“You can really apply economic theory to any variety of topics.” —Brian Silver
Many CSU students who are interested in finance find themselves deciding between economics and business. For senior Brian Silver, combining the two programs provided the best of both worlds.
“I was always interested in how markets work and why firms and governments make the decisions that they do,” Brian said. “Economics also incorporated many aspects of business application and statistics, which are two subjects that I enjoy learning.”
Originally from Colorado Springs, Brian is graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics and minors in business administration and legal studies — complementary disciplines that have prepared him well for a number of possible career paths.
“Brian was one of the best students in my international finance and policy class,” said Assistant Professor Ray Miller. “He’s extremely bright and seemed especially comfortable in applying economic theory from core classes to the issues we discussed, such as the Greek debt crisis and its impact on exchange rates.”
Outside of classwork, Brian referees youth club soccer and has been involved in a wide variety of campus organizations, including Pre-Law Club, DECA, and Army ROTC Cannon Crew. This spring, he was inducted into Omicron Delta Epsilon, the economics honor society, in addition to membership in Sigma Alpha Lambda Honors Fraternity and Alpha Lambda Delta academic honor society.
“Brian has taken advantage of a wide variety of opportunities while at CSU. He has excelled academically and has also matured personally. Not only was he an outstanding student, but his extracurricular activities speak to his leadership abilities and commitment to service to the community,” said Miller.
What are your most important experiences or accomplishments at CSU?
The most important experience that I had as a student at CSU was maintaining a work life balance by participating in intramural (IM) sports. School can be super draining at times, but it was always great to look forward to the end of the day where I could unwind and compete. Plus, it enabled me to develop friendships through the bonds of teamwork and getting to know people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.
What advice would you give future economics majors?
The best advice that I could give to future economics majors would be to diversify your economics course load. You can really apply economic theory to a variety of topics, and there are plenty of courses to choose from. You can take economics courses dealing with a wide range of concentrations spanning from healthcare, welfare, and even the environment. This is a great time to explore your interests and see what you like and don’t like.
What are your 3 “must-take” economics courses?
ECON 442 Economics of International Finance and Policy: I learned a considerable amount regarding the foreign exchange market and why tariffs and sanctions influence economies. This class taught me the reasons why businesses need to be up to date with the current events in the world. I will carry many of the lessons that I learned in this class with me upon graduation.
ECON 240 Issues in Environmental Economics: This class taught me a lot about the importance that firms have in preserving the environment and our duty as humans to continue to make headway on our environmental concerns.
ECON 327 Law and Economics: We learned about all the types of law and how to apply economic thought through court decisions. This is one of the only classes where I decided to keep the textbook and even reference it for other economic papers.
What is your next step?
After graduation, I will be pursuing a Masters of Science in Business Analytics from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville starting this July. After graduate school, I would like to pursue a career working as a data scientist or data analyst in the private sector where I can solve complex business problems and provide efficient solutions for the betterment of an organization.
