Lena Lankas of Lincoln, Nebraska, chose the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to pursue her wide-ranging interests in business, computer science, entrepreneurship, and dance without compromise. Now graduating as a Chancellor’s Scholar with a perfect 4.0 GPA and beginning a full-time product management role at Hudl, she has shown how her hometown university empowered her to excel across disciplines.
“I’ve always been super passionate about dance, sports, academics, entrepreneurship and keeping my social life interesting. When searching for colleges, it can sometimes feel like you’re having to settle for less in one area to get more in another,” Lankas said. “However, as an overly ambitious person, those weren’t really tradeoffs I wanted to make, and I’ve been able to do so much at such a high level all at Nebraska.”
Lankas pursued dual degrees in business administration and computer science at the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management.
“I’ve received an incredibly high-caliber education, and professors, peers and alumni pushed me to be the best version of myself,” she said.
She also earned a spot on the Scarlets Dance Team, part of Nebraska's Spirit Squad. In addition to performing at Memorial Stadium, Pinnacle Bank Arena, the Bob Devaney Sports Center and other venues, Spirit Squad members complete more than 200 hours of community service.
“With Scarlets, I got the privilege of being directly involved in a world-record event for women’s sports with Volleyball Day at Nebraska and performed in iconic NFL stadiums to start and end my last season of football. I also went on a historic run with Nebrasketball at the Crown Tournament in Las Vegas and spent March Madness in Oklahoma City and Houston,” Lankas said.
Her ambition also extended into entrepreneurship, when she co-founded TeachFront, a startup that grew from a classroom idea.
“The idea for TeachFront was inspired by our professor and co-founder who was experimenting with new grading techniques,” Lankas said. “There wasn’t a software solution that fit her needs, so we helped her build one.”
What began as a learning opportunity quickly gained traction, as the startup won university competitions and funding.
"We went from winning the Center for Entrepreneurship's Quick Pitch, to being New Venture Competition finalists, to earning a spot in the Raikes School Startup Studio and funding from Invest Nebraska,”she said. “If it weren’t for those opportunities and the entrepreneurship community at Nebraska, the idea likely wouldn’t have gone farther than our classroom.”
After more than two years with the company, she decided to step away from the business. The experience helped her refine her skills and clarify her direction.
“Navigating an intense legal landscape and a high-barrier industry while also shaping roadmaps, defining marketing and sales funnels, pursuing avenues for investment and managing interpersonal relationships was a lot to manage,” she said. "I’m super grateful for all the people I met throughout the process, those who supported me and all the lessons I learned."
Her professional path became clearer as she began to intern at different companies.
“My first internship was at Speedway Motors. I loved the people I worked with and am so grateful for that experience, but I learned very quickly that software engineering was not for me," she said.
That realization led her to a two-year project management internship at Hudl.
“I’ve loved it,” Lankas said. “The role comes very naturally to me and the work energizes me.”
This spring, Lankas' team won the national Tenaska Business Challenge, sponsored by one of the largest privately-held energy companies in the U.S. She also served as philanthropy director for Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and as a marketing teaching assistant.
“As much as I have been involved in a lot of things and seen success, I’ve also quit a lot of things,” she said. “You’re the only one in control of how you prioritize your energy, and sometimes quitting is the jumping-off point for your next adventure.”
Husker Spirit Squad Head Coach Erynn Butzke said that balance of ambition and discipline defined Lankas and her time on campus.
“Lena’s drive and commitment to excellence showed in everything she pursued from academics to launching her own business to performing as a Scarlet for four years,” Butzke said. “Finishing as a Chancellor’s Scholar reflects the work ethic and determination that have defined her entire college career.”
Selected as the College of Business Student of the Year in April by the Student Advisory Board, Lankas sees her experience at Nebraska as proof that students can explore as many different areas and ambitions as they want.
“At Nebraska, I didn't have to compromise any of my passions in order to pursue another, and I'm really proud of how much I've accomplished at my hometown university. Sometimes there's a perception that you have to go elsewhere to find opportunity and excitement, but I proved that's not true."
