Josiah Hood did not have to travel far to attend the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business Administration, but he believes his experiences and opportunities here will take him a long way after graduation.
“CBA is preparing me to do whatever I want to do, whether that’s staying in Nebraska or moving to another city to pursue a career,” said Hood, a junior from Bellevue, Neb. “The college is very diverse and draws students from around the world. That diversity helps make CBA representative of the real world – not just Nebraska. It also includes diversity in the faculty.”
LEARNING OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM
Hood, a finance and international business major, interned at Mutual of Omaha during the summers of 2011 and 2012. Prior to that held a position at Union Pacific.
“I work on an information security team at Mutual. My role is primarily programming databases, but there are a lot of interns working here in management information systems, investment management and financial services areas for Mutual of Omaha bank. Eventually I would prefer a job where I’m working more directly with people but having the experience at Mutual is teaching me a lot about working in a team environment.”
His internships and coursework at CBA also helped him earn a top 10 finish in the 2012 Phi Beta Lambda Future Business Leaders of America national competition in the computer concepts category. Hood believes the student competitions and real world classroom experiences at CBA are preparing him to go anywhere after college.
"Phi Beta Lambda has been tremendous. We network with students throughout the country. This year [2013] we went to Anaheim, Calif., and many of the top 10 finishers were from UNL."
INSPIRATION FROM TEACHING METHODS
In the classroom, Hood has been inspired by the teaching methods of CBA professors.
“What I’m learning in my finance courses ties into the student organizations and I can apply it in the real world. I took a couple finance courses from Glenn Williams, and he did a great job having us read current articles that tie in with what we’re learning in class.”
Williams, assistant professor of practice in finance, taught in Egypt before coming to CBA and believes Hood reflects the type of students the college is preparing for the job market.
“I structure my classes to provide useful financial tools and problem solving skills that are valuable in any business environment,” Williams said. “I know from my experience working at large corporations that a good understanding of financial principles is important in all areas of a business.”
During his senior year, Hood plans on studying abroad in Spain as part of his international business major requirements. The study abroad opportunities are another part of the CBA experience he believes is getting him ready for life after college.
“I’m getting to know all kinds of people, and that’s preparing me to go anywhere with my degree. UNL is a big school that gives me a lot of choices to join diverse organizations you might not find at a smaller school. You also find those niches at CBA where it feels like you're part of a community,” he said.