Tristen Zikuhr is a junior at West Texas A&M University, where he is pursuing a bachelor of business administration while majoring in accounting. Zikuhr is from Belton, Texas and is navigating the intricacies of his new major.
Zikuhr is still figuring out what specific field in his career to pursue exactly.
“I’m not exactly sure what I want to pursue with my degree yet,” Zikuhr said. “I just started this degree after switching my major from wildlife biology to accounting.”
Switching majors was evident to Zikuhr since he no longer felt confident in his previous line of work.
“My passion for the working field overall feels clearer with earning a degree in accounting,” Zikuhr said. “I lost my passion for my previous degree, so I could no longer see myself working in the field of wildlife biology anymore. But I’m looking forward to seeing the opportunities that come with my new field.
Zikuhr will help many people maneuver financial decisions.
“A career in accounting helps people keep track of their money and assets,” Zikuhr said. “Accountants also help individuals create future investments and decisions based on their current values,”
Zikuhr enjoys the flexibility of his new major.
“My favorite thing about my major is that you can work pretty much anywhere,” Zikuhr said. “In my previous degree, there are limited areas that you can truly live in, but accounting is everywhere, so I enjoy the freedom of choosing a place to reside in.”
Once Zikuhr graduates from WT, he’ll continue to acquire further licenses.
“After graduating from WT, I’ll work towards obtaining my license as a certified public accountant (CPA),” Zikuhr said. “Becoming a CPA would mean I’ve met certain experience, education and exam requirements to be licensed in that state.”
Zikuhr was drawn to WT so that he could venture out farther from home.
“I came to WT because it was originally one of the only schools that had a wildlife biology program in the state of Texas,” Zikuhr said. “But after switching my major, I stayed because I was already settled here and built a community. In general, WT was far from my home and very affordable.”
WT has given Zikuhr various work opportunities.
“Since coming to WT, I’ve been allowed to find many work experiences,” Zikuhr said. “These experiences have been diverse, so I’ve been able to gain different experiences.”
Zikuhr enjoys the easily accessible campus and the kind people that WT has.
“My favorite thing about WT is that our campus is very open and easy to get involved in,” Zikuhr said. “The people at WT, whether it’s faculty or students, are also always willing to help you out at any moment,”
Zikuhr is currently seeking new organizations to be a part of.
“Around campus, I’m not too much involved anymore due to switching my major, so I’m currently finding new things that align with my new degree, like different organizations,” Zikuhr said. “Besides that, I work as a community advisor for Buff Hall.”
Although Zikuhr is no longer a wildlife biology major, he still views the scenery and different animal species outside.
“Aside from academics, I enjoy going to Palo Duro Canyon or Buffalo Lake to be around nature and the animals,” Zikuhr said.
Zikuhr believes you should always be who you are.
“You need to define yourself with whatever you are doing and who you are,” Zikuhr said.
