University Career Services

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

How did you gain experience when you were a student?

In my junior/senior year, I served as the Panhellenic Council President which led four sorority chapters and chaired a ten-member executive board. This role was very similar to the role I play in Career Services in I had to understand the unique qualities and needs of each group and facilitate partnership and collaboration among the community as a whole. I learned so much about how to develop trusting relationships and how to inspire and communicate vision to motivate the team to work for the greater good of the community.

How did you become a career development professional?

My undergraduate major was Organizational Communication with an emphasis in Sales and my Master’s Degree is in Counseling-Student Affairs. I feel like I was preparing to work with career development my whole life, without knowing it exactly. I was the aid to my junior high school counselor and the only books that interested me were on birth order, personality typology, and my favorite, How To Win Friends and Influence People (by Dale Carnegie). My first job out of college was working as an Admissions Counselor, where I recruited and encouraged students and their families to attend college, which naturally led me to the field of student affairs and career development.

Who is someone who impacted your career development?

The person that has influenced my professional and career development the most is my Dad, and I feel so fortunate that I was able to work at his men’s clothing business while I attended college. My Dad has been a lifelong educator, coach, mentor and leader; and while he’s applied most of those roles to a career in sales. He modeled for me how to quickly develop trust and rapport with others, how to engage others and listen, and how to take initiative and problem-solve. I feel very fortunate to have had a mentor who modeled these incredible soft skills for me at the beginning of my career.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

How did you gain experience when you were a student?

One experience I intentionally looked for and found was an internship in human resources. I learned a lot and met some great people!

How did you become a career development professional?

My undergraduate major was Business Administration, my graduate degree is in Education. As an undergrad, I worked in an office across the hall from an internship office, got to know them because we shared a copier, started working there, and that was about it!

Who is someone who impacted your career development?

My supervisors in my campus jobs were great in a lot of ways, but a big one is how much responsibility they gave me. When I think about it, I kind of wonder, “What were they thinking?” but it all worked out and made a big difference for me.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

How did you gain experience when you were a student?

While I was a student, I explored different majors by taking part in on-campus clubs, activities, and employment. For example, I worked as a writer for the university magazine, acted in several plays and musicals, and joined the business honors student club.

How did you become a career development professional?

I have a B.S. in business with a focus in marketing, an M.B.A., and am currently pursuing my Ph.D. in Educational Leadership in Higher Education. I became a career development professional late in life after spending about 10 years as a professional pastry chef. I made this change because while teaching culinary arts, I realized that helping students gain great experience during their college years was something that made me feel complete.

Who is someone who impacted your career development?

My career development was greatly impacted by Dr. Michael Gross who became my mentor when I was his graduate research assistant at Colorado State University. He helped me realize that I am a smart and strategic thinker and that working in higher education aligned with my values.

Pronouns: He/Him/His

How did you gain experience when you were a student?

As a student at the University of Missouri, I worked on campus at the Career Center. While working with fellow students on their career development, I learned how to help others maximize their own strengths.

How did you become a career development professional?

I majored in Psychology at Mizzou. This led me to pursue a doctorate in Counseling Psychology here at UNL. As a Graduate Career Advisor, I get the chance to work with students on their professional development.

Who is someone who impacted your career development?

Dr. Brick Johnstone was my research mentor as an undergrad. He taught me that psychologists can make an impact on peoples’ lives in many ways, like through research or therapy. Dr. Johnstone also modeled integrity, empathy, and toughness, which are values that I aspire to in my career.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 

How did you gain experience when you were a student?  

I had numerous on-campus jobs throughout my time as an undergraduate student. These on-campus employment opportunities allowed me to easily work around my classes, build up my employment history, and learn some great baseline skills.

How did you become a career development professional? 

I received a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design. After a season of graphic design jobs and freelance opportunities, my design career took a pause when I chose to stay at home with my young children. Once my kids entered school, I started looking for new career opportunities. Career Services has allowed me to take on numerous roles in the office and learn so much about how we facilitate career connections between Huskers and the world. My time at Career Services has allowed me to assist many different groups of people, ranging from students, faculty & staff, and employers all over the world.

