UNL College of Business Administration students Audrey Pawol and Matthew Sleister were awarded the 2015-16 National Research Corporation (NRC) Rising Stars Scholarship. This is the fourth year NRC has offered this scholarship to two UNL students with an interest in business development, marketing and entrepreneurship. Each recipient received $2,000 to be applied toward their tuition and fees during the spring 2016 semester. 

Pawol is a junior accounting major from Blair, Nebraska, who has been involved in a number of organizations in college. She is a member of Delta Sigma Pi and the CBA Student Ambassador program. Her goal is to pursue a career in accounting by earning her master in professional accountancy (MPA) at UNL by May 2018 and becoming a certified public accountant (CPA).
 
“This scholarship is huge as it will help me pay for study abroad in Cimba, Italy next semester. The timing couldn’t have been better. I appreciate the opportunity to learn about a different culture and learn international business skills and principles along the way,” Pawol said. “For me being chosen as a NRC scholarship recipient is a privilege and it reflects what hard work can get you.”

Sleister is a senior management major with a minor in marketing from Fremont, Nebraska. He is currently a sales intern at Sandhills Publishing in Lincoln. As a junior he was one of two students chosen to represent the college at the 17th Annual National Collegiate Sales Competition (NCSC) held at Kennesaw State University. After graduation he would like to continue his career in sales.
 
“I'm very grateful NRC selected me as one of the recipients. This scholarship will help not only financially, but professionally as well. It is a great honor to be recognized by such a highly credible and well-known company,” Sleister said.
 
Both Pawol and Sleister are also pursuing their certificate of professional selling through the Center for Sales Excellence in the College of Business Administration. The certificate program, which is open to all majors, consists of 13 credit hours of required coursework.

“I was excited to join the sales certificate program when it started. This program is a great way to expedite the training process and bypass entry level sales training you would have after hiring on. We gain a competitive advantage in the job market,” Sleister said.

A celebration dinner was held on December 8 and attended by the recipients, their families, NRC leadership and UNL faculty and staff. Pawol and Sleister’s names will be displayed on the Rising Stars Scholarship plaque located outside of the Department of Marketing office in CBA. Published: December 14, 2015