Can a racecar driver and a social media star find value in a business degree? Absolutely. Just ask Boise State College of Business and Economics students Nick Persing and Caroline Manning. Persing races Lamborghinis and Manning creates content for 1.4 million YouTube subscribers. They’re both balancing their studies with thriving careers, and building a foundation for their future with business degrees.
Nick Persing, professional racecar driver
Nick Persing is a third year student studying business administration. He’s also a professional racecar driver who has competed around the world. His racing fuels a passion for speed, but his business studies are fueling a long-term vision.
“My favorite part about racing is the adrenaline rush. I’ve played a lot of different sports, but there has never been a feeling that comes close to leading a race when you have 34 guys behind you,” he said. “If you can conquer the pressure and win, it’s addicting.”
Persing’s obsession with cars started early. He bypassed typical toddler obsessions like dinosaurs or astronauts and was always laser-focused on cars. To kick off his career, he began go karting as a kid. After competing in the national go karting championships, Persing made the jump to cars at 14. Since then he has competed in a variety of racing series including Formula 3, a stepping stone to Formula 1.
However, balancing a demanding F3 schedule with college was difficult. Persing now drives for Wayne Taylor Racing, competing in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America series, which is mostly held during the summer, making it easier to manage his studies. He describes the series as the NBA G League, or a minor league team–it’s where drivers are scouted for prestigious endurance races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Daytona.
“My hope is that if I perform well enough I’ll be pulled up to run in one of the endurance championships, or eventually move into the IMSA (International Motor Sports Association) SportsCar Championships,” he said. “Experience matters more than youth in racing, so I’m trying to get as much time in a car under my belt as possible so I’ll be ready when the opportunity comes along.”
Last year, Persing and his teammate placed second in the Super Trofeo World Finals Pro-Am division. Persing moved up to the Pro division this year. As he builds a successful racing career, he’s also building his business skills–it turns out, there’s a lot of crossover.
Drivers need more than just speed; they need to be in tune with how the car feels on the track, analytical to understand car performance, and they have to be able to communicate and collaborate with their team to help with car development. On top of that, drivers must know how to sell themselves and how to tell a good deal from a bad deal as they navigate team contracts. These skills align perfectly with Persing’s business coursework at Boise State.
“I know I want to work in the racing field even if I’m not driving a car. I’d love to be a team owner or general manager, and the best way to do that is with a business degree.” he said. “For those positions, people management, finance and working with numbers are a big part of what you do, so a business degree is a good fit.”
Persing ended up at Boise State somewhat by accident. He’s from a smaller town in California, and while on a road trip to tour the University of Utah, he stopped in Boise and immediately fell in love with the area because it felt like home.
“Last year it was like something finally clicked. It was one of the best seasons of my racing career. I won six races and had 10 podiums,” he said. “My whole life, racing was the only thing I wanted, but after coming to school I realized that doesn’t have to be the only option. It takes a lot of pressure off my shoulders and allows me to drive better knowing that racing isn’t the only thing I can do. A business degree is not a back-up plan–it’s security. Regardless of whether my dream of being a team owner works out, I’ll still have a bunch of options after I finish school.”
Follow Persing on Instagram and catch his 2025 race season streaming on Peacock and YouTube starting in March–he should be easy to spot in his Boise State branded helmet.
Caroline Manning, social media content creator
Caroline Manning is also a third year student studying entrepreneurship with a marketing minor and a full-time social media content creator, with over 1.4 million YouTube subscribers who follow her day-to-day life.
For Manning, it all began with music. At 12, she was asked to sing the National Anthem at the University of Texas – Austin and earned local recognition as “the little girl with the big voice.” But when she first posted on YouTube, she wasn’t looking for internet fame–she had a very specific audience in mind.
“My Vietnamese grandmother wanted to see my performances, so I posted them on YouTube for her,” she said. “At the time, my videos always had just one view, and it was my grandmother.”
Then Manning began sharing her own music, including original songs from her journal. When she was 14, she posted a song called “Dear Boys at My School,” and everything changed.
“That song just blew up. It got one million views overnight,” Manning said. “I showed up at school the next day and everyone was gathered around their phones and looking at me–it was like a classic movie moment. I ran to the bathroom and called my mom thinking ‘I just need to go home!’”
After the initial shock wore off, Manning saw that the song resonated with lots of people, so she created a series called “Dear blank” including songs like “Dear Friends” and “Dear Parents.” Her following continued to grow, and she expanded her content to include daily life vlogs and “Get Ready With Me” videos. Soon, she was creating sponsored content for brands like Nike, Lululemon and, recently, Semester at Sea.
“My entire life from 14 until now–at nearly 21 years old–has been documented online,” she said. “Lots of my peers became successful influencers, dropped out of school and moved to Los Angeles to pursue their careers. But I didn’t want to put all my eggs in one basket. Education has always been important to me. I’ve known for a long time that while I do love the job I have now, it’s very easy to get caught up in the superficial aspects. I wanted something to ground me and I wanted to keep living a normal life.”
College was the answer. While considering different schools, Manning visited Boise State on her parents’ suggestion–they had almost moved to Boise years ago. After seeing campus, Manning knew it was where she wanted to be. And she has found many connections between her coursework and content creation.
“I’m always curious to learn new things and that’s why I went the business route,” she said. “I’ve been doing social media content creation and marketing myself for six years, but now I’m learning the foundations. Partnering with brands showed me there’s so much more than just me as the influencer–there are logistics, communications, and getting products out on time. Now, in my classes, I’m learning how it all works and finally understanding the textbook reasons why. And it’s not just marketing; learning about human resources and supply chain management is so important if you want to run your own business.”
Manning’s education also ties in with her future plans. As the world of social media and content creation changes, she’s prepared to eventually step away from her YouTube channel. Her biggest goal is to raise a family, and then move behind the camera and start her own management company.
In the meantime, college life provides content creation opportunities that resonate with her followers.
“Online, people really want authenticity. They want to see everyday life. Being in school lets me focus on being a relatable college student in spite of not having a relatable job,” Manning said. “Boise State is such an easy place to find yourself and not get lost in the sauce. Here, people my age just treat me like Caroline, regardless of my job. The highs and lows of success on social media are great, but making a new friend in class is even greater.”