Going the Extra Mile
For Scott Tatum, life is about the little things. Whether it is going the extra mile in your own goals and aspirations, or taking the time to support the people around you, there is so much more to life than simply going through the motions.
“Going that extra mile, whether someone sees it or not, will go a long way. Making someone’s day can turn their day around. These are things I try to remember. So if someone drops their books, I go to help them, or if someone has nice shoes, I try to complement them. It’s the little things that go a long way.”
Scott came to Midland with aspirations in the business world. Whether it be in the career of sales, management, or finance, Scott hopes to build a strong foundation for his future career goals. Everything he does at Midland is an investment in this plan as he continues to learn and grow as a professional.
“Where I work in the summer, I have had a lot of job opportunities put forth to me, it’s just deciding where I want to focus. I have opportunities in sales, and sales management, and that’s probably where I will focus. My biggest thing is trying to weed out where I want to end up living, because the end goal is building a foundation to manage rental properties.”
While at Midland, Scott has worked to develop a 10-year plan. In this plan, Scott aims to continually work toward buying and managing rental properties. This is all in an effort to create a financially viable situation for him and his future family.
“I have a little 10-year plan that I can’t wait to start when I get out of school. It means pretty much everything to me. The goal is to have 10 homes in 10 years. It is going to be super exciting, because when I am at 10 homes, I will be financially pretty stable. With that, I can be a stay-at-home dad and support my family even more in that capacity.”
Scott cites his involvement at Midland as a major reason he feels so comfortable in pursuing his 10-year plan. Being part of the baseball team and several student organizations, Scott has developed a strong sense of time management. However, he feels the skills he has developed being a Resident Advisor has been one of the most relevant to his future.
“Being an RA, a lot of my communication and time management skills have been developed through that role. That role, along with being so involved, has really taught me time management. Being able to set my daily routine, working out at five, doing these assignments, checking in on these people here, and doing all the things I do every day is going to help me in communicating and managing my career. Whether I am communicating in a sales role, or managing my rental properties, these skills are going to be beneficial. ”
Reflecting on his time at Midland, developing his 10-year plan, and being involved, Scott urges students to make the most of their college experience. For him, college is whatever a student wants it to be. It’s ultimately up to the student to make time for the little things.
“I think college is what you make it, and I think a lot of people don’t value it. I tell people that you are paying, or someone is paying for you, to go here and you may as well make the best out of that money. My biggest thing is that by being involved in college, you meet all these people and you create a better time. And it all works toward your future.”
Scott Tatum is a junior business management and digital marketing major from Paradise Valley, MT. To share your story or nominate a friend, email social@midlandu.edu or post using #FacesofMidland.