Who is someone who impacted your career development? 

My senior year graphic design professors were instrumental in helping me learn how to develop my resume and design portfolio. This preparation was instrumental in gaining my first job out of college as a graphic designer for an athletic-wear company.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 

How did you gain experience?  

My experience is what actually propelled me to becoming a student. I didn’t take the traditional route to college immediately after high school, as I was unsure what I wanted to do. Instead, I began working full time and eventually had my son. My experience of being a new mom coupled with the expectation of continuing to work full time made me realize that I wanted to go to school to assist and work with new and expecting mothers.

How did you become a career development professional? 

Wanting to work in an OB/GYN setting, I originally majored in Medical Office Technology. The accounting and business classes I was taking at the time really pushed me to pursue a role in an administrative office setting to gain experience tied to my studies. I was interested in working for the University because at the time I was hoping to transfer my credits to attend. My role with the office started out as reception but has graduated into Employer Relations over the years.

Who is someone who impacted your career development? 

Although I wasn’t a student for very long after meeting him, Larry Routh has been a constant in my development in terms of the support and advice he’s given me in my professional career. Not only did he provide me with the foot-in-the-door opportunity to develop and utilize my skillset within Career Services, but he’s also been a key contributor to my continued professional development.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers 

How did you gain experience when you were a student?  

I gained experience as a student through getting involved with on-campus departments as well as throughout internships throughout the community. I was lucky enough to start working within the marketing/advertising world from my freshman year however, I really found a love for student affairs during my time working with students in the Student Involvement office in my second year. Working within careers allows me an outlet to blend both of my passions as well as continue on with my own goals in my own personal career development.

Who is someone who impacted your career development? 

I would have to say my involvement with the professional business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi during my undergraduate career really put in perspective how powerful a group and its members can be when people are passionate and put their mind to something. Through my involvement in this organization, my team and I were able to get the ball rolling on changing the organization on campus and I was able to see firsthand how impactful a community of professionals can be for students with a career-driven mindset. Without my involvement and the people I met along the way, I would not be as passionate about providing opportunities for students as I am today.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

How did you gain experience when you were a student?

I was a work study student in the distance learning office throughout my undergraduate career where I learned the basics of an “office job.” I also worked at the information desk at the student union, as a server at the local country club, and was a research assistant for English professor Dr. Jeremy Downes, doing research for his book, The Female Homer: An Exploration of Women’s Epic Poetry.

How did you become a career development professional?

I have worked in higher education for the past 14 years in a variety of roles and have been in my current position for the past 5 years. Working in the undergraduate research office gives me the opportunity to help students determine if a career in research is right for them and guide them in developing both specialized skillsets and transferrable knowledge.

Who is someone who impacted your career development?

I worked in the graduate admission office of the institution where I attended graduate school to offset my tuition costs. My supervisor in this position helped me see higher education as a viable career path for me. He encouraged me to consider my options after finishing my master’s degree and I’m very glad to have stayed in higher education for my career.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

How did you gain experience when you were a student?

As the first to attend college in my family and a low-income transfer student, I participated in the work-study program for the School of Humanities Dean’s office and learned valuable administrative skills. I also became a Writing & Reading Center peer tutor, which illuminated how I could use my experiences to support peers in learning to navigate higher education and achieve academic, personal and professional success. I found that writing skills, higher education, and my own upward mobility journey were closely linked.

How did you become a career development professional?

After earning a master’s in Creative Writing, I learned grant-writing skills as an administrator for two research teams: a biomedical engineering laboratory and an interdisciplinary digital media and learning research group. Interacting with faculty and student researchers taught me about discipline-specific approaches to innovation, the role of mentoring in life-long learning, and the influence of writing skills on professional lives and adventures around the world. I realized the importance of the undergraduate experience in establishing the communication strategies and confidence necessary for later success. Today, as a fellowship advisor, I encourage and mentor undergraduates as they develop effective grant-writing skills and greater understanding of their career paths while competing for national and international scholarships.

