Steven Hennis '22 Business Administration and Finance
Steven Hennis ‘22, a double major in Business Administration and Finance, found his best self in his college experience at Malone University.
“Malone was a college that checked off a lot of boxes for me,” said Hennis. “Not many colleges stuck out in their uniqueness like Malone did to me as it was an education that grew my faith and ethical choices in my future workplace. Not to mention the distance between my hometown and Malone helped my transition into college run much smoother.”
Despite the nerves an incoming freshman may have with the college transition, Hennis took the opportunities given to him and, quite literally, ran with them. 
“Running cross country and track at the collegiate level teaches a person discipline in working on a schedule when balancing school work and engaging in your faith. I’m fortunate to have found a college to compete at with teammates that share the same passion in expressing their love for the Lord. Even when times were rough in school or with running, I had those teammates that stood beside me.”
A challenging yet successful achievement for Hennis was his participation in the Honors Program at Malone University. In the program, Hennis conducted a research thesis on how emotional intelligence can reduce workplace conflict. His thesis focused on how workers could identify conflicts in their workplace using emotional responses as solutions.
“My honors thesis was one of the biggest accomplishments to come out of my studies at Malone. Although research can consist of a lot of roadblocks, I found my project to be especially rewarding when the components of my study finally merged together” said Hennis.
Although Hennis achieved such a milestone, he shares his credit with the faculty at Malone that have prioritized his project to ensure success from the start.
“I am grateful for Dr. Seifert and the rest of my Thesis Committee for guiding me and providing invaluable advice that made this project an amazing experience and an overall success.”
Hennis’s thesis project, Emotional Intelligence to Reduce Workplace Conflict, can be found in the Malone library.
Hennis believes that the tradition of the honors program, and subsequent thesis, challenges students to go beyond their comfort zones and grow in through their research.
“I encourage incoming and current students who are members of the Malone Honors Program to consider doing an Honors Thesis. It’s an opportunity for students to research a topic they are passionate about learning, and it will make you a more well-rounded student.”
But Hennis’ advice doesn’t stop there, as he hopes for new and current students to take his advice about the college experience.
“The community of Malone is like one big family, and families are bonded, so don’t be a stranger and get involved with your family. Go on trips with the Malone family when offered, and join those groups or clubs that you may have second guesses about. These groups and clubs were my best experiences in college, as I got introduced to people and made a plethora of friends who I am still in contact with post-graduation. After all, Malone is a family-based community, yet we only have so much time together. The experience begins with you!”
Hennis, after graduation at Malone, kicked off his journey in the business industry through his job at Myers Industries in Akron as a Human Resources Associate. Today, Hennis appreciates the ethics he learned at Malone and what it means to be a Christian in the workplace.
“The biggest ethical challenge working professionally is assessing if your decision can be seen as contributing to the common good, and not just being self-beneficial. Sometimes the hard way is the best way when going about my job. I thank Malone University for teaching me humility and ethical practice.”