Christopher Dickie arrived in Batesville indirectly, but he has settled in and is putting down roots in the town's business community.
Dickie, an Oregon native, decided in 2006 to embark on a real estate career in then-booming Miami. He quickly realized that wasn't the path for him and came to Batesville, where his grandmother lived.
He's finishing an accounting degree at Lyon College, but opted for some real-world, real-time business experience by opening a restaurant.
He chose accounting over economics because he wanted to "be part of a business where I'm running it," he said. "And accounting is best defined as the language of business. From the ground up, I need to understand the language, how to speak numbers."
Numbers used to stump Dickie, but with the help and advice of his 82-year-old friend and mentor, Andy Trayler, he overcame his fear and moved from the back of the class to the front, literally and grade-wise, earning A's in his previously intimidating math courses.
He'll graduate in December, his restaurant is earning repeat customers, and he said he's excited about his future opportunities.