Who is someone who impacted your career development?

Several amazing mentors helped me to navigate higher education environments and learn new genres of communication. In particular, Professor Michael Jayme taught me about the power of narrative writing and the representation of identities and communities; Professor Enrico Gratton imparted the fundamentals of research proposal writing; Lindy Grishkoff illuminated the hidden infrastructure of universities and policies that support positive faculty, staff, and student interaction; Michelle Tsai brought me into the fellowships community and empowered me to develop creative new resources for scholarship applicants; Sue Cross modeled how to support and collaborate with advisor and tutor colleagues, and Dr. Rose S. Jones helped me to understand my potential as a leader and develop a vision for my impact on student success.

Pronouns: He/Him/His

How did you gain experience when you were a student?

During my education, I focused time on student activities, from being an elected member of our student government to leading various student organizations. Part-time and summer jobs provided an additional method for learning about the world of work – both what I liked and what I didn’t. The final piece of my puzzle for gaining experience was an internship. Few students in my time engaged in internships, I was one of those who did so. The piece that was missing is that I was not intentional or reflective at the time about how each of the experiences fit together or about how they could impact my future. Students now have many more opportunities to make intentional choices about their experiences.

How did you become a career development professional?

My undergraduate major was Social Sciences, basically a combination of hours in political science, history, economics, and sociology. After a successful career in sales, I went to graduate school and focused on political science, specifically international relations. After completing my graduate work I was involved in operating welfare to work programs in two states. I found a real passion for working with people around the big questions of life – who are they, who do they want to be, and how will they get there. When I transitioned to higher education I began my career as an academic advisor for undecided students and haven’t looked back.

Who is someone who impacted your career development?

A handful of professors had the most impact on my career development. They encouraged me to consider graduate school and put me on a path to see myself working in higher education.

Pronouns: They/Them/Theirs

How did you gain experience when you were a student?

As an undergraduate student, I worked as a Resident Assistant, served the Student Government Association, and volunteered for a campus day of service (Webster Works Worldwide) each year. These experiences taught me about how the campus works and about how I wanted to impact others in the work I did in the future.

How did you become a career development professional?

My bachelor’s degrees are in mathematics and secondary education (former high school math teacher here!) but the experiences I had on campus helped me to understand that I would rather work with students outside the classroom. Working in academic advising has allowed me to help students navigate college and grow as people; now my role is to help empower other advisors to do the same.

Who is someone who impacted your career development?

My supervisors in the Housing and Residential Life department at Webster, Chris Rice, and Katie Knetzer, pushed me to set goals and follow through on them, as well as to start planning for my post-college career, even though I knew I didn’t want to do what they did. Their guidance and support helped me to trust my skills, seek opportunities for growth, and pursue the things that I was passionate about.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

How have you gained experience when you were a student? 

I have been taking many opportunities on and off campus to explore my interests and improve my skills. I have taken on volunteering, undergraduate research and many leadership positions that helped me identify what I enjoy in a work environment and what I look forward to in a career after college.

How did you become interested in the career development field?

During my freshman year, I made an appointment with an advisor at UNL Career Services because I thought I did not have anything to offer employers. However, I was able to identify and brainstorm ways to showcase experiences and relevant skills to various jobs and career fields. After that, the idea of providing that “wow” moment to students with different experiences and backgrounds was really appealing to me. Career Services has allowed me to understand more about my career path while creating content and resources, coaching students from all over the U.S. and the world, and fulfilling my passion of helping others.

Who is someone who impacted your career development?

Tracy Lungrin has been a great mentor and advisor. She does an amazing job at identifying the type of help I need and providing me with solutions, options, and ways that I can improve in different areas. She always helps me feel confident about my skills and empowered to make smart decisions regarding my career path and future.