LU Moment: Triple Major Caleb Buse Means Business

Podcast: S8 Ep. 7
Date: March 26, 2025
Title: Triple Major Caleb Buse Means Business
Host: John Rollins

JOHN ROLLINS: Welcome to the LU Moment, where we showcase all of the great things happening with Lamar University faculty, staff, students and alumni. I'm John Rollins, associate director of community relations and public affairs here at LU, and I want to welcome you all to this week's show. My guest today is a Lamar University senior from Silsbee, Texas. He's 22 years old and a triple major in finance, accounting and industrial engineering. It's my pleasure to welcome Caleb Buse to the show today. Caleb, thank you for joining me today on the LU Moment.

CALEB BUSE: Thank you for having me, John. Excited to be here.

JOHN: Glad to have you here. So, one of our marketing coordinators, Jocelyn, mentioned your name to me, and she said, “I think he'd be a great guest. He's within the College of Business,” and you know, you're within a couple of colleges, honestly. So, she suggested you for the podcast. Once she started telling me some of the things that you've been involved with and different awards you've received and stuff, I was like, “Okay, that'd be a great guest.” So, let's start with this. In 2024 you were named the Texas Business Hall of Fame Future Texas Business Legend Award recipient. That's a mouthful. So that's really impressive. Can you tell us a little bit more about that award, how it works, what the criteria is, and what it meant to you to receive it?

CALEB: Yeah, absolutely. So, what that award is for, it's to recognize up and coming future entrepreneurs. To be able to receive this award, you have to have a combination of academic excellence, a passion for entrepreneurship, a history of demonstrating that passion for entrepreneurship. For example, in my case, I actually started a student organization called the Future Entrepreneurs Organization here on campus. I also have started my own pressure washing company, and then most recently, I was getting an app developed called Finder. In conclusion, that's really just again to recognize young up-and-coming entrepreneurs, and honestly, it meant the world. I actually wrote an essay about this, and I stated in the essay that me winning this award has shown me that every single second and every single minute of hard work, every sacrifice I've made since my freshman year of high school, was being recognized. So, it was just a really great weekend being able to receive that.

JOHN: What a great feeling, too. Like you said, all the hard work you put in and to see that it's all coming full circle, and that's pretty fantastic. That's great for Lamar as well, showing that we've got these students who are entrepreneurs already at such a young age, doing great things.

CALEB: Exactly. I actually got to meet the co-founder of Airbnb.

JOHN: Oh, wow.

CALEB: Yes, sir. Probably the most terrifying experience of my entire life, but the second being meeting the director of Yellowstone, if you've heard of that TV show, he was there too. Taylor Sheridan.

JOHN: Wow. Okay, so some amazing networking opportunities as well.

CALEB: Absolutely.

JOHN: Fantastic. So Caleb, something I found interesting is that when I asked what brought you to LU, you mentioned that your older brother went here as well, and you both came to LU by being awarded the same scholarship. Do you want to touch on what is that scholarship and how did it impact the both of you?

CALEB: So, the name of the scholarship is the Smith-Hutson Scholarship, and it's awarded over four years, eight semesters total, and honestly, it was a true blessing in me and my brother's life. We grew up being raised by a single mom, three siblings, has just grew up struggling, honestly. She had to make sacrifices, which she went without so we could go with and so receiving that scholarship again, it meant the world to us. It blessed us, and it definitely changed my life. I really think it set me up for success for the rest of my life.

JOHN: And it brought you here to Lamar. It brought both of you here to Lamar. So, you know, I've had, her name is Janae Nelson, she’s involved with Smith-Hutson. Yeah, she's fantastic, and we've covered them through the LU News site and various different avenues. But she was telling me about this particular scholarship as well, and that, you know, the donors are anonymous. But the impact, I think, in the individuals who are receiving the scholarship, the way that it's impacting local students, just speaks to the importance of these types of scholarships.

CALEB: Exactly. I mean, look at me, and I'm not by any means bragging at all, but I grew up in a tiny town, 6,000 people, and by awarding me this scholarship, someone who's less than 35 minutes from Lamar. It changed my life, and it allowed me to win Texas Hall of Fame. It allowed me to get multiple internships. It's given me so much opportunity. So again, it's just a true blessing that both me and my brother were able to get that. And my little brother is graduating this year from Silsbee, and he's applying for the same scholarship, so fingers crossed.

JOHN: Fingers crossed, and good for him and let's add another Cardinal to the mix, right? You told me that you started at LU as a nursing major and then shifted now to this triple major endeavor that you're taking on, which is incredibly impressive. So, what made you change your mind on that?

