Scholars Academy: Rachelle Rice

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 Rachelle Rice of Nebraska City, Nebraska

Why did you choose UNO?

It was on my first campus tour as a high school freshman where I fell in love with the beautiful University of Nebraska at Omaha. One reason I favored UNO was because it is located in the heart of Omaha where there are many opportunities for me to find internships and careers both during and after college. Additionally, since the campus is located close enough to my hometown, I am able to periodically visit my family. I also love the business college’s design and environmentally friendly atmosphere. My love for the college is good, since I intend to spend most of my time there. Finally, out of all the universities and colleges I toured, UNO was the only place where the campus felt closely knitted together and had a student-driven environment. Everyone on the campus seemed to take pride in being a Maverick and I wanted to feel that pride as well.

Why did you choose business as a major?

I had first discovered my passion for pursuing business through my experiences with Girl Scouts. I saw first-hand the empowering impact that a nonprofit organization could have on individuals’ lives. During multiple programs under the organization, I was able to meet with and hear from successful and selfless business leaders. Soon, I began to discover a passion for the business realm, specifically in the nonprofit spectrum, and began delving deeper into the passion as well as exploring my related passions. I then decided that my future career choice should include a majority of my passions. Becoming a nonprofit chief executive officer of a youth-centered nonprofit combines my passions for leading others, engaging youth, helping others, and empowering my peers. Through my successful business career, I hope that will one day be able to instill a passion for business into the minds of children around the world and, in turn, inspire a new, selfless generation of business leaders. I know that my aspiration will become a reality by majoring in business administration as a student of the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

What business concentration are you planning to pursue? Why?

I am undecided as to what concentration I will pursue. Currently, I am considering the concentrations of management and marketing. I am interested in management because I would like to one day have a leadership position within a youth-centered nonprofit. Additionally, I am interested in marketing because I believe I would learn beneficial skills and tactics that would help me in reaching my high-ranking career within a nonprofit. I know that the concepts I would learn within the marketing and management concentrations would help me reach my dream career successfully; however, I would like to keep my options open and explore what other concentrations may also be beneficial to my goals.

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

I am looking forward to all the networking opportunities that will be offered to me within the Scholars Academy. Through the mentorship program that the Academy offers, I hope that I will be able to make a lasting connection with a local business professional. Also, I am excited to connect with the other Scholars and create friendships with individuals who have similar educational interests. Additionally, being a member of the Scholars Academy is a prestigious achievement that will help me in becoming successful in my future.

What do you like to do in your free time?

In my free time, I enjoy a variety of endeavors. For example, one activity that I am very passionate about is Girl Scouts. Most of the free time I have is devoted to the organization whether it’s helping at a young troop’s meeting, leading community projects, or participating in local camps and events. Also, in my free time I enjoy scrap-booking and taking photographs. Another activity that I enjoy doing in my free time is organizing my room, my phone, my schedule, my clothes, and anything else that becomes disheveled within my life. Additionally, I also enjoy scrolling through my social media apps and playing various games on my cellphone.

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

One surprising thing about me is that I am a Gold Award Girl Scout. This past year, I earned the most prestigious award that a Girl Scout can earn and that award is called the Gold Award. It is the Girl Scout’s equivalent to the Boy Scout’s Eagle Scout Award. To earn the project, I had to create an innovative solution to an issue which I sought out within my community. The issue I chose as the focus for my project was my community’s generation gap. Then, I had to create a solution to solve the issue as well as plan and execute the solution. My solution and project was to create a mentoring program between teenagers and elderly citizens within my community. Then, to sustain the project, the mentoring program will continue as a middle school club for the next five years starting in the 2018-2019 school year. I learned a lot about myself as a leader while earning this award and have a lot of pride for my work.