Cannatti distinguished as Spears Business orange gown graduate – Oklahoma State University

Friday, December 6, 2024

Media Contact:
Hallie Hart | Communications Coordinator | 405-744-1050 | hallie.hart@okstate.edu

Wesley Cannatti, a data analytics and management major with concentrations in consulting
and sports, is the fall 2024 Spears School of Business orange gown recipient.

Cannatti will wear the orange gown at the Dec. 14 undergraduate commencement, where
he will be the first business student to receive his diploma. Each semester, a business
student is chosen to wear this distinguished regalia in recognition of their academic
achievements, participation in organizations and overall dedication to their experiences
at Oklahoma State University.

In the spring, Cannatti will continue his education in the Spears Business master’s
in business analytics and data science (MS BAnDS) program. Beginning in May 2025,
he will start a full-time position at InterWorks after interning there for the past
three years. He expects to obtain his master’s degree in May 2026.

What made you choose OSU after growing up in Lake Highlands, Texas?

I just fell in love with the red brick on campus, the community environment of the
town and how everyone bleeds orange to support the school, which is really special.
When I initially looked at OSU, I was interested in sports management and management
information systems (MIS). It was one of only three schools in the country that had
both majors, at least when I was looking. After visiting, I ended up falling in love
with the school and only applied here. Basically, my junior year of high school, I
knew I was coming here.

Were there any classes or professors that influenced your decision to major in management
and data analytics?

Early on, I really liked the data classes. One of the first classes was with professor
Evan Davis; it was Business Analytics Fundamentals the fall of my freshman year. I just really
liked the class, and so I went to office hours a lot just to ask questions and ended
up being a teaching assistant (TA) for it my freshman year spring. It was an intro
track into the field and piqued my interest early on. 

How did your internship at InterWorks prepare you for your future career?

When I was an undergraduate TA my freshman year, one of the graduate TAs had previously
been at InterWorks and encouraged me to apply. After landing the internship that summer,
I have stayed through the rest of my collegiate years. I think we’re really lucky
to have a data analytics consultancy right down the road here in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
It was a great opportunity, and then it helped me realize that was exactly what I
wanted to do in my professional career. Some skills I have gained through my time
at InterWorks include the ability to create and communicate data-driven insights,
collaborate with different types of stakeholders and learn new things to stay up-to-date
in an evolving tech industry.

What OSU experience or leadership opportunity was most influential to you?

One major event each year is Datathon, which is basically a two-day analytics case
competition. I competed in the competition the first year as a freshman, and then
over the last few years, I’ve gotten to help plan and prepare the annual competition
and see it grow. This spring we had over 80 students and about 35 industry professionals.
For me, this was exciting to see other students be exposed to the field that I’ve
been able to work in for a few years. This was a great opportunity to develop my own
leadership and planning skills, as well as to see others grow. 

What campus resources were most helpful to you?

Professor relationships. That ties back to office hours, in a sense. I mentioned Evan
Davis as one of the first professors I connected with freshman year, and his connection
helped lead into InterWorks, so that professor connection went a long way. And then
professor Kim Strom, who is the assistant department head of MSIS. She and I became really close over
the years, especially through the Data Analytics Club — she’s one of our faculty sponsors.
Just being able to lean on professor connections is really helpful.

What advice would you give future business students?

Early on, one thing that really struck home with me is the first point of the Cowboy
Code: End the day knowing you gave everything you had. Combine that with the (Spears
motto of the) Power of Personal. I think there’s so many opportunities here at OSU.
Take every opportunity to join a club, join Greek Life, join other student organizations
and just get plugged in. Build good relationships with your professors. At the end
of the day, it’s really the people here that make OSU so special, so don’t be afraid
to expose yourself to new things and see where you end up.

Story By:
Emma Childress | emma.childress@okstate.edu