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Global Competencies Honored at Inaugural Medallion Ceremony

Global Competencies Honored at Inaugural Medallion Ceremony
Nine Nebraska Business students achieved medallions for the first semester of the program.
Nine students at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln celebrated the first year of the International Business Medallion Program by taking home medals similar to Olympic athletes. Although, in the Medallion Program, students do not compete against one another, but through achieving points through a system that measures academic achievement and participation in activities that build soft skills such as interpersonal communication skills and critical thinking.

The International Business Program at the College of Business recognized the first group of students to achieve medallions with a ceremony in Howard L. Hawks Hall on November 30. Open to all business majors, students earn medallions at four levels: bronze, silver, gold and platinum. Students build points in three distinct categories: career building, global citizenship and well-being. Structured as a multi-year program, students can begin earning points their freshman year.

Amy Lester, international business program coordinator, found it inspiring to see students take initiative and get involved, showing concerted effort to make their time here matter. She signified the benefits of the program, giving students the opportunity to aggregate their undergraduate experience and quantify them in a standardized manner through different levels.

“We want to recognize students’ efforts for being involved in their student organizations, taking care of themselves mentally and physically, connecting with potential employers, or building global competencies by attending cultural events. Having a way to categorize those holistic experiences is another way to build their personal brand both now and for the future,” said Lester.

Joey Osbron practices talking about the medallion program with Dr. Kalu Osiri.
Joey Osbron talks about his experiences in the medallion program with Dr. Kalu Osiri.
With the program being new to the college, no student has yet to achieve gold or platinum status, but several already earned silver medallion status. As one of those silver medallion recipients, Joey Osbron, a junior international business major from Valencia, California, faced challenges with motivation and maintaining consistency, but found the program to be rewarding and worth the effort.

“Silver medal status took a good amount of work. I had to be active in seeking events to go to, looking for big opportunities like research and study abroad, and keeping organized with all I did,” said Osbron. “Because we track events for the entire semester, students need to be in it for the long haul. Overall I enjoyed the experience, and love that my cohort in the Allan Noddle International Business Distinguished Scholars program is participating with me. I will continue to strive for higher medal statuses.”

Introduced to the program from her time in the Employment Readiness Program for international students, Meena Pannirselvam, a junior finance major from Puchong, Malaysia, found the criteria of the program beneficial to her experience at Nebraska.

“I put in a tremendous amount of effort for the program, which had me talking to different people from various backgrounds, pitching ideas to advisors and attending the various events held to gain knowledge,” she said. “The activities required to be done were very important for my career building – but they also played a vital role in building the person I am now.”

The program also celebrated the international business seniors graduating in December. Dr. Kalu Osiri, international business program director and associate professor of practice in management, left the seniors with words of gratitude.

“You all are really special to us here in the International Business Program, and to the college as well. Whether it is the major, the global leadership minor, or what we do in terms of study abroad, it is one of our points of excellence in the College of Business. You should know that, because you are part of something special,” said Osiri.

The medallion recipients included:

Silver Medallion
  • Andrew Arend, junior accounting business major from Alexandria, South Dakota
  • Quincey Bernard, junior international business major from Port-au-Prince, Haiti
  • Meghan Matt, junior international business major from Mound, Minnesota
  • Joseph Osbron, junior international business major from Valencia, California
  • Juana Paramo, senior accounting and international business major from Grand Island, Nebraska
  • Gerardo Soto, senior management major from Columbus, Nebraska
Bronze Medallion
  • Hawra Mohammed, senior accounting major from Muscat, Oman
  • Meena Pannirselvam, junior finance major from Puchong, Malaysia
  • Linyi Zhang, senior international business major from Shenzhen, China
To learn more information on the International Business Program, visit: https://business.unl.edu/ib
Published: December 5, 2018