Matt Draeger graduated in May with a degree in business management. He recently took a job as a financial advisor with Northwestern Mutual. We caught up with him and asked him about . . . .
During the last semester of my senior year, I started an internship with Northwestern Mutual which has now turned into a full-time job as a financial advisor. I work out of the Duluth, Minnesota office where much of my focus is to serve the Ashland area. As a financial advisor, I help clients with financial planning at every stage in life, whether they’re just getting started and paying off student loans, saving for big purchases like a house, preparing for retirement or anywhere in between.
Going into my senior year at Ashland High School, I really had no idea of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go after graduation. After much searching, I realized that Northland had everything that I was looking for; small class sizes, affordable, and a quality education. Going to college in my hometown gave me ample benefits and made the transition from high school to college significantly easier.
Some of the best memories are from my four seasons of playing baseball for the Lumberjacks. Competing in baseball at the collegiate level requires you to work hard and learn how to properly manage your time when you are balancing practice, travel, school, work, internship, etc. Putting in all those long hours of practice and travel also allows you to build deep friendships with your teammates. Many of the guys that I played with are now some of my best friends. Several of them will be groomsmen in my wedding this upcoming fall when I marry Kim Roguski, also a Northland grad (pictured above).
Jennifer Kuklenski, adjunct instructor in business. She was thorough in her teaching style and could tie in real-world experiences into her lectures. She also challenged us by holding our work to a higher standard.