Mark Estares

Year in school: Fourth year at K-State

Major: Accounting and finance major working toward master's degree in accountancy

Hometown: Junction City, Kansas

What is your earliest K-State memory?
The earliest memory that I have of K-State was as a freshman in high school when I had the opportunity to tour the campus a little bit and meet and see the debate team in action as a part of my novice debate class.

Why did you choose K-State?
I chose K-State primarily for the College of Business, specifically the accounting program. However, one of the deciding factors that led to my attendance at K-State was the Multicultural Academic Program for Success, or MAPS. It provided me with a head start to my college career and exposed me to the resources available on campus that have allowed me to succeed as a college student.

How are you involved at K-State?
Since I have started college, I have been involved with the Multicultural Business Student Association, or MBSA, which creates a safe environment for all types of students to feel welcome while offering opportunities and preparing students with the skills needed to succeed in a diverse workplace. Through the connections that I made through MBSA I was able to get an internship, which has been one of the highlights of belonging. Besides MBSA, I was involved with the Asian American Student Union, K-State eSports and the Student Accounting Society.

What has been your favorite K-State experience?
I have had so many memorable experiences at K-State. However, one of my favorite experiences has been my involvement with MAPS. Seeing how much my friends have grown and accomplished since we first started the program in the summer of 2018 has been extremely fulfilling and makes me grateful to have such great people to look up to. I was fortunate enough to give back to the program as a tutor for the summer class of 2019.

How does K-State care for Kansans in your hometown community?
One of the ways that K-State cares for the people in my hometown has been through connecting high schoolers to the university. Providing students with the information and resources necessary to make an informed decision about whether to pursue college is crucial. One of the reasons that I attended K-State was because of tours I attended and the constant praise that I heard from my high school teachers.

Why do you want to bring K-State to your community?
The opportunities made available to me as a high schooler to learn more about K-State provided me with the information necessary to figure out what I would like to do for a career. Providing the same opportunity for those in my community, I can only hope that some individuals can also find out what they would like to do after school.