CALEB: I know I've always wanted to start my own company since sophomore year of high school, but at the same time, I thought I had always wanted to be a nurse since eighth grade of middle school, and so I came here in August 2021. I actually got early acceptance into the nursing program at Lamar, but the summer before, I took the time I did the research that I really should have done a year ago. But I took the time, I did the research, and I interviewed about a dozen nurses, and I just heard some stories and I heard what the career progression was like. I just decided it wasn't for me. I wanted something that was a little more, I guess, tailored towards my interest and right where I saw myself in 20, 30, and 40 years, and also what would teach me the skills and give me the opportunities and network that I need to be able to run a successful company one day, and that's what led me into being a triple major. Honestly, I started in business management when I first was a business major, and then I heard from one professor after another. Shout out, Dr. Gevorg. I guess that tailored me into being in finance, accounting and eventually industrial engineering.

JOHN: You know, what you just said strikes me as very interesting that a teenager had the foresight to think ahead like that, 20, 30,40, years? Where am I going to see myself? You said you interviewed these nurses. So, did you go to hospitals and find them?

CALEB: So, I actually reached out to some family friends, and then those connections, they gave me some other connections. And yeah, I guess networking honestly, and then I just reached out to them. I said, “Hey, would you just spend maybe 10-15 minutes. I could ask you XYZ questions about what your career has been like, and what your opinion is on this career.”

JOHN: And then it led you, you know, to where you are now. So, it all worked out. So, I know you've taken part in a variety of internships, and you still are currently. I checked out your LinkedIn page, and you've had some great learning experiences from what I've seen. So, would you like to share about some of those?

CALEB: Absolutely. So, in January 2024, I started my first internship at a public accounting firm in the tax department. To be completely honest, this internship lasted about four and a half months, and it was one of the worst times of my life. I was not happy in this field. It was just an experience, and I went into it with an open mind, and I came out having learned a lot. I learned how to network, how to manage multiple projects at one time, and how to interact with people in a professional setting. I took that experience, and I guess I went from there. I took what I learned, and that eventually led me to an internship at a commercial bank—Stellar Bank, if you're familiar with it. It's a Texas-based bank out of Houston. Great people. I loved, loved the experience. After that, I interned at a local plant, OCI, a chemical manufacturer. I worked on their new blue ammonia plant being constructed in Nederland. As of now, I’m interning at the largest professional services firm in the world, Deloitte. It has been quite an experience. The workload has been heavy at times, and definitely different from what I’m used to. But again, I’m just taking what I’ve learned and really applying that to my future—where I see myself in 5, 10, or 15 years from now. I look at everything, even if I’m not necessarily enjoying it, as a steppingstone to where I want to be. Most recently, I received an offer from the third-largest bank in the United States, and I’ll be interning there this summer. I’m moving to Dallas, which is a little scary, but I’m excited. I landed one of my dream roles in commercial banking. I’m so excited, ready to learn, and ready to start my career.

JOHN: Well, congratulations on the newest internship and the soon-to-be move to Dallas. That’s exciting!

CALEB: Thank you, thank you! Ready to try some new food.

JOHN: Yeah, right? Look, I understand that. So, something you brought up—these are all learning experiences that you can add to your “bag of tricks” when you get out into your career. I had someone on the podcast probably about five or six months ago, and she called it "talent stacking." You know, all these different talents and skills that you gain through these internships can be used no matter where your career trajectory leads. I think you’re gaining valuable experience, not just inside of the classroom, but beyond it as well. You’re doing the right thing, and you’re definitely on the right track.

CALEB: Yes, sir. One thing I’ve learned from interning at so many different companies is that nothing you're taught in the classroom can really prepare you for the real world. It can give you the fundamentals, yeah, but it’s not going to prepare you for what’s really going to happen. It’s not going to prepare you for that 7 a.m. morning meeting, having your projects done on time, managing 10 to 15 different projects during busy season, or working 60 plus hours a week. Nothing is going to prepare you for that—except real, hands-on experience. And that’s what I’m trying to get. I would recommend that to anybody who wants to work in a professional or corporate setting.

JOHN: No, that's great advice, especially coming from a fellow student. You know, get those skills now, while you can. The 4.0 GPA is great, but get you some experience while you're here. You know?

CALEB: I’ve called it “wine tasting” almost, you see—you test out different career fields. For example, I tried tax accounting and realized it wasn’t for me. So, what did I do next? I tested out banking, and I loved it. Then, I tested out working in an industrial-based setting at a plant, and I liked it. It wasn’t necessarily my favorite thing, but I did enjoy it. And now, I’m going to be working in commercial banking, which I really enjoy. So, again, I refer to interning as wine tasting. You test out, push yourself, put yourself out there, and see what’s for you.

