Via Zoom screen, Meghan recounts her academic career from Pamplona, Spain. She is on a study abroad trip, one that has been a few years in the making. From switching majors after her freshman year of college, to Covid sending her back to Nebraska, to an ambitious outlook after graduation, Meghan is keeping an open mind about her future.
Meghan Thies is a native Nebraskan from the college town of Hastings. Having graduated from St. Cecilia, she spent her freshman year at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in Engineering. After realizing that school of study was not what she was looking for, she headed to South Florida University to study business.
While in Florida, Meghan interned with the American Red Cross of Fort Lauderdale in the volunteer services department. Her internship consisted of reviewing volunteer applications, placing said volunteers into service, and recruiting in the local community. Her supervisor, Ashley Cevere, offered a guiding hand and ignited an interest in Human Resources.
It was the interaction with people and building relationships that drove the organization. “It was inspiring to me how people can work together to achieve so much,” Meghan recalls. “We can organize groups of people to achieve big things.” As Covid overtook the nation, Meghan decided to return to Nebraska to continue to study business.
With that attention on business and a taste of human resource management, Meghan looked to local colleges with programs that fit her new interest. The University of Nebraska at Omaha offered an attractive business program and the HR concentration that was a natural fit. After spending a year online, she is now finishing her degree in-person.
Meghan includes the support of the faculty of the College of Business Administration in her success as a student. “The faculty are really great. I’ve always had professors who were interested in talking to you as a student.” The availability of the professors fosters a deep relationship with students who can ask questions beyond what is required in the homework, providing an insight and robust experience for the individual.
Meghan is currently studying abroad in Spain. A passion from the beginning of her college career, she finally had an opportunity to travel