Pursue your passion in business and beyond

Here at ASU, and especially within the W. P. Carey School of Business, it’s common for students to pursue concurrent degrees in business and other disciplines university-wide. But what happens when you pick two majors that are on opposite sides of the spectrum?

Here at ASU, and especially within the W. P. Carey School of Business, it’s common for students to pursue concurrent degrees in business and other disciplines university-wide. But what happens when you pick two majors that are on opposite sides of the spectrum?

So what do you want to major in? It’s every high school senior’s least favorite question. As someone who loved the arts but also wanted something more, my answer — business and theatre — got several weird looks. Many people think that I added a “cut-and-dry” business degree to one in the arts because my parents forced me to, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

My mom has always pushed me to follow my dreams, and was actually somewhat concerned when I told her I wanted to major in business. She had, after all, been watching me perform since I could walk. But something about business called my name.

When I arrived on campus as a first-year student, even I had become a little wary about studying business. Working in a high-rise office was appealing, but wasn’t something I could picture myself doing. My biggest fear was ending up with a job that I didn’t want, and longingly watching old Tony performances on YouTube. Starting out, I didn’t want to be drawn away from the theatre world or to become too wrapped up in the business one. I quickly realized I was being ridiculous.

I loved studying managerial accounting as much as I loved my acting class. I have come to love running across campus to and from business events and theatre auditions. And I’ve realized that just because business and theatre may seem like two different worlds doesn’t mean they lack similarities. They call it “show business” after all.

Being a part of both schools has introduced me to diverse opportunities — and a diverse group of people — for which I’m forever grateful. I hope to one day use my business management skills to manage myself as an actress. I also hope to one day run my own theatre company. In the meantime I am just learning and experiencing as much as I can.

So if you are currently trying to decide between two opposites, whatever they may be, I hope that you attempt to try both. It really is possible to have the best of both worlds at ASU’s W. P. Carey School of Business.