For many college seniors, their final semester is one filled with uncertainty surrounding what the future may hold. Not only are they faced with the challenge of completing final projects and taking final exams, they are also consumed with the searches, interviews and waiting game associated with the quest to find a job. A trio of St. Olaf hockey student-athletes can breathe a little easier during their final semester as their futures are already a little clearer than some of their fellow seniors.
With college graduation still months away, Ole hockey seniors Ben Leis, Charlie Raskob and Jeff Warren all have full-time employment awaiting them upon completion of their degrees. All three job offers were the result of great impressions made during summer internships at Minnesota companies.
St. Olaf Men’s Hockey Coach Sean Goldsworthy is proud of the trio, but he certainly isn’t surprised by their success. “As a staff we are extremely proud of them,” Goldsworthy said. “They are outstanding young men who create a very positive image of our program at St. Olaf College and in the community. They attended St. Olaf College with goals of combining college hockey and elite academics, and I feel they have obtained both standards.”
It’s that very combination of academics and athletics that all three of the Ole teammates point to as playing a vital role in their success securing employment so early in the game.
St. Olaf goalie Ben Leis chose the school for its challenging academics, but found that it was his combined experiences as a Division III student-athlete that really helped during the interview process. Leis--who currently leads the MIAC in both Goals Against Average (1.87) and Save Percentage (.938), and in the Nation ranks 5th and 2nd, respectively—will be joining Best Buy full-time as a Demand Planning Analyst later this year.
“A lot of the people I interviewed with were intrigued by hockey and wanted to hear more about hockey,” Leis said. “Hockey is like a small job outside of school. It’s 25-30 hours a week and has helped me manage my time, and get into a routine, meet a lot of great people and learn communication and leadership skills. That’s what they loved hearing about at Best Buy and I think those are the qualities I can bring from hockey into my career.
“Being a D-III student-athlete has helped me set higher goals for myself than I would have set elsewhere.”
Goldsworthy is confident Leis will take some of his greatest attributes on the rink straight to the business world.
“Ben is one of the most unselfish players in our program,” Goldsworthy said. “This year he has been the defensive backbone to our team, while providing leadership to our program. Ben has the ability to process information at both a high rate and high level. He has tremendous focus and discipline to his game and personal behavior, which is a character trait that would be attractive to any employer. Ben has an analytical thought process that will serve him well at Best Buy.”
When Leis begins his duties at Best Buy later this year, there will be one extremely familiar face on the Best Buy campus.
His teammate, Ole forward Jeff Warren, will also being joining the Best Buy contingent. In fact, the two will hold the exact same title, Demand Planning Analyst. Essentially, they will be responsible for efficiently allocating the correct amount of stock keeping units, within a category, to Best Buy’s retail locations and ensuring that the right amounts of the right products are in the right places at the right times.
Warren also landed in Division III for the joint academic and athletic experience.
“After months of communication [with Goldsworthy] I realized it was the best of both worlds,” Warren said.
“They were able to offer strong academics while also allowing me to continue to play competitive hockey. In the end, it was the best choice for me and my future.”
Like Leis, Warren sees a direct correlation between hockey and his success in the professional world.
“I definitely think my experiences at St. Olaf as a D-III student-athlete played a part in my landing of the job,” Warren added. “In my several interviews I made sure to mention my strengths in leadership, teamwork, communication, time management, and hard work. Playing hockey teaches you how to be a leader and work within a team. Both of which are crucial to success in the real world. In addition, my academic training as a liberal arts student has taught me to think both creatively and critically. Due to my coursework, I can approach questions and problems from multiple perspectives.”
Becoming a leader is certainly something that Warren has achieved his during time in college. “After two seasons as a developmental player on our roster, he established himself in our lineup as a junior and was elected team captain his senior season due to his work ethic and leadership qualities,” Goldsworthy said.
The timing of Warren’s appointment couldn’t have been better. “I was fortunate enough to be named captain shortly before my final day of interviewing, which was a nice talking point,” Warren said.
Though “team captain” certainly looks good on Warren’s resume, his leadership and other qualities have meant just as much on off the ice as they have on the ice.
