The CBT’s Own Theresa Yaw Shares Her Lifetime of Knowledge with All of Kearney
When Theresa Yaw was a college student, she had plans to return to the world of academia. However, once she obtained her Master's degree in economics, she decided to take a few years to gain “real-world experience.” As happens with many people, once Yaw went to work in the corporate world, she thought she would never find her way back to her “original dream” of becoming a teacher.
Fast forward twenty-five years to 2016 when Yaw finally decided to leave the corporate world because she understood it was “time for a change.” Although she had spent some time during her career working as an adjunct instructor, she had yet to realize her early dream of having her own classroom. This quickly changed when she reached out to UNK to share that she was available if they needed her to do more adjunct work. When she was offered a full-time lecturer position in the Economics Department of the College of Business and Technology, Yaw knew that she had ended up where, two and a half decades earlier, she had planned to start her career.
Even though it took her a long time to find her way back to a university campus, she explains she has been “enjoying every minute of it.” As she reflects on her past ten years teaching CBT students, she shares that she is “still having fun” and is amazed that it has been “the fastest ten years of (her) life.” She has enjoyed bringing her real-world examples from her many years of experience to her students as she prepares them for their future careers.
Yaw also made the decision to ditch textbooks and make open-source materials available to all students. She understands, from personal experience, what kind of workers are needed in the corporate world. This is why her class is more about finding out what is going on in the world and having students work together in class to brainstorm ways to solve problems. An example of a typical assignment in her class would be for students to listen to a podcast as they learn about a relevant topic, such as monopolies in consumer marketing, and find real-world examples to discuss. As someone who worked in a senior staff position for years, she knows how finances, marketing, and sales analysis work together. She uses this knowledge to bring the subject matter to life for her students in a way which truly gives them insight into their future careers.
In addition to her work in the classroom, Yaw serves as faculty advisor for the CBT’s Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). She has held this position for nine years and has helped her students compete at both state and national levels. She shares that this organization is yet another example of how UNK students are given a quality education which enables them to “compete and win against some of the best business students from across the nation.”
Theresa Yaw’s transfer of knowledge does not stop in the classroom. Thanks to the flexibility her position offers her, she has found ways to truly give back to the Kearney community. She credits her parents for her desire to pay it forward. Sharing how they “set such a good example” for her, she explains how, for years, she felt as though she “wasn’t contributing” as an asset to the community. She certainly can no longer say that.
Although she and her husband are both actively involved in many aspects of helping Kearney, Yaw’s involvement in two organizations specifically showcase her heart for others. As a member of the Board of Directors for the World Theatre, she works for what she considers to be “a great cause.” This historic Kearney icon, run by volunteers, is “available to everybody in the community” and is what Yaw refers to as a “gem.” She finds the fundraising work for this organization to be “very fulfilling” and is grateful for her opportunity to support its efforts to not only bring the arts to Kearney but also to make it an accessible and affordable option for everyone.
She is also active as the Treasurer for the Kearney Community Sustainable Housing non-profit organization. While fairly new, this organization strives to build “transition homes for families in crisis situations.” The apartments they provide are fully furnished and are intended to offer a hand-up for a year or less for those in need. In addition to providing housing, Yaw explains how there are also “wraparound services” offered such as financial planning and career training. In addition to her fundraising efforts, she works with the rest of the board to partner with several local agencies to further assist those in need.
Yaw is certainly far from retired even though she left her corporate life behind a decade ago. Her teaching is a full-time job, but she doesn’t stop there. Another way she gives back to the Kearney community is the work she does with her husband to preserve Kearney’s downtown one building at a time. They have recently restored one downtown building, creating lofts for yet another housing option for the residents of Kearney. She explains they have already made plans to expand their work in this area.
Once upon a time, Theresa Yaw had a dream of becoming a teacher. Little did she know that her detour into a fulfilling career would be the springboard to her becoming the exact instructor today’s university students need in order to thrive in their future professions. She is a bright light on the UNK campus and the community beyond. Her students would tell you she makes sure they have “fun assignments,” but she would explain that she understands the need for a balanced life which includes knowledge as well as a heart for others and that timing is everything. The College of Business and Technology is grateful to have her on board where she shares her abundance of knowledge and points the way toward a fulfilling professional life that includes the joy of giving back to the community.
