UNK’s College of Business and Technology Remains Committed to Students’ Professional Growth
Everyone knows there is life after college. For UNK College of Business and Technology students, time during college is spent preparing for that life. The best part is that the CBT has figured out a way to focus on the professional growth of students without sacrificing any of the fun associated with college. This year’s AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) Students Ambassadors Conference at the Bowling Green Allen W. and Carol M. Schmidthorst College of Business was the perfect opportunity for four UNK student ambassadors to get a sneak peek at their futures after college while having a genuinely good time.
Isabella Townsend, who is majoring in Interior and Product Design, was one of the six original students who pitched the idea of the CBT Student Ambassadors Program. Thanks to this foresight as well as the help of Dean Brooke Envick and Ryo Suzuki, this idea for students to represent the college as ambassadors has become a reality at the CBT.
Townsend, who attended last year’s conference, enjoyed the networking opportunities this year and so much more. From dinner with peers to pickleball, she was able to gain experience “talking to professionals (from) different areas of the country.” She shares how this year’s conference was a bit different than last year’s as it offered break-out sessions in AI, diversity, leadership, and more topics designed to help students focus on their current needs as well as their future professions. Even though the trip was definitely a lot of fun, she appreciates the practical benefit to her future profession. She shares that she also believes “some of the takeaways from the conference” will help “put structure in place” for UNK’s program which will help future students.
Emily Conrad, who also attended last year’s conference, shares how the CBT student ambassador program is focused on growth and direction right now. Since the program is only a year and a half old, she understands opportunities like this year’s conference will have long-reaching effects for years to come. She explains how she has “truly appreciated the opportunities the CBT Ambassador program has offered” her and stresses that she has seen personal gains in her leadership skills, has been able to connect with others, and has experienced an advance in her own professional development.
Conrad appreciates the way this year’s conference gave her opportunities to connect with teams across the country, many of whom are “working to build newer programs.” The conversations with these ambassadors as well as those who are part of well-established programs gave her “a clearer idea of where (UNK’s) team needs to grow and what (they) should focus on moving forward.” It wasn’t all about networking for Conrad and the other student ambassadors though. She explains how they were put in positions to “grow in soft skills like communication and teamwork.” Conrad believes these experiences will help her grow in confidence and adapt to new situations better in her future career.
Kaden Gilbert, who attended the AACSB Students Ambassadors Conference for the first time this year, had heard all about it from his peers who attended last year. He shares that he was “thrilled by the opportunity to attend.” He highlights the activities which encouraged him to step out of his comfort zone for helping him discover “the value in accepting differing opinions and embracing diversity among groups.” He believes his experiences from this conference will help him in his professional career “because it enhanced (his) networking and team-building skills.” He states that he now feels “more knowledgeable about what it means to be a leader” which he acknowledges will transfer to his professional career. 
Gilbert shares how the conference set up extensive networking opportunities such as when one of the meals had assigned seating to help students get to know students from other schools. For Gilbert, “it was fascinating to learn how different the business programs, ambassador programs, and universities were between the schools that attended the conference.” He states that he “personally grew closer to students and faculty from colleges around the nation” which he believes allowed him to expand his professional network. As a senior who will graduate in a few short months, he is “confident that attending this conference will impact (his) workplace in a positive way.”
Gavin Sloan, who also attended this year’s conference for the first time, shares how he became involved with the student ambassadors after he had served as a mentor for the CBT Living Learning Community. Grateful for that experience, he was interested in finding that “next stage of leadership” which he is grateful he found through student ambassadors. Attending this year’s conference was just one more step in Sloan’s growth as a leader. He appreciates how everything he learned at the conference has allowed him “to grow in (his) leadership experience and capabilities” as well as given him “new perspectives and skills” which he is certain he will apply in his future professional roles.
At the conference, Sloan “was able to connect with several people through LinkedIn” which he knows will help to expand his professional network. He shares how he has already been able to stay in touch with others from the conference. He likes the way the conference provided him with “great opportunity to connect” with not only his fellow ambassadors but with “other amazing ambassadors across the nation.” Sloan is also grateful for the variety of sessions he was able to attend. He states that everything he learned made attending this year’s conference “a truly rewarding experience.”
Kaden Gilbert shares that attending this conference is “vital in nurturing the growth” of the student ambassador program. He personally cannot say enough about how “hearing stories from other students that live over a thousand miles” from him showed him “the opportunities the world has for personal and professional enrichment.” It’s no mistake that students such as Gilbert feel “more prepared for the modern workforce” thanks to weekend-events such as this conference.
Emily Conrad couldn’t agree more, adding that the conference “sparks ideas” that student ambassadors can bring back to the UNK campus. She stresses that attending this conference is “a great chance to grow professionally” which is exactly why Dean Brooke Envick and Ryo Suzuki helped to set the program up in the first place.
CBT event coordinator Kelcey Wetzel, who chaperoned this trip, sums it up well with her belief that all that was learned at the conference will be used by the student ambassadors to “elevate the way they recruit, connect, and represent” the college. She shares how this weekend event “highlights CBT’s commitment to investing in the growth” of the student ambassador program. She is grateful that these four students had the “opportunity to network and learn strategies with peers from across the country.”
The leadership at UNK’s College of Business and Technology strategically plans events to highlight the leadership, growth, and teamwork that students need to succeed in today’s world. This year’s AACSB Student Conference at BGSU is just one example of how this can happen for any student who gets involved. And everyone is invited on this journey toward a great career.
