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Austin Otier

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General information

Hobbies & Interests

  • Cooking
  • Photography and Photo Editing
  • Running
  • Music
  • Fishing
  • Travel And Tourism
  • Biology
  • Camping
  • Politics and Political Science
  • Science
  • Snowboarding
  • Engineering
  • Geography
  • Ecology
  • Animals
  • Advocacy And Activism
  • Video Editing and Production
  • Videography
  • Swimming
  • Baking
  • Spanish
  • Dog Training
  • Drawing And Illustration
  • Graphic Design
  • Business And Entrepreneurship
  • Calisthenics
  • Conservation

Reading

  • Adventure
  • Biography
  • Action
  • Music
  • Travel
  • Science Fiction
  • Sports and Games

I read books multiple times a month.

Bio

From a dedicated and resilient student attempting to recenter my path after a family financial catastrophe. My name is Austin Otier, and I am a determined person with a deep commitment to achieving my academic and career goals despite severe economic setbacks. After starting my college journey enthusiastically, I was forced to put my education on hold due to an unexpected financial catastrophe that impacted my family's stability and my ability to pay for school. With the many family-related, economic, and mental health setbacks before, it became very tough. Having to file a stop-out on a whim, I have been working out of debt for the past 6 months to afford re-enrollment. Scholarships are needed to assist my efforts. During this time, I have demonstrated to myself that I have the resilience and drive to succeed. My educational goals are to return to college to finish my degrees in Business and Design to set myself apart from others within my field. My dream is to be an Art Director while also owning my own creative company for small businesses. I strive to use my skill set to provide affordable yet professional design services for growing businesses and low-income clients. An avenue for scholarships symbolizes my lifeline to be able to move on with my life after the disarray. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to apply for these lifelines.

Education

Bethel University (MN)

Bachelor's degree program

2021 – 2024

Majors:
  • Design and Applied Arts
Minors:
  • Marketing

Cambridge-isanti High School

High School

2017 – 2021

Miscellaneous

Desired degree level:
Bachelor's degree program
Majors of interest:
Entrepreneurial and Small Business Operations, Design and Applied Arts

Career

  • Lead Line Chef

    Restaurants · Leader Restaurants

    Jan 2024 – Present

  • Photographer

    Photography · Austin Otier Photography

    Jan 2019 – Present

  • Tile Setter

    Construction · Tile by Rossi

    Jan 2021 – Jan 2024

  • Deck Builder

    Construction · DuPont Construction and Remodeling

    Jan 2018 – Jan 2019

  • Shop clerk

    Retail · Coborns

    Jan 2020 – Jan 2020

  • Canoe dude

    Sporting Goods · Taylors Falls Canoe and Kayak rental

    Jan 2020 – Jan 2020

  • Cabinet Builder

    Furniture · Great Woods Cabinetry

    Jan 2020 – Jan 2020

Miscellaneous

Dream career field:
Graphic Design
Dream career goals:
Art Director
Has nursing license:
No

Future Interests

  • Advocacy
  • Volunteering
  • Philanthropy
  • Entrepreneurship
John Young 'Pursue Your Passion' Scholarship
I am a lifelong photography and design nerd, so much so that I have a special place in my car for my camera bag for anywhere I go. Most photos I have of myself show me with my camera in hand or strapped to my body. When I think about photography, I view it as an immediate moment to focus and reflect on what is in front of me. Whether it is an end-of-life portrait to remember a family member or pet, a photo documenting civil unrest or unity, or even just capturing a busy street, I feel that your worldview can be influenced by the moment you capture. It takes a special kind of expertise to understand what these moments mean to me, and I am on a lifelong journey for it.
First Generation College Student Scholarship
The hardest challenge I've overcome in my life is the one inside my head. My family has been poor for a long time and there was a lot of strain all the time. Not fun. Being the oldest, I was put in the middle of all of it. I had to hold together the emotional state of my family at times, whether it be my siblings, my parents having a hard time. I was always degraded at school for not being up to par with the other kids with my clothes or belongings, but what kept me pushing forward was my few close friends, my sports, and my serious urge to learn and better myself. I pushed myself through thick and thin every day. I occasionally gave up some days but forced myself to bounce back into it as soon as possible. I just had to keep telling myself I am worth it. It worked, I noticed improvements during the second year of my huge rut that I had. Finding out that running, working out, and surrounding myself with the best people possible helped me grow more, that is what I committed to. Coming out of it, I learned that if I push myself, I can overcome any hardship I have. I also learned that life can hit you hard. Embrace it, because the only thing that will come out of it if you keep pushing is the strength to go through something even harder. At such a young age, I'm already prepared to take on a challenge because of my past.
Student Memes Scholarship
This one is really funny to me just because of the season! my instagram @austindanielotier
Bold Moments No-Essay Scholarship
Mountains. The thing everyone says you have to overcome, well, metaphorically. That hasn't stopped me from actually climbing mountains though. Two of the boldest moments in my life happened in 16 hours. I went on an adventure from Minnesota to Montana with my cousin and our best friend. Our goal was to explore as much as we could... so we did. We climbed Band Box Mountain one night, camped, came down, then went up Sawtooth Mountain. The mental toughness was the hardest part, climbing two mountains in such a short time. It made me feel more bold than ever before.
Austin Otier Student Profile | Bold.org