated, and passionate brother so very much but we cannot wait to see everything she achieves following graduation using the skills DSP has helped her develop and nurture. We thank Kara for her devotion to DSP and all the work she’s put into our chapter in her time here and are grateful for the legacy she is leaving behind.
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