I’m here. I’m done. I hit submit. I saw the confetti. My course evals are finished. I’ve completed my final assignment of undergrad. I sat through commencement. I walked the stage. I partied. I graduated on May 19th Summa Cum Laude with a BSBA with concentrations in Marketing, Management & Leadership, and Sales, and a minor in Political Science. As I reflect on my time at UNO, I want to share some of the successes that I’ve experienced in the last few months.
This final semester of my undergraduate degree has been a whirlwind of academic success and achievement, and this seems as good a place as any to chronicle these achievements.
I was honored to win Outstanding Marketing Student of the Year for the Marketing & Entrepreneurship Department. This award was based on the nomination of Dr. Yanhui Zhao, who has invested in me throughout my time at UNO, and the instructor for Marketing Management (a discussion-heavy course that was highly engaging in Fall 2022.) I’m honored that he would think of me for this nomination, and I extend my gratitude for this honor. Along with Dr. Zhao, I’m indebted to Dr. Phani Tej Adidam, the chair of the Marketing & Entrepreneurship Department, Dr. Anne Herman, Dr. Birud Sindhav, Dr. Arvind Agrawal, and Professor Heather Nelson. These faculty in the marketing department have educated, challenged, encouraged, and cheered for me throughout my academic pursuits at UNO.
I also was honored to be inducted into the CBA Hall of Fame. This new distinction was recognized at the CBA Honors and Awards Ceremony, and I’m grateful to Dean Michelle Trawick for this recognition and the invitation to step onto the CBA Alumni Advisory Panel.
I’m also so pleased to share the results of the Spring 2023 Capstone Cup. With my teammates – Morgan Dickey, Zoe Chase, and Michael Becker – BCSD Consulting (initials of our last names) advanced through two rounds of the CBA Capstone Cup strategic consulting competition. At its completion, we won the Spring 2023 Capstone Cup competition.
During this event, along with all other College of Business seniors, we identified a strategic problem and formulated a data-driven recommendation with this semester’s case company, Rocket Carwash. Our work is intended to position the company for future business success, giving students an opportunity to work with real-world scenarios rather than fictional casework.
Our team identified Rocket Carwash’s rapid expansion strategy as a risk in the current and future car wash industry and economic environment. Our recommendation for differentiating from competition and establishing a long-term sustainable growth strategy is two-fold. First, Rocket Carwash should implement a college discount, designed to capture loyal and price-sensitive consumers as young adults. Second, Rocket Carwash should establish a strategic partnership with Costco, creating a valuable, rare, and difficult-to-imitate strategic commitment designed for long-term success in the car wash industry. Many thanks to Dr. Leif Lundmark, Dr. Erin Pleggenkuhle-Miles, Dr. Anne Herman, and Sam McDermott for their teaching, feedback, encouragement, and facilitation of our Capstone Cup experience.
As I close the chapter of my undergraduate education at UNO, I look forward to all that the future holds. Most specifically, I’m thrilled to begin my MBA at UNO with a concentration in Collaboration Science, as well as a graduate assistantship with Dr. Anne Herman, Dr. Shannon Cummins, and the other incredible faculty who work with the UNO CBA Sales Center.
Looking back on my time at UNO, I’m so grateful for this institution and those who made my experience valuable, meaningful, memorable, and inspiring. I’d specifically like to thank those I worked with at the CBA Career Center: Laura Sansoni, Elizabeth Dement, Rebecca Atkins, and Dr. Molly Belieu. These individuals do incredible work supporting UNO students and helping them to reach their goals and (dare I say?) achieve their dreams. It was such a privilege to work alongside them as a student worker.
Finally, I’d like to thank Bethany Hughes, Director of the CBA Scholars Academy. The Scholars Academy was instrumental in my decision to attend UNO and has been more incredible than I could have ever dreamed. The chance to learn in a cohort setting, study abroad, visit businesses, and most valuable, sit under the counsel of dedicated mentors (thanks to Meray Kim, Chris Lyons, and Adrian Hernandez) is what drew me to the Scholars Academy in the first place. Looking back, I credit the Scholars Academy with positioning me where I am today, and I look forward to giving back to the program in the coming years as an alumnus. I’m so thankful for the friends I’ve made in and through the program and I’m eager to cheer them on as we walk through our careers and lives together.
See you in the fall, UNO!
A Profitable Read 