By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – There’s an obvious theme when Emily Conrad talks about her time at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
The words “community,” “connections” and “opportunities” come up over and over again. Audience members and fellow graduates will likely hear them Friday when she delivers the senior class reflections during UNK’s winter commencement ceremony.
“There are a lot of opportunities available here if you’re looking for them. And when they’re offered to you, I think it’s important to pursue them and see what doors open for you,” said Conrad, who graduates summa cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a management emphasis.
A Gretna native, Conrad comes from a family of Lopers. Both of her parents are UNK graduates, and so are their siblings. Her older sister has a degree from UNK, too.
Those ties played a big part in her decision to come to Kearney, but they weren’t the only factor.
“One of the things that I really liked about UNK is the smaller student-to-faculty ratio. You actually get to know your professors and classmates, which is something I’ve personally experienced,” Conrad said. “I had a lot of really great opportunities to connect with people here and build lasting relationships.”
A recipient of the prestigious Board of Regents Scholarship, Conrad got involved on campus right away.
She was part of the College of Business and Technology Living-Learning Community, which brings students with similar majors and interests together. Participants live on the same floor of a residence hall, making it easier to develop friendships, form study groups and support each other both academically and socially.
There are networking and skill-building activities, business tours, community service projects and fun social events such as a regular doughnuts and coffee get-together that allows students and faculty to learn more about each other outside the classroom.
“That was a fun way to connect with students who are pursuing similar degrees as me,” Conrad said of the living-learning community. “You meet a lot of different people during the LLC events, and many of them are taking the same classes. As a freshman, it’s a great opportunity to start building connections on campus.”
Conrad served as a learning community mentor during her second year at UNK, providing guidance and support for younger students and leading the group events.
This semester, she was among six students selected for the College of Business and Technology Ambassadors program. The CBT Ambassadors assist with student recruitment and retention by visiting area high schools to talk about UNK and participating in events such as Loper BizTech Preview Day, which gives prospective students an opportunity to tour campus and learn more about the programs offered here. They also network with UNK alumni and members of the Kearney business community.
In October, the UNK representatives attended the first-ever Business Student Ambassador Success Conference at Bowling Green State University, where they collaborated with college students from across the country. That event gave the UNK students a great vision for the Ambassadors program, according to Conrad, who’d like to see it develop into an engaging community for both current and future students.
Beyond the College of Business and Technology, Conrad is part of the leadership team for the Navigators campus ministry organization. She’s also a member of the UNK Climbing Club and a student worker for Campus Recreation.
“It’s a blast,” she said. “I got into climbing my freshman year and started working at the climbing wall after that. It’s a really fun community of students looking to learn a new skill or just hang out.”
Kyle Luthans, a professor and chair in the UNK Department of Management, calls Conrad a bright, hardworking student with a high degree of character.
“She has been a successful role model to her peers in the CBT community,” he said.
That’s why he nominated her to speak at commencement. Conrad is graduating from UNK after just 2 1/2 years on campus, but she’s not done with her education. She plans to pursue a Master of Business Administration before beginning a career in human resource management.
“Long-term, I can see her becoming a successful business leader and a role model and mentor for young professionals in the community,” Luthans said.
