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Honors Academy Selects 42 Students as Class of 2021

Honors Academy Selects 42 Students as Class of 2021
Honors Academy students Sophie Podhaisky and Megan Copsey take a selfie in front of the new College of Business building.
The College of Business Honors Academy at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln selected 42 incoming first-year students to join the academy this fall. This group will be the fifth cohort of the Nebraska Business Honors Academy since its founding in 2013.
 
Dr. Kathy Farrell, interim dean and State Farm Professor of Finance, said, “The continuous increase in the number of excellent applicants who apply to the Honors Academy each year speaks to its quality. Those selected went through a rigorous application process and were selected based on their scholastic achievement, exceptional leadership and communication skills, and desire to become future leaders in business.”
 
The cohort includes students from 11 states, including all areas of Nebraska, who plan to study in nine academic majors within the College of Business. They will complete most of their core and foundation business curriculum together using an action-based learning style focused on the development of critical thinking, and technical and communication skills.
 
“We’re very excited to welcome our fifth cohort to the academy. This group brings a unique set of skills and achievements coupled with the desire to challenge themselves and find ways to positively impact the academy, the College of Business and the university as a whole,” said Erin Burnette, director of the academy. “Our staff is eager to help this cohort learn, grow and realize their potential as they progress through their college career.”
 
Academy students participate in leadership activities and can compete in student competitions across the country to enhance their professional communication. They also partake in internships and global immersion experiences to learn valuable lessons and prepare them to make an impact in the business world after graduation. Students receive a $2,500 scholarship to study abroad, and current academy students are studying abroad across three continents this summer. Additionally, 40 percent of academy students are participating in paid summer internships across nine states.
 
On-campus, academy students serve in a variety of prominent leadership roles and in more than 120 student organizations. They are also heavily engaged in philanthropy within the Lincoln community, where they volunteered more than 2,000 hours within the last academic year with more than 100 local organizations. The academy’s inaugural cohort graduated in May 2017, and these alumni will be taking their talents to careers and graduate schools spanning eleven states and two countries.
 
Applications for the 2018 cohort are accepted through October 15. To learn more about the Nebraska Business Honors Academy, visit: http://business.unl.edu/honorsacademy.
 
The following students will join the Nebraska Business Honors Academy in the fall of 2017 (the student's high school is included in parentheses if it differs from the hometown):
 
NEBRASKA
Bridgeport:Karsen Stull, finance
Columbus:Haley Faust, business administration (Scotus Central Catholic)
Cortland:Kaitlyn Meints, marketing (Daniel Freeman)
Dakota City:Nicholas Lennon, actuarial science (Sergeant Bluff-Luton)
Deshler:Braelyn Isernhagen, actuarial science
Grand Island:Coleman Cooper, business administration (Northwest)
Gretna:Cade Crowell, business administration; Lauren Leapley, accounting; Amanda Purintun, international business
Kearney:Mason Ellis, business administration
Lincoln: Olivia Coffey, international business (Pius X); Joseph Dawson, finance (Pius X); Lane Knott, business administration (Lincoln Southwest); Kyle Kramer, economics (Pius X); Brock Wordekemper, finance (Pius X)
Omaha:Emily Kate Alston, business administration (Westside); Cameron Claborn, business administration (Omaha Central); Charles Erker, actuarial science (Creighton Preparatory); Justin Myers, business administration (Homeschool); Grace Novak, marketing (Mercy); Lane Stilmock, actuarial science (Millard West)
Papillion:Kyler Caverzagie, actuarial science (Papillion-La Vista South)
Valley:Allison Stromp, accounting (Elkhorn South)
Waverly:Mary Morton, management
 
ELSEWHERE
Atlanta:William Grattan-Smith, finance (Atlanta International)
Chicago:Kirk Cherry, actuarial science (Notre Dame College Prep)
Clearwater, Kansas:Sarah Rakes, business administration
Columbia, Illinois:Benjamin Spargo, actuarial science
Fort Collins, Colorado:Peyton Walker, supply chain management
Lake Villa, Illinois:Logan Lewis, actuarial science (Grant)
Lee’s Summit, Missouri:Kayla Brumley, management (Lee’s Summit West)
Naperville, Illinois:Austin Vandersteen, finance (Neuqua Valley)
North Barrington, Illinois;Nicholas Ehmcke, business administration (Barrington)
North Prairie, Wisconsin: Evan Steinberger, actuarial science (Mukwonago)
Olathe, Kansas:Lauren Niesen, actuarial science (Saint James Academy)
Pella, Iowa: Katelyn Bonham, actuarial science
Pierre, South Dakota: Jessica Weber, actuarial science (Theodore F Riggs)
Sioux Falls, South Dakota:Michael Schneider, actuarial science (Roosevelt)
Saint Paul, Minnesota:Charles Kramer, actuarial science (Mounds Park Academy)
Stilwell, Kansas:Brooke Hagel, marketing (Blue Valley)
Valencia, California:Joel Beckwith, marketing (Learning Post)
Woodbury, Minnesota:Alejandro Sanchez, finance
Published: May 18, 2017