Cosmin Dordea will graduate in 2019 with a double major in finance and accounting. Below he shares how financial aid and friendships have influenced his Wayne State experience.

Why did you decide to come to Wayne State?

I was originally born in Romania and moved to the United States when I was 11 years old. When it came time to pick a college, I had a couple things in mind. I knew I wanted to be close to my family, and I wanted an option that was economically viable. Wayne State offered me very generous scholarship support, and the urban setting really appealed to me.

What scholarships do you have?

Starting my education at Wayne State, I received the Distinguished Scholarship, which was awarded based on my high school credentials. Additionally, a very large majority of my tuition was covered by my financial aid package, and I realized that I had the possibility of finishing school debt free.

This motivated me to apply for more scholarships. As a result, I received the Jack Kuzminski Memorial Endowed Scholarship from the Mike Ilitch School of Business and the David Adamany Endowed Scholarship from the Wayne State Alumni Association. I also received the Jennie J. Palkon née Lis and John S. Palkon Scholarship through my fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi.

These scholarships and awards have been incredibly crucial in helping me achieve my goal of graduating without debt. The generosity of the Mike Ilitch School of Business, Alumni Association and Alpha Kappa Psi Foundation made this possible.

What do you like best about Wayne State?

One thing I love about Wayne State is the tremendous opportunity offered to those who are willing to reach out and challenge themselves. The Mike Ilitch School of Business puts us close to many of the major companies that reside in the Detroit area, and this offers internship opportunities to students.

Also, I value the opportunity to get involved on campus. I immediately became involved in several business organizations my freshman year, including the Alpha Kappa Psi student organization, which taught me a lot about the field of business and my own abilities, and also allowed me to develop relationships.

Being surrounded by such a like-minded and driven group has tremendously improved my college experience. I would encourage everybody to get really involved in whatever it is they are interested in. There is a vast sea of opportunity here in Detroit. I have loved creating relationships throughout my time here, and I look forward to seeing where we all are in the next 10 years.

Want to help support ambitious students like Cosmin? Visit go.wayne.edu/give.

(April 23, 2018)