JOHN: I love that. That’s really great advice, too. I like the tasting approach because you’re right. If this is going to be your career and you’re going to work every day for the next, however many, 30, 40 years, you’ve got to do something you love, right?

CALEB: Exactly. Exactly. And when you graduate, you’re not going to be able to do these 10-week full-time jobs. I mean, you can, but it’s going to be way more difficult. You can’t have a spring, fall, and summer lined up for three different companies. Most likely, you won’t work at three different companies and in three different industries in a year.

JOHN: That's great advice. So, you told me, through opportunities at LU, you have gotten to visit Chicago as well as Disney World, and you'll be going to Spain this summer. So, let's hear more about that trip.

CALEB: So, I flew to Chicago on January 9, 2024, and this was really my first time flying in about 15 years. I was terrified, oh God, but I was also really excited. I’m going to Chicago! I’m 20 years old, I think I’m the king of the world—let’s do this! But again, terrified. I get there, and it’s about 20 degrees, and actually, the day before I left, there was a blizzard, with about 15 inches of snow. Oh gosh, it was a fun experience. It was corporate, and I spent a week training in Chicago, but I did get to experience a little bit of the city. I was excited about the snow, honestly, coming from Texas. Then in April, the company flew me out to Disney World, and I got to stay at—I do not remember the exact name of the resort—but I stayed at a resort for four days. They actually rented out the entire Animal Kingdom for all of the interns, or potential interns. Okay, that’s neat. A once-in-a-lifetime experience. The Avatar ride—I would recommend it to everybody. I would wait eight hours for that ride. Best time of my life. The next day, I got to go to the Magic Kingdom for the first time, and I almost started tearing up because, again, I realized, wow, I’ve come a long way. All the way from Selby, Texas, a town of 6,000 people, and now, here I am at Disney World. I used to dream of being here when I was a kid. And that brings me to Spain. This is really my first time going out of the country, except for Canada which I don’t know if I necessarily count because I can just drive there) But again, it’s my first time really going across the sea. I’m looking forward to it, nervous, but again, ready to do that wine tasting, taste another country, and get some more experiences.

JOHN: Yeah, fantastic. So, this is the College of Business taking this trip to Spain. Correct?

CALEB: Yes, sir. Luckily enough, I was actually awarded two scholarships for this trip—one being the Gilman Scholarship, which was $3,000, and another being a College of Business scholarship for about $2,500. So, I’m truly blessed to receive that. Studying abroad is quite expensive, so I’m very thankful and appreciative of that support.

JOHN: Yeah, every little bit helps so you can have that experience for sure. So, okay, Caleb, before we wrap up, I have two questions I like to ask students when I have y’all on the show. First, what advice would you give to future potential Cardinals who are thinking about coming to Lamar? And second, what are three words you would use to describe Lamar University?

CALEB: So, a piece of advice I would give to potential Lamar students is this: I know we’re not the largest school. We’re not A&M, we’re not the University of Texas, we’re not SMU or U of H, but there is so much opportunity here. I think I’m a great example of that—just the blessings and opportunities we’re provided at Lamar. From being able to study abroad for almost free, to having all these internships, getting flown to Chicago, getting flown to Disney World, gaining all that experience, winning the Texas Hall of Fame through Lamar, meeting multiple billionaires, traveling to all these places, and being able to intern at all these different companies. It’s all part of the journey that helped me land my dream career. Just because I did it, you can do it too. Honestly, there’s nothing special about me, except for some hard work. So if you work hard, you can get anything you want. If you come to Lamar, come and work hard, and you’ll reap the benefits. Three words I would use to describe Lamar: opportunity, dedication, and persistence. Through dedication and persistence, you’ll be able to take advantage of the opportunities that are here at Lamar. But again, it does take dedication and persistence.

JOHN: Yeah, great advice once again. Caleb, thanks again for joining me today on the LU Moment to share your story with our listeners. I feel like you’ve got a bright future ahead, and we look forward to seeing what’s next for you after Lamar.

CALEB: Thank you very much.

JOHN: It’ been a pleasure to have you. As we wrap up another episode, please make sure to search LU Moment, wherever you get your podcasts to keep up with the events, activities, programs and people right here at Lamar University. Don't forget to follow us on our socials so you can see for yourself all the great things happening right here at LU. Thank you for listening, and we'll talk to you next time you.