Born in Annapolis Maryland, George Triplett spent most of his time growing up in Elkins, West Virginia. He learned to enjoy the beautiful mountains and rivers of the state, and felt his roots run deep in the area because it was where his father grew up.
Education has always been very important to George’s family, his parents and grandparents had a huge influence on his education.
“School always came first, and with their level of education, college was more of an expectation, rather than an option. They always pushed me in a very healthy way, however, and it has helped to form me into the person I am today. Also, I grew up playing many sports, most notably of which was football. I was fortunate enough to be able to play at the college level and, thus, had many doors open as a result.”
After completing his undergraduate degree at Princeton, George had the opportunity to continue his football career at Portland State. When looking into next steps after undergrad, George was able to connect with people at Portland State to find a clear path toward pursuing his Master’s in Applied Data Science for Business.
“When I was looking at master’s degree programs that the university offered and setting up conversations with faculty and alums, it became clear to me how valuable a degree from the PSU School of Business would be going forward. More importantly, when I visited the school, I felt incredibly welcomed by administrators and professors in the department! It truly made the decision easy.”
Through George’s two years at The School of Business he learned the value of following up on every conversation. Whether it was with a professor, employer or his coaches and teammates, he found it was essential to follow up and clear confusion as well as keep dialogue fresh. He found clarifying uncertainty has helped him absorb more, especially in the classroom.
George advises future students considering a degree in business to think about and learn the opportunities within business and understand that in today’s society that is greater than ever. He explains, “Especially with the rising role of technology and big data in our society, I believe that the Applied Data Science for Business program option provides PSU students with a distinct advantage going into the working world as it provides its students with a unique level of expertise in both the business and data science fields.”
George was nominated by Martha Ketcham from The School of Liberal Arts and Science. Martha says,
“George received his undergraduate degree from Princeton and came to PSU for graduate school and to play football (punter) for two seasons. He earned Academic All-Big Sky Conference honors in 2022 and serves as a mentor to younger student athletes. He was featured in a V-I-K-S video during the 2023 season. George will be a great ambassador for PSU in the future whether he stays in Oregon or moves back to the East Coast.”