Jonnie Kullens

Jonnie Kullens is an honors transfer management major from Rockford, IL

Hometown: Rockford, IL

Year: Expected graduation: 2025

Transfer from: Rock Valley College

Why did you choose to attend NIU?
For affordability, to stay close to family and because I'd heard excellent things about the College of Business. My dad is also a Huskie alum!

What did you want to be when you were growing up? Are you pursuing that as a major, or have you taken another path?
I never really had a dream of what I wanted to be growing up. I loved food, so I'd toy around with the idea of being a chef. I loved helping people, so I considered pursuing psychology or psychiatry in high school. During my early college years, I took several music theory and choir classes, as well as voice lessons. For a time, I considered myself a music major. Turns out I liked eating more than cooking, so the chef idea was a flop. I also realized that music was more of a personal passion rather than something I wanted to do for a living, so that was out. Psychology ended up being somewhat close. I knew the idea of helping people was integral to my purpose. The unknown concept was how I was going to do it.

What is your major (and/or minor) and why did you decide on this course of study?
I am currently pursuing a major in human resource management with a minor in data analytics. After competing my associate of arts degree at Rock Valley College, I made plans to enroll in universities for my bachelor's degree, but that was put on hold after I took a hiatus from education to care for my mother. I entered the workforce after she recovered and worked a number of years in fashion retail as an assistant manager. I'd had management experience before completing college and being back in the swing of things made me realize how much I'd missed being part of a team of excellent people working to attain a shared goal. Watching my staff become young professionals was the highlight of my career. However, I always felt as if there was a significant disconnect between corporate and our staff. We didn't always get the things, knowledge or connections we needed to be successful. Eventually, I came to the conclusion that I needed to be the change I wanted to see. I left my position just as autumn was beginning and raced to enroll in NIU's College of Business as an HR major. I decided to take up data analytics as a minor because I wanted the ability to back up my bold, new approaches to HR with cold, hard, statistically sound facts and logic. I believe the greatest capital is people, and I'm dedicated to making an investment in people the way of the future of business innovation.

What has been something you have found pleasantly surprising about your experience at NIU?
Despite coming to NIU partly though recommendations, but mostly through convenience, I've found the students, staff and faculty here to be incredibly engaged in their educational dealings, as well as having an unsatiable drive to strive for excellence and achieve more than just what is satisfactory. This campus is filled with fierce, clever, innovative people looking to make a difference in their field, and seeing this kind of devotion at "just some state school in the boonies" is simply awe-inspiring. NIU has seriously been overlooked.

How have you connected with other students to study for classes, meet new people or form new friendships?
So far, I've been part of a few group projects, which has been an interesting experience, to say the least. It makes you really appreciate some things regularly taken for granted, like relying on others, taking charge of your part in things, and engaging in regular, meaningful communication. I've made a lot of new connections on LinkedIn, that's for sure! I've also had the pleasure to meet some very sweet, kind people in my classes. I'm always happy to meet more people looking to bring a little more joy to class.

Are you involved in any student organizations, mentoring programs or extra-curricular activities? If so, which ones? How have they added to your experience as a Huskie?
I joined the Management and Business Administration Student Advisory Board's mentorship program my first semester and worked with a fellow mentor student who provided great tips for staying on top of things in the classroom. I've become a mentor myself this semester and am looking forward to paying that kindness back in turn to another fellow student. I've also joined the Society for Human Resource Management as their executive assistant and have had a lot of fun planning events, organizing guest speaker meetings and just helping everyone on the e-board get things done. I'm very excited for some of the community outreach events we have coming up, as well as potentially taking on more serious roles in the following semester. I've also joined Leaders in Ethics and Academic Discipline as a member, where I've gotten to meet folks who take ethics and doing things "the right way" very seriously. I feel very strongly for doing what is best and honoring one's promises, and being among like-minded students and faculty has been very refreshing.

What NIU offices, departments or resources have helped you succeed? And how?
The Department of Management and its faculty have been so pleasant to work with so far! I've started just popping in whenever I have free time just to say hello. The undergrad department and my current advisor, Amanda, have also been incredibly helpful in helping me set up my last semester(s) for success. I've already made a few visits with my future advisor, Steph, who helped put my mind at ease in planning for graduation. Having this foundation makes me feel confident moving forward. Shoutouts to Linda, my Honors advisor, as well, for helping me prepare to graduate with Full Honors! And while I've only really dealt with them a few times in passing, Career Services was always so friendly and understanding when it came to preparing students for their future careers.

Are there transfer-specific resources, offices or services that you use to help you succeed at NIU?
One item of note was the transfer mentor I was assigned my first semester here. She made me feel right at home, and we met weekly to not only check on my progress and well-being, but also just to talk and be friendly. I like to think I helped keep her sane as much as she kept me sane.

What Honors Program opportunities or support have helped you get closer to your academic or career goals so far?
I've been meeting a few times with my Honors advisor, Linda, about keeping on schedule to graduate with Full Honors. She's been an incredibly reliable source of insight and has helped me feel confident in moving forward to approaching graduation in just a few short years.

What do you enjoy the most about the Honors Program?
I enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with being a member of the Honors Program. I put 110% into my honors courses and am looking forward to doing some meaningful work and research when I begin research for my capstone project, as well as discussing and learning meaningful information in my honors seminar.

