Scholars Academy: Madison Tabor

The UNO College of Business Administration Scholars Academy is a close-knit community of ambitious, high-achieving business students who want to challenge themselves while pursuing a bachelor’s degree.

During this four-year program, Scholars are mentored by Omaha-area business professionals, take special business courses taught by award-winning faculty, and gain real-world experience through community engagement and international travel. They also receive generous scholarships.

Scholars are selected the spring of their senior year in high school after a rigorous and competitive application process.

Meet new member Madison Tabor of Walton, Nebraska.

Why did you choose UNO?

After receiving a multitude of postcards in the mail and emails from many different colleges, I had narrowed the decision down to three colleges. I visited all three, and UNO by far seemed to be the best fit for me. The campus is beautiful, the class sizes are not as big as some other schools, and the people seemed so friendly. I chose UNO because I could not imagine myself anywhere else. The quality of education and student life seem to fit into one another in a nice balance.

Why did you choose business as a major?

In high school, I attempted to take a variety of classes in order to find an area of study that I would enjoy pursuing. One of the best choices I made was taking microeconomics and macroeconomics with a teacher named Mr. Goldsmith. It was in those two classes that he completely shaped the way I saw how the world worked, and why people do what they do. These classes were my favorites of high school. After I researched what careers there could be in economics, I realized there is the whole world of business. Of course I knew careers in business were a real thing; I did not, however, realize I would enjoy one of these careers until I read what they were all about. The thing I love the most about pursuing a major in business is that there are so many paths that this can lead to.

What business concentration are you planning to pursue? Why?

I plan on pursuing a degree in human resource management. In human resource management, one does a variety of tasks. I am not the kind of person to repeat a task over and over without getting a little tired. In this field I would be able to work on a team to hire new people or training employees on new policies. Generally the job is a position of structure that allows change. Meaning there are guidelines to follow, but the people one work with may change. I have had experiences doing a sort of leadership among peers, and I really enjoyed those experiences.

What aspect of the Scholars Academy are you most looking forward to?

There are many aspects to look forward to in the Scholars Academy. There are 19 other people that I will get to know, real world experience through internships, and a study abroad trip. I have never been out of the country before, so that trip will be completely knew experience for me. I like the thought of how I may feel more prepared when I do join the workforce; however, the aspect I'm looking forward to the most is the people. From the few potential candidates I met, they all seemed kind, intelligent, and hardworking. It is nice to be around people who take pride in their work and can help others who don't quite understand some topic or something of that sort.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time outside of school, I participate in many activities. In the fall I was in two stage productions and marching band. In the spring I was in a musical, played tennis and played piano in jazz band. During the entire school year I was a dance captain of show choir, involved in student council, and volunteered/was an officer in my school's NHS. There is not a ton of free time outside of those activities, but otherwise I spend time with my family and go to church. Mostly I like to be social, so I tried to be involved as much as I could.

What is one thing we would be surprised to know about you?

I am the youngest of four kids in my family. This surprises a lot of people including some of my better friends. Right now I am 17 years old, my brother is 19 years old, and my sisters are 22 and 24. We are all about two years apart. Since I went to school with my brother, people knew him, and they knew me. It was interesting to see them connect the two after a whole year. Now I will be going to school with my brother again, so I think my last name will give is away. I doubt people will know we have two older sisters though!