From Marshall to Minneapolis via Mizzou: Trulaske opens world of opportunities for graduate
Leaving his hometown of Marshall, Missouri, population 13,806, to pursue a degree in business at the University of Missouri’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, could have been a bit intimidating for Connor Grossenburg. But once he settled into his new home, Grossenburg found a world of opportunity. Literally.
“Coming from a graduating class of 150, moving to Mizzou and enrolling in Trulaske was equivalent to moving to New York City,” Grossenburg said. “I was quickly overwhelmed my first semester, especially with my weekly lecture in Bush Auditorium, and didn’t know how I would find friends or succeed since I was just a kid from middle of nowhere Missouri compared to so many from Chicago, St. Louis, and Kansas City.”
Grossenburg began pursuing opportunities to make Mizzou feel “smaller,” he said.
“I was most successful at this by getting involved with the business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, where I met my best friends and really broke out of my shell.”
Within the tight-knit community he built for himself, Grossenburg began hosting monthly “family dinners” so he could cook for his close friends and spend quality time together regularly.
He also increased his involvement at Mizzou by serving as a college ambassador, working alongside Kim Hedges, a senior career specialist at Trulaske.
“Her upbeat and empathetic personality stood out to me from the time we met,” Grossenburg said. “I have watched Kim help countless students with their career decisions. Kim’s example of selflessness taught me how big of an impact you can have on someone by going even a small step out of your way for them.”
After his sophomore year, Grossenburg followed his own desire to serve others across the world, traveling with the Newman Center to work with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata, India, where he volunteered with Daya Dan, an orphanage for boys ages 5-11 with mental and physical disabilities.
“We spent the days helping serve meals, handwashing laundry, cleaning the house, providing physical therapy, and just spending time with the boys to help them feel cared for,” he said. “Our work was very hands-on and highly demanding but extremely rewarding.”
The trip taught Grossenburg what a tremendous impact an individual can have by performing even seemingly small tasks.
“The experience shaped me in more ways than I could imagine,” he said. “There is a great quote by Mother Teresa is which she says, ‘Do small things with great love.’ That resonates very deeply with me even today.”
After he graduates in May with a degree in business administration and an emphasis in marketing, a certificate in Sales & Customer Development, and a minor in agribusiness management, this Marshall native will head to Minneapolis, where he’ll be working at the General Mills headquarters.
“I will work in Minneapolis for a year before a two-year rotational sales role, an adventure with an unknown outcome, but one I’m excited for,” he said.
And thanks to the world of opportunity he discovered at the Trulaske College of Business, Grossenburg will take with him a sense of service and perspective.
“Not everyone needs to travel 8,000 miles from home to India to serve others — but if they have the opportunity, I highly recommend it,” he said. “There is such a great need all around us in our local community and even a small amount of time given to others can have such a tremendous impact on them and yourself. There will always be a great return on the help you give to others.”
Grossenburg’s Favorite Lessons from College:
- Don’t be afraid to fail. There were opportunities I avoided for fear of failing that I know I could have benefitted from early on, but I missed out.
- Try to see things from other people’s perspectives. A humbling leadership lesson I learned through my various positions is that you’re not always right, and stopping for a moment to think about a situation in the other person’s shoes can save a world of trouble and discomfort.
- The path you set out on may change and that’s okay. Don’t get so stuck in trying to accomplish or do something when other opportunities arise that may be different from your initial goal. Having a willingness to be flexible can lead to many other doors opening that you never expected.
Mizzou’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business prepares students for success as global citizens, business leaders, scholars, innovators and entrepreneurs by providing access to transformative technologies, offering experience-centered learning opportunities and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.