Minnesota State Moorhead student shines while balancing work, school

By Sydney Mook

Danielle Allyza Caingcoy is the definition of busy.

The Minnesota State University-Moorhead student is preparing to graduate next spring after just two years at the school and she’s hitting the ground running.

Caingcoy is involved in numerous student organizations, many centered around MSUM’s Paseka School of Business. She is part of Beta Gamma Sigma, which honors the top 10% students of the top 5% AACSB accredited business schools.

Between studying, working as a bank teller 30 hours a week and leading the recruitment for MSUM’s Financial Management Association she still finds the time to enjoy an hour or two with friends each week.

Tell me about what you are studying.

“I'm pursuing finance I'm getting a bachelor's at Minnesota State University Moorhead and then also getting two certificates, bank management and corporate financial management. I pursued that because I'm from the Philippines and it's a poor country, so my family aren't really well off and so I wanted to figure out how to manage our finances and then hopefully help them and then help myself too.”

Did you move to the United States from the Philippines?

“I originally grew up in the Philippines. I moved here when I was about 12 years old, and I lived in New Ulm, Minn. So it's about four and a half hours south (of Moorhead) and I lived there throughout my high school years and moved up here last year.”

How do you like MSUM?

“I love it. They've given me so many opportunities. The Paseka School of Business, all of the staff and faculty, they’re very supportive. I worked with them last year as a student worker through work study.”

You already have a job in banking, correct?

“Currently, I work at first International Bank and Trust as a personal banker. So, I do half teller work and then half opening new accounts and explaining those to our clients.“

All of that while being a full-time student? That sounds busy.

“It's hectic, I work 30 hours a week and then full time here as a student. So it's crazy.”

Tell me about the organizations you’re involved in at MSUM.

“There's FMA (Financial Management Association) and I'm the chapter president for that this year. And then also the Student Advisory Board to the dean. So, we offer input and feedback as to what we'd like to see the College of Business do going forward. And then the two committees for the Paseka School of Business, the curriculum and assurance of learning, so those are two separate ones. That basically deals with how should students learn better or how to make the curriculum better for students to actually understand the material and be able to apply it in the real world. And then this February I'll be on a panel for transforming workplaces and Generation Z, where we'll talk about what we expect from our future employers and what we look for when we're job hunting.”

Do you mind expanding on that thought? What does your generation expect from employers?

“I usually look at their website and then click on their about page and kind of see what the company culture is like, what they value, because I think that's really important. That speaks a lot to me, because I want to work for a company that not only values their clients, but also their employees. I expect a supportive employer as what I've seen from the Paseka School of Business. I think it that's really important, I’m more likely to work for them if I have the motivation to get up in the morning and work for them because they're so supportive and they'll be there and they'll have my back.”

Let’s go back to the organizations you’re involved in. Why is it so important for you to be active in student organizations?

“It's important. I’m kind of rushed this year because last year was my first year but I came in with some college credits from high school. I did post secondary enrollment options, and then College in Schools, where you take college classes while you're in high school, and that's free. So everyone should take advantage of that I think and I'm glad I did. So now I’m going into my second year, but it’s actually my senior year of college, so I’m graduating this May.

Last year I wasn’t as involved because I was focused on adapting to the new environment and adjusting to my new job with Paseka at that, while getting good grades.

This year, I feel good about my grades. I feel good about where I work. I feel good about my environment, and I said to myself, I need to get more involved on campus because it does look good on my resume, and then also, to network with people.”

So you’re basically a sophomore who’s getting ready to graduate this May, wow. Did you have that mindset in high school?

“I kind of knew what I wanted to go into while I was in high school because I did some research about what I wanted to do and I was set on that, so I just followed through. I emancipated myself my senior year of high school so I had to provide for myself, and I was thinking in my mind, ‘I can’t afford to waste any money. So I better rush through and figure it out.’ I took advantage of those programs in high school and that helped me a lot.”