When Sam Kline ‘06 flies to New York City to meet with the execs at Jet Blue, not many of his fellow passengers would guess he’s traveling on business.  Dressed in sweatpants and a baseball cap, he looks like a typical college student.  Which he is—when he’s not working on a project for the airline that is expected to generate more than $1 million in revenue this year.

What began as an internship in the summer of his sophomore year has turned into a part-time job and future career for Sam, an economics major from San Francisco. His current project, which has expanded from a trial operation in two hubs to seven cities, involves the sale of reasonably-priced headsets, which are an upgrade over the models handed out free to passengers.

“I worked on the initial research and am now overseeing the rollout procedure, which includes purchasing, budgeting, distribution, and analyzing sales reports and future trends,” says Sam, who estimates he spends about 25 hours a week on the project. “I check my e-mail in the library after lunch and when I’m walking home from school.”

Sam has been able to put what he’s learned in his economics courses to work—sometimes right away.  “I’d just had a case study on organizing risks and returns in Professor (Woody) Studenmund’s class.  The next week I had to fly to New York to do a presentation for an additional $500,000 for the expansion to other cities.  I was able to apply something I’d just learned, which has been really helpful in my work.”

Balancing a job with academics and other college activities has been challenging for Sam, who is also a baseball pitcher and an avid snowboarder.  He’s even found time to do fundraising and budgeting for the baseball team and to make a brief appearance in a dance production.  “I try to leave the Blackberry behind as much as I can,” he says

Sam credits Occidental with providing more than an education in economics. “Oxy has been the greatest.  Because it’s small, it has given me the opportunity to meet and talk to people at every level, including people in the administration.  I have no fear about approaching anyone in the professional world.” Even if he did just get off the plane in sweats and a baseball cap.