Emily Krupicka started her first year at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln as an ambitious high-ability student ready to take on the challenge of majoring in human resource management. Everything changed after her first semester when she was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis — a condition that suddenly limited her ability to attend classes and participate in daily activities.

"I experienced some very severe symptoms," Krupicka said. "It was a total shock, and it kind of hit me very suddenly, overnight."

This unexpected diagnosis forced her to withdraw from a class, step down from her role as a College of Business ambassador and drop out of being part of the Nebraska Business Honors Academy. She was concerned about her future — both in her studies and career.

"I was very worried about my ability to work in the future, and I was struggling physically to get to class. It is something that I have to live with for the rest of my life," the Grand Island, Nebraska, native said.

She leaned into a supportive network she cultivated at the College of Business. Krupicka said she appreciated how the faculty member of the class she dropped made her feel.

"Amanda Gonzales (associate professor of practice in accountancy) taught the Honors Academy section of the accounting class I had to medically withdraw from. I was going through the process of having these symptoms and having a lot of issues and challenges arise. I was in constant communication with Professor Gonzales about it," Krupicka said. "She doesn't know it, but she was a very large support system in the way that she's incredibly kind and empathetic, and you can tell that she really cares about her students. It was always encouraged for me to share any struggles I had with her, and she was very accommodating and understanding of the situation. Without that experience, I probably wouldn't be in the same place I am now."

She also found support in the Inclusive Business Leaders (IBL) program cohort and its director, Kasey Linde.

Linde said, "The first year of college is complex enough, but adding a serious event or diagnosis, like what Emily received, is enough to prevent or derail most students from continuing in their studies. Thankfully, Emily leaned into the support networks that she had established when coming to Nebraska. My biggest goal in supporting Emily through this time was to make sure she knew that we were all walking with her."

A hands-on project in IBL allowed her to work with Lincoln Public Schools, an experience that Krupicka credits for helping her secure her first internship. She and her group developed training for teachers and administrators on cultural competency.

"The quality of their work was so impressive that Lincoln Public Schools decided to incorporate their materials into future training sessions. This real-world experience not only showcased Emily’s ability to apply her learning in impactful ways but also solidified her desire to pursue a career where she could make a difference," said Linde.

As her condition began to improve with treatments, Krupicka decided to take advantage of every opportunity that came her way. As of the fall semester of her junior year, she has completed eight internships and externships, a new form of short-term work experience.

"I already valued the out-of-the-classroom education experience you can get. Going through those medical issues put a lot into perspective and showed me what I am able to do. Being in the College of Business, my professors, the Business Career Center and the people around me propelled me to take advantage of any opportunity I could." she said.

The first opportunity was perfect for her situation at the time, as it was a hybrid internship at Nelnet that enabled some remote work. The Nelnet Pathway Program enabled Krupicka to rotate working with different areas within human resources over the academic year. She interned in benefits and wellness, global training and development, and campus recruiting.

"I don't think I could have gotten that position if it wasn't for the capstone project work I had done with my IBL cohort," she said. "This rotation challenged my thinking and prompted me to develop new, innovative solutions that affect Nelnet's most valuable asset: the people. I am so grateful to everyone at Nelnet, especially Lisa Meyer, Tyler Randazzo, Jordan Paul and Anna Reeves," said Krupicka. "I can't wait to return as a campus recruiting intern this fall after having such an impactful experience with the Pathways Program last year."

Randazzo, a senior campus recruiter at Nelnet, lauded Krupicka's outstanding performance and nominated her for the Business Career Center's inaugural Intern of the Year award, which she won.

"Emily is a highly deserving candidate for Intern of the Year," Randazzo said. "Her exceptional performance, adaptability and significant growth throughout her internship have been remarkable. In addition to her hands-on HR work, she undertook a comprehensive research project on intern pay trends that provided valuable insights that could inform our internship compensation strategies. Her proactive approach to research on intern pay trends showcases her dedication and ability to excel in various HR functions."

This summer, Krupicka served as a corporate compensation intern for Charles Schwab in Denver, where she helped configure international compensation structures for internationally-based employees by aggregating competing financial institution data. She also won the company's national business case competition in which teams of interns can participate.

"Our business challenge was how can we utilize generative AI to provide a more exceptional client experience. We brainstormed a lot because we wanted to go really outside the box and beyond a chatbot. We took a more back-end route considering cybersecurity and how AI could improve fraud detection models," she said. "The judges ranked each team who presented, and we were the first team in the competition's history to receive a perfect score on our proposal and presentation."

Krupicka has completed internships and work experiences with National Research Group, JPMorgan Chase & Co. and a U.S. Senator campaign and lined up future opportunities — returning to Nelnet as a campus recruiting intern and securing a summer 2025 internship with the Boston Consulting Group.

"The interviews with Boston Consulting Group were unlike any I had done before. I reached out to the Business Career Center for assistance, and Kadina Koonce (assistant director of career development and planning) provided me with a lot of really great resources on a very short turnaround. She helped me be successful in that interview, which landed me the internship for next summer, and they told me I will be the first from the university to intern there," she said. "It's just another example of how the people at the College of Business have supported me."