Text version of the

Alumni Stories Video

Scott McInnis '75
Career: Partner at Hogan & Hartson, Denver
Former U.S, Representative of Colorado ('93-'05)

"I'm a big proponent of a business background. After serving in public office for many years, I have found there are very few decisions that are ever made in public office and very few decisions that are made in our everyday life that don't some how circle around business and management.

"I picked up those assets at the School of Business Administration when I was attending Fort Lewis College. Obviously, it paid big dividends as I went on to law school.

"I went on to law school after I graduated from Fort Lewis. Some of my colleagues had degrees in political science or English. But they soon discovered that a big portion of the law school studies centered on business, partnerships, taxations and corporations.

"I felt very prepared with my background. Not only could I compete against people who clearly didn't have business studies in their undergraduate degree, but also students who did have business degrees.

"I didn't think there was another student out there that I competed with that had a better education than I did on the fundamentals of business.

"Business is a great segue -- whether you go into public office, teaching or whatever you decide to do. You're going to find that having a good education -- in my case it was business -- all comes back to those hours you spend in the classroom.

"I really encourage you to take a close look -- not just the recreation that Durango and Fort Lewis offers -- but the more fundamental, later on in life, learning that you will come across.

"Learning really is wide open. You get to do it full time for the next few years. Fort Lewis will fulfill the needs you're going to have."

Video by Cody White
Photos courtesy of the Center of Southwest Studies