“Jeff's work ethic, determination and leadership qualities in our program have helped him mature off the ice academically,” Goldsworthy said. “His focus in athletics has had a direct influence on his personal life, leading to academic success and a subsequent opportunity with Best Buy.”
The third member of the trio, Charlie Raskob, won’t be joining Warren and Leis at Best Buy. He will, however, be at another Minnesota-based Fortune 500 company, Target Corporation.
Raskob, who has netted four goals in addition to his 10 assists already this season for the Oles, will be joining Target as a Business Analyst, looking at data, crunching numbers and making decisions, a job he secured after a 10-week summer internship with the company. During that internship Raskob received feedback from co-workers that he excelled when working with a team – a quality that directly relates to his experiences as a student-athlete.
“Target is structured on teams, and going in I was comfortable on a team and I knew how to work how to work with other people and several different personalities,” Raskob said.
Raskob’s summer co-workers aren’t alone in recognizing these qualities. “He is a very diverse person who can relate to many different roles and expectations,” Goldsworthy said.
Over his career, Raskob has played as both a defenseman and a forward. Goldsworthy refers to him as, “the most dynamic player in our program. We have used him in both roles the past two seasons, and he continues to provide our program with whatever is asked of him on and off the ice. I am confident that his experience as a student-athlete helped prepare him for the interview process and skills necessary to separate him from other candidates at Target.”
Like most Division III student-athletes, Raskob chose Division III as, “a way to keep playing competitively yet still get a good education,” and like Leis, Warren and number other Division III student-athletes, it’s a decision that has paid dividends in return.
Raskob admits that the coaching staff encourages meaningful experiences in academics and activities other than hockey, but ultimately believes that he is surrounded by a great group of guys who not only share a passion for hockey, but who understand the importance of academics and share ambitions for success beyond the hockey arena.
Though the Ole trio are among the few who have concrete post graduation plans in place, there is another great MIAC example at Concordia College.
Cobber hockey standout, Erick Galt also has his post-collegiate career locked down. However, Galt’s career plans closely mirror his current situation.
In addition to being a full-time student and a key member of the Cobber hockey team Galt works nearly 30 hours a week at Tailored Living Featuring PremierGarage, a place he has been working for nearly six years. Galt currently heads up all installation at the company and during his time there has learned valuable information about how to successfully run a business.
When asked how he manages it all, Galt admits that it can be overwhelming at times, but says that he feels a sense of accomplishment after conquering a busy day at work, class and the rink.
Concordia College Hockey Coach Chris Howe believes it’s an environment Galt thrives in. “It comes down to time management and an extreme desire to compete,” Howe said. “He loves the challenge and when times are the most challenging, he looks at that as a chance to prove he can do it.”
Galt, a defenseman who currently leads the Cobbers in goals (3) and assists (9), readily admits that being a student-athlete and an employee has aided in valuable skill development in which he has been able to apply to all avenues of life.
“By far the best thing about being a student-athlete and an employee are some of the skills I have had to acquire in order to make everything work,” Galt said. “Time management is hands down essential when trying to handle work, school, and hockey. It takes sacrifice at times but is worth it in the end. Being a leader in the company over the past few years has translated at the rink and in the classroom. Being punctual for all things is critical, no matter how busy you are it goes back to time management.”
He also knows that hockey has been integral in his overall success.
“I wouldn’t be the competitor I am in all areas of my life without the competition I go through everyday at the rink,” Galt added. “The coaching staff has been pushing me since I came to the program to be a leader on and off the ice along with helping me grow as a person. Handling adversity and emotion with poise has been a big contributor to my success with everything I do.”
Galt hopes to put his degree to use at Tailored Living post graduation in hopes of growing the business, much like he has been influential in rebuilding the Cobber hockey program.
“Erick has been a major part in our rebuilding project here at Concordia College Hockey,” Howe added. I am going to miss his attributes and contributions long after he graduates.”
Galt, Raskob, Warren and Leis already have real-world benefits as a result of the Division III student-athlete experience. Often times athletes are considered over achievers and the fact that these four have jobs in place prior to graduation makes them picture-perfect examples.