KU Business double-major finds future close to home
Sean Anderson never expected to find his perfect college experience in Kansas, but when he stepped onto the University of Kansas campus, he knew he had found somewhere he could thrive.
The senior from Manhattan, Kansas, has built a dynamic college experience: double-majoring in accounting and finance, minoring in human resources and entrepreneurship, and leading the KU Marching Jayhawks as a drum major.
Though Anderson initially considered leaving Kansas for college, a visit to KU with his mother, a KU alumna, changed everything. After learning about the university’s rich history and traditions, he quickly realized that KU was where he needed to be.
Anderson’s path wasn’t linear when it came to choosing a major. It wasn’t until his senior year of high school that a dual enrollment accounting class sparked his passion for the field. He felt that the business concepts “just clicked” for him, leading him to pursue a double major in finance and accounting.
With the goal of making the most of his time at KU, Anderson immersed himself in campus life. He joined organizations like The Catalyst at the business school and took on a leadership role as a teaching assistant for ACCT 200 Financial Accounting. From the start, though, one of his most impactful experiences has been his involvement in the KU Marching Band.
When he decided to join the Marching Jayhawks freshman year to meet new people and spend time with his roommates, he didn’t know how much of an impact the program would end up having on him throughout the next four years.
“It’s such a good program,” Anderson said. “I got an immediate group of friends and sense of community freshman year with people who are all sharing their experiences, so after that football season, I felt the energy there and realized how much it kept me involved and connected to KU.”
By his third year in the program, Anderson decided to take on a greater leadership role. Anderson auditioned for and earned the role of drum major, the lead student conductor and central figure of the KU Marching Jayhawks, at the start of the 2024–25 school year.
A drum major is the leader of the band and is responsible for leading them during on-field performances and instructing what and when to play. They also control the tempo of the music and act as a liaison between the band director and the musicians.
“Now being a senior and an upperclassman with a large leadership role, what I’ve found the most rewarding is getting to create the experience for our incoming members,” Anderson said. “Especially this year, where we didn’t have a home stadium, being able to keep the band experience consistent for them was really important.”
The football team played two home games at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas, and the remaining at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, while KU’s David Booth Memorial Stadium was under renovation during the 2024 season. Not only did the team and fans learn to adjust to this new atmosphere through this experience, but the marching band also learned how to give fans that home-game experience no matter where they went.
“At first, my initial reaction was that since we aren’t playing at The Booth, it was going to be terrible,” Anderson said. “But at the first game at Arrowhead against TCU, the stadium felt full. The students showed up, the fans showed up, and it really helped us.”
Balancing two majors, two minors, and a leadership role in the marching band, along with other commitments, requires strong time management skills. Anderson credits those skills to his ability to stay organized and the unwavering support of KU School of Business faculty.
“I think it really comes down to knowing what you can give and giving 100% to what you can instead of committing to something and not being able to follow through,” Anderson said. “My accounting and finance professors are super supportive, and they make the environment fun. I think it’s really easy to be successful with the support they give.”
Ryan Rains, director of entrepreneurship co-curricular programs whom Anderson met through his involvement in The Catalyst, is one of the faculty members that stood out in his KU journey.
The Catalyst is an entrepreneurship program at the School of Business designed to encourage and support students in their personal ventures and ideas with the help of mentors and industry resources. Anderson joined the recently revamped program during his junior year and was able to help build the program up alongside his peers.
“Not only was I able to participate, but I was able to provide a lot of feedback to help guide where the program was going,” Anderson said. “I think that was really cool, and obviously Ryan is so smart and great to work with, so I saw how much he did for the program.”
Inspired by this experience, Anderson decided to further his involvement in the school by becoming a teaching assistant.
“It’s been really rewarding, getting a behind-the-scenes look into the business school and helping the incoming students with their journey,” Anderson said. “I think it also provides great stories and learning experiences to be able to draw from.”
Anderson attributes much of his professional growth to the School of Business, which helped prepare him for real-world experiences, like his finance internship with H&R Block in the summer of 2024.
“The Business Professional Development Program was helpful, and all of the advisers helped me feel really prepared for the interview,” Anderson said. “At the internship, there were students from other schools, and I felt like because of the business school’s preparation I had a little more to offer to the experience. I feel that more schools should be doing what KU is doing, like the hands-on experience and learning about what you will face in the real world.”
Before the internship, Anderson said his post-graduation plans were to expand his horizons past his home state, but working in Kansas City showed him that he could see himself staying close to KU and Manhattan while getting that big city feeling, and he plans to return to H&R Block in the summer.
With one more year left at KU, Anderson says he is going to cherish the community and the people that the school has brought him more than anything, and he looks forward to bringing it to the professional world.
“Lawrence has a special vibe, and KU does too,” Anderson said. “Everyone is so connected and willing to help. Just being a Jayhawk is something you can bring to the table no matter what.”
By Lauryn Zebrowski
