Student Story

We may lose time or hope. But we will never truly lose ourselves; that is what makes us.”

Zytrel Pickett, a freshman, came to Catawba College with his major already chosen: Business Administration and Global Management. He knew he wanted to start his own business. Once he arrived at Catawba, Zytrel realized that starting a business would take more work than he anticipated. “I thought that just having innovative thoughts and a plan would be enough,” Zytrel says. “But I changed my mind later because I figured out that entrepreneurship is also about experiences, like seeing and doing things for yourself.” Despite learning about all the effort it takes to create a business, Zytrel is still working hard to achieve that goal. Catawba is helping him work towards what he wants out of his life, in learning how to manage a business. Zytrel appreciates that Catawba has given him a chance to see how business owners operate around the world. He enjoys knowing “what makes them truly come up with an innovative solution to the problems surrounding them.” Zytrel chose Catawba because he thought Catawba's strong business program was in his best interest.

In addition to being a Tom Smith Fellow, Zytrel is also a part of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). He enjoys being a part of the Tom Smith Fellows and the FBLA programs because of the community it provides. That community is his favorite part of the Catawba experience. He believed that Catawba would have an active and enriching community that would allow him to grow and spread his social network, and so far, he feels he has been proven right about that. He appreciates the friends he has already made at Catawba in his first year here.

For Zytrel, the Tom Smith Fellows have opened doors for professional opportunities. He believes that the program can help him make professional connections in his career and life outside of Catawba. He also appreciates the personal connections made through the program, and enjoys the etiquette diners he’s been to so far. He is looking forward to the opportunity to go on trips with the program.

Zytrel says he wants to have his business running before he graduates from Catawba. The specifics are still in the works, but he plans to have the business platform be online. As for the content of the business itself, he is thinking he wants to go into the clothing industry, but he is open to new ideas at this point in his thought process. After graduation, he plans to continue focusing on that business and keep himself busy with the work that it provides him.

One thing that sticks out to Zytrel about Catawba is the diversity in the student body. He says that there are a lot of people from a wide variety of backgrounds, and it is interesting to get to meet so many individuals who are different from him. This diversity ties into his love of the community at Catawba. Because Catawba is a small school, the community is a large part of a lot of student’s lives.

When it comes to his friends and other students on campus, Zytrel says he has learned three distinct things: “One, no matter where you are in life, no matter how different you seem, we all have our own agenda, and reason for moving forward. Two, we may have our moments; we may be exhausted, but all it takes is time. That is our greatest healer, and benefactor in the end. Three, we may lose time or hope. But we will never truly lose ourselves;that is what makes us.” These experiences are things Zytrel says he would never have expected learning about when he came to college, but he has enjoyed getting to know so many different people. He has even been able to progress in his studies due to meeting someone who can help him with his French skills. Zytrel appreciates the help he is getting from this person and feels that it is just one example of how the diversity of the campus population enhances the overall college experience for him in particular, as well as for all students.

Zytrel does work-study as a help desk assistant at Catawba’s on- campus library, and he also enjoys the library as a place to hang out. In his free time, Zytrel likes to edit videos, play video games, and play guitar. Zytrel offers another piece of wisdom he's acquired, “Freedom comes with learning to detach and progress, metaphorically speaking.”