Category Archives: Student Profiles

Annika Hesse arrived on the 40 Acres with a mission—to find a way to explore her dual interests in business and healthcare. As a high school senior, Annika decided to study in the Canfield Business Honors Program because of its flexible degree plan that would allow her to gain a comprehensive business education while also learning about other fields of interest. Now in her first year at Canfield BHP, Annika is taking a mix of business classes like MAN 101H: Leadership Challenges and Innovations and STEM classes like CH 301: Principles of Chemistry I.

As part of the Canfield BHP community, Annika receives personalized advising attention from the program’s academic advisors, who can help her map out her four-year degree plan. (Stop by the Canfield BHP office, and there is a good chance you will find Annika at the peer advisor desk or completing her homework!) At the same time, Annika has had the opportunity to join Alpha Epsilon Delta, a pre-health honor society where she has met other students passionate about healthcare. 

Outside of the classroom, Annika is exploring her dual passions by working with other Canfield BHP students to restart a student organization. “When I first got to UT, I began looking for an organization that combined my interests in both business and healthcare,”

Annika and her Canfield BHP peers decided to restart the Texas Business Healthcare Association (TXBHA), an organization “focused on filling in the gap between business and healthcare by exposing students to the financial, managerial, legal, and consulting aspects of the healthcare industry.”

TXBHA had become inactive during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Annika and her Canfield BHP peers were motivated to create a unique space where like-minded students could engage in career development: “We believe hearing about real-world experiences from industry professionals not only opens our members up to possible careers at the intersection of business and healthcare but also empowers them to pursue a relatively niche passion.”

Going forward, Annika has ambitious plans to incorporate community service opportunities and socials into TXBHA as well as develop a curriculum to teach members about the unique financial and managerial challenges within the healthcare industry.

As for Annika’s individual goals, she hopes to become a business-minded physician who can tackle broad issues within the healthcare industry. Additionally, she advises prospective Canfield BHP students with dual interests—whether in healthcare, computer science, or any other field—to get in touch with like-minded upperclassmen to learn more about the vast opportunities available on the 40 Acres.

While playing NBA 2K 18, 15-year-old Corey’L Sams was focused on more than the scoreboard—he also took an interest in the designer clothing of the players. 

“Although I am a business major and entrepreneur, I’ve always been creative at heart,” Corey’L explained. He, therefore, enjoyed NBA 2K 18’s feature that allowed him to customize the basketball players’ clothes, which inspired him to think beyond the video game: “One day, I was like, ‘why not design my own clothes?’”

Soon enough, Corey’L founded his very own apparel company, CAPEL Clothing Creations LLC. CAPEL stands for Creativity And Positivity Equal Life, and Corey’L describes his business as “a lifestyle clothing brand that advocates living life to the fullest.” Since its founding in 2020, CAPEL has launched an e-commerce website, gained support from local businesses, and released a popular line of products, including t-shirts, The CAP, “The Life” Crewneck, and the 3 C’s Crewneck.

But for Corey’L, his company is about much more than selling designer clothes: “The mission is to unite adventurous people who use the power of creativity and [a] growth perspective to elevate themselves, and the lives of others.” Specifically, Corey’L feels artists/creators need a signature brand to call their own. He believes, “Like athletes, artists have to overcome challenges of doubt through perseverance and a growth perspective to achieve greatness.” As a result, CAPEL has styled itself as the clothing brand of choice for people who embrace a creative and positive lifestyle.

Now, as a Canfield BHP freshman, Corey’L is gaining more insights into effective business leadership. For example, in BA 324H: Business Communication, he learned more about the power of teamwork and community through a case study on how to effectively operate in a team with diverse personality types. Additionally, the career atlas project in BA 101H: Professional Development and Career Planning helped Corey’L realize the impact that his values, strengths, and weaknesses have on his entrepreneurial endeavors.

Of course, running a business has not been without its challenges. Recently, Corey’L has had to balance his CAPEL responsibilities with his courses and extracurricular activities as a freshman at UT Austin. 

“When life transitions,” he explained, “business does too–and evolving is an exciting yet daunting necessity.”  Therefore, to help him stay focused on his goals, Corey’L reminds himself about why he is so passionate about CAPEL’s mission, which motivates him to continue growing his company and its positive impact.

When asked if he has any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Corey’L emphasized the need for dedication and effort.  “The hardest part is consistency and having the discipline of focused vision and intentional action 6 months, 1 year, 2 years. . . 10 years after you start,” he advised. And failure should not be viewed as a setback but rather a growth opportunity. Through his work with CAPEL, Corey’L has learned that “success and positive impact are only possible for those who have the faith to try (no matter how big/small), fail, and grow from it–and try try again.”

As for his own company, Corey’L has big plans to expand CAPEL, such as introducing its own cut and sew pieces and finding a new warehouse space. On a larger scale, Corey’L envisions CAPEL as a brand that supports artists/creators and serves as “a symbol and story” that inspires people to live a creative and positive life. And Corey’L is proud to say, “the story is just getting started, right here on the 40 Acres.”

In celebration of Black History Month, the Canfield Business Honors Program will be showcasing some of our Black/African American students and alumni for the month of February.

Matthew Kolb and Liam Stemetzki have much in common with many other Canfield Business Honors Program freshman students. On any given day, you might find them working on assignments at the Perry-Castañeda Library, attending a meeting for a student organization, or grabbing lunch with friends at J2 Dining. Yet Matthew and Liam are also part of a growing number of out-of-state CBHP students: Matthew is from Illinois and Liam is from New Jersey.

While the transition to college can be a significant adjustment forout-of-state students at any school, Matthew and Liam both feel Canfield BHP and the University of Texas at Austin (UT) have made them feel right at home on campus. Before the semester started, they had the opportunity to receive personalized advising attention from the Canfield BHP academic advisors and make many friends with their peers during summer orientation. Matthew and Liam also enjoyed Canfield BHP’s Leadership Kickoff, a weekend outing at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch involving outdoor activities, team-building events, and an ice cream social for the freshman class.

“It’s a very welcoming environment,” Matthew explained when asked about his freshman year experience in Canfield BHP. Liam agreed and mentioned the friendships he has made with other Canfield BHP students since they take all of their freshman and sophomore business classes in small cohorts: “Coming from out of state, it’s really helpful to have a small group built in.”

This Canfield BHP community also extends outside the classroom. Matthew and Liam have embraced the UT Longhorns’ spirited sports culture and regularly attend football and basketball games with their Canfield BHP friends. Liam noted that “everyone is involved” in cheering on the Longhorns, and “the school spirit helps a lot” with making friendships all around campus.

In addition to embracing UT’s strong school spirit, Matthew and Liam continue to embrace their out-of-state roots. “A lot of people like to talk to the out-of-state people,” Liam said, “because they get to see what life is like outside of Texas.” Matthew added that many of the out-of-state Canfield BHP students quickly bond with one another and form lasting friendships.

Overall, Matthew and Liam have enjoyed Canfield BHP’s support system and all the connections they have already made with other freshman students as well as upperclassmen. “It’s a good community to have as an out-of-state student,” Matthew said while looking back on his first semester in Canfield BHP. 

Matthew and Liam hope to meet even more out-of-state students in the incoming Canfield BHP Class of 2027. They strongly encourage admitted out-of-state students to attend the Discover CBHP on-campus event this spring and to connect with other prospective students on Instagram and GroupMe. Discover CBHP and social media helped both Matthew and Liam get a better feeling of the CBHP community. And, if you happen to be at UT for an on-campus tour, you might just meet Liam, a new UT tour guide!

Blog Writer: Nolan Watson