Extracurricular Activities
Baseball, rodeo, and any and all other activities involved with the great outdoors.
A Little Bit About Me
My name is Hayden Van Acker, I grew up in a small town called Kuna Idaho, which is getting to be not so small anymore. I spent my first three years of college pursuing my education and baseball goals at Corban University in Salem, Oregon. After a while though it was clear I needed a change in where I was at. I had a lot of family here in Klamath and the surrounding area who all supported my decision to come out here, so after coming to campus to visit the school I immediately fell in love with the beautiful surrounding landscape of the hills and gorgeous Klamath Lake. When I was on campus I was met with nothing but hospitality and kindness, which make my decision that much easier to make. Growing up I enjoyed going on hikes, hunting, looking for arrowheads, fishing, all things outdoors. Which being here in Klamath, boasts all of those activities to be able to do year-round.
Why I Chose Oregon Tech and My Major
I chose Oregon Tech for a multitude of reasons. Coming here to continue my educational and athletic career brought me closer to a big part of my family that grew up in Tulelake, California, along with being able to be a part of OIT's phenomenal baseball program which helped push me to be a better man and ball player every day. On top of that, business has always been a passion of mine. I enjoy learning the in's and out's of business and what makes a business succeed, as well as fail. It was truly a no brainer going into, and well after making my choice that OIT was the best fit for me.
My Influential Professors
All of my professors this far at OIT have been nothing short of exceptional. Don DaSaro, Sonja Bickford, Sharon Beaudry, Tiernan Fogarty, and Kristy Weidman have all had lasting impressions on me this year to help me succeed and get to where I am today. Their unique and personalized teaching strategies were second to none in helping to ensure that I succeed in my goal of learning Business Management and continuing my business career after OIT with the knowledge they helped instill in me.
My Greatest Learning Experience At Oregon Tech
My greatest learning experience thus far at OIT, outside of the excellent learning environment provided by administration and the various professors I have been lucky to have to have had, I would have to say would be the amazing opportunity to be able to play for one of Oregon Tech's athletic teams. It helped me learn teamwork and leadership, learning how to make sure that everyone on the team was working as a well-oiled machine, while enjoying the kids' game that helped a lot of us get to college. I will be forever thankful for OIT and all they've done for me in my educational career.
My Plans After Graduation
My plans for the future after graduating from OIT with my bachelor's degree in business management would be to enjoy starting my mobile welding business while trying to fix up the town of Tulelake, where my parents grew up. The town means a lot to me, and I would enjoy trying to start a business there to help the economy and bring some life to a struggling town. On top of that I have always enjoyed all things ranching and would enjoy starting a ranch with my future family, owning and raising livestock. Angus cows, chickens and ducks, sheep, and goats to be more specific.