Who has been one of your favorite instructors/professors and why? What course did they teach?
My favorite professor so far has got to be Karah Osterberg. Despite teaching a very daunting topic for me (Business Statistics and Data Analytics), she always comes to class with a good attitude and is always ready and willing to help students who ask for it. Despite dealing with several hundred students a semester, she's always responded to my frantic emails in a timely manner and is able to explain subject matter in a clear, concise way that is very easy to follow and understand. She helped inspire my decision to pursue data analytics as a minor. Also, she runs Iron Man triathlons and fosters puppies. Do I really need to say anything more?

How have you benefited by attending class regularly?
All my professors have stressed that attending lectures regularly will help you immensely, and they were not wrong. Reading a textbook or watching an online resource/video only gives you so much understanding. Being at every lecture, every time really helps give the subject matter meaning. It stops being something to memorize and starts to become the tools you'll actually use moving forward. I typically like to read a chapter ahead, so when the professor lectures about that chapter and puts items into perspective, it makes the knowledge fit in your brain in a better way than just reading alone. I've got my current 4.0 GPA to prove the benefits of attending every lecture. And if a professor grades attendance, those are the easiest points to get, and they can absolutely make the difference when sitting right on the cusp of an A- and an A.

Where is your favorite spot on campus or in the community? Why are you drawn to it?
I've spent a lot of time in Haribo Commons, either meeting with friends, having lunch, doing my homework or just reading ahead. Sometimes I get lost in the buzz of doing my work and end up working or reading until 11 p.m. I enjoy both the hustle and bustle of people socializing and the quiet hours of the evening. It's really a great place to experience it all, and I never really enjoyed studying in pure silence. A little background noise is nice, and the booth seating is comfortable to lounge in when it's late and few others are around. The ambiance and aesthetic of the commons area is really beautiful when you take the time to appreciate it, and the view of Dad's Lake and the fields beyond make for a very picturesque, natural scene.

What advice would you give to a student who is researching colleges to apply to?
I've always been an advocate of the phrase "you get what you pay for." I don't think that phrase applies to NIU. Through the right channels (financial aid and scholarships), the doors are opened wide for you, and any remainder you may need to pay is only a drop in the bucket compared to other options. You genuinely get a memorable experience here. The professors are overwhelmingly a delight to work with, and if you take the time to speak with and get to know them, they will help you succeed in your classes. At the end of the day, only you know what the best decision is for yourself, and you should go with your gut. All I'm saying is that I came to NIU out of convenience, but I stayed out of their commitment to excellence. Also, Fatty's Pub and Pizza Pros are awesome!

Why is a college education important to you?
At the end of the day, a diploma on your wall is just a piece of paper. But college isn't just about the education you get in the classroom (though the professors do a heck of a job making the subject matter applicable to your future career). It's about connections. Making friends with other students inside and outside your major; building meaningful connections with your professors and organizations; getting off campus to put some TLC into the community. These aren't experiences that just happen every day outside of a college setting. Rather, college gives you a means to do all of these things, in addition to learning what you'll need to know to hone your craft. You will meet some genuine people in college. Most of my best friends I met in college. And each and every educator here is going to put you on the right track to blow your competition to your goals out of the water. Your education (and all the goodies that come with it) gives you an edge in every way imaginable.

What strategies do you use to manage your time between the responsibilities of school, work, friends and family?
I've recently begun keeping a planner that I use to map out all my homework, reading, projects, events and other due dates from my several syllabi. I'll use that planner to write out my weekly tasks on my new whiteboard, assigning days of the week with milestones I need to make to stay on task. Having this plan helps me remember what I need to do when, as well as assists in breaking up daunting projects into more bite-sized tasks to follow. And knowing your schedule helps you to plug in the extras, like knowing that if you get this and that done, you can drive home to see your parents or hang out at your friend's place all afternoon to play games. Keeping a schedule has seriously helped keep me sane.

How do you stay informed about events and services that are available on campus?
Always check your email! If there's an organization you're interested in, drop your student email with them, and more often than not, they will keep you in the loop concerning all activities and events going on you may be interested in. Also, do yourself a favor and follow your major department, Career Services and any other of your favorite departments on social media (LinkedIn, Insta; I think some of them have TikToks). Seriously, you never know when a cool event they're putting on is coming up.

What do you do to relax or recharge?
My favorite thing to do when I have some free time is play video games. I always try to get myself to play something new, but I always end up replaying old, beloved games of mine. Really, anything I can do with friends as well. Going shopping, getting a bite to eat or just facetiming for two hours, it's nice to see friendly faces up close now and again. And let's not forget sleeping. It's not a waste of time if you're treating or enjoying yourself. Never beat yourself up for sleeping too late or spending time doing something you love instead of just studying all the time. Life is about the journey, not the destination. You'll graduate. Do the things you love in the meantime.

Please tell us about your job and hobbies.
I'm currently in NIU's Chamber Choir, which puts on concerts here in the Music Building, as well as performing out in the community. Music, while not my major, is still an integral part of my life, and expressing myself through song is something I will never let go of. I'm not currently working, but I spent four years working in retail, mostly in fashion (Charming Charlie, rue21, Bath & Body Works and Meijer). Ironically, even though those jobs were in Rockford, I've run into so many people here at NIU who recognized me from those places. It's always good to see a familiar face!

Is there anything else you'd like to share about your NIU Huskie story?
Just that I'm very excited at the prospect of being a part of NIU's history! I've always liked to leave my mark and believe in letting people know about your experiences. I hope that my experiences here at NIU can inspire others to see the devotion, beauty and innovation I see here, as well as inspire prospective students to consider their own journey here.