Alum, Diplomat Shares Wisdom With UNO Students

It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what field you go into. Honesty, integrity, and work ethic are what employers really care about. That was the message given to University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) students by an alum and Omahan who has gone on to have a career as a diplomat in Washington, D.C.

Scott Shiller, who graduated from UNO with a degree in public relations in 1994, spoke to a group of UNO students as part International Studies’ “Coffee With A Diplomat” series.

Shiller is a senior advisor in the Bureau for the Middle East at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). He came back to his hometown and alma mater to give some advice and have a casual chat with some students who hope to have careers in political science.

“The biggest thing that your future employers will look for is your work ethic and your integrity,” Shiller said. “Do you show up on time? Are you reliable? Are you honest? It doesn’t really matter what you do for a living, those are the things that your employer will value the most.”

The Omaha native said he enjoyed his time at UNO and that’s a big reason he decided to come back.

“The professors were the ones who made the difference,” he said. “They were always encouraging, dedicated, and accommodating.”

Shiller’s story is relatable for lots of UNO students. He worked while he was in school. He’s from the area. He understands the grind.

“Just because you’re in Omaha, Nebraska doesn’t mean you can’t see the world,” he said.

“There are people from this university that are all over the world making a difference. The one person that will hold you back from what you want to do is yourself.”