Morgan Dickey knew her career pathway before setting foot on university grounds. Majoring in business administration, it was an impromptu meeting before graduating high school that set her focus to human resources. She had met with an HR representative to discuss the nuances of the job gaining valuable insight about interacting with employees, recruiting, and the various levels of working in the field. That conversation sparked her interest and placed her on an HR trajectory.
Growing up in Papillion, Nebraska, Morgan’s primary education was homeschooling. The more intimate setting allowed her to learn at her own pace, which enabled her to take a handful of Metro classes before graduating. Coming into college with a full year of credits provided an opportunity to concentrate on her main area of study, human resources.
The curriculum introduced by the CBA revealed the various levels and studies of the human resources field. Guided by Dr. Patti Meglich and the other faculty, it provided a deeper understanding overall and exposure to certain aspects she was unaware of.
“All the classes are very beneficial. I currently have an HR internship and I use a lot of the knowledge I’ve gained in those classes in my internship. It helped a lot to show me the essentials of HR and give me what I needed to actually work.”
Morgan currently is a Talent Acquisition Intern at Valmont. Utilizing the CBA Career Fair, she made the initial connections to get her foot in the door knowing the company’s reputation. Originally, she started as an E-Learning Specialist Intern and moved forward after an HR position opened. With this change came an opportunity for growth.
This past February, Morgan co-created a program called The Valmont Challenge. Asked by a senior representative in Valmont’s HR department, her task was to figure out a way to connect internal senior leaders with local students. She designed an event that would team up company leadership with students and then participate in challenges allowing them to work together at the same level. These challenges were both grounded in case studies and actively entertaining to keep the energy up during that time. It was an overall success.
Morgan hopes to do these challenges twice a year. The first challenge included UNO, UNL, and Creighton students. Morgan is still working through the details of how to define the challenge which could be anything from opening the event up to other universities such as Metro or to invite just honors students participate, like the CBA Scholars Academy.
On the topic of the Scholars Academy, Morgan is very honored to be part of the organization. The academy has had a beneficial effect on her education and time at UNO. The most impactful components of the program are the mentors. Each year the students are assigned a local professional that aligns with their concentration as a mentor who helps expose them to what it is like working in that field. These mentors can be carried over from year to year or changed based on the preference of the student.
Morgan’s mentor is Laurel Raymond, who she met that fateful day in high school. Laurel was the driving influence in Morgan’s interest in HR. “Which has been cool to come full circle,” Morgan says. Laurel works for CDW as an HR business partner dealing with interpersonal relationships. Laurel’s guidance has offered useful tips such as how to have difficult conversations with employees, a skill Morgan says is incredibly useful and one she implemented in every part of her life.
Morgan anticipates the connections she made in the CBA will carry forward post-graduation. Working with faculty and staff such as Dr. Erin P-Miles, professor of management, and Laura Sansoni, Career Center Director, fostered relationships that Morgan feels comfortable to reach out to for advice as she enters the next stage of her life.
“The faculty and staff have done a wonderful job at making sure I have everything I need and I’m well prepared for things I’m going into whether that’s academically or career wise. My success is largely contributed to them.”
After graduation, Morgan will continue at Valmont taking over the internship program. She is already planning for the summer program. The goal of that specific program is to grow the incoming interns professionally in their careers and development. Additionally, it will familiarize them with the company as a whole which includes tours of facilities and career growth opportunities.
Morgan still has her eyes on the horizon for future education opportunities. She wants to continue her track in human resources by acquiring her SHRM/CP certification and PHR certification.
When asked for some good advice for the next generation of college students, she has this to say.
“Be organized,” she says with a smile. “Whatever that looks like for you. Secondly, spend time talking with faculty and staff. Build relationships with them as they provide a wealth of information beyond just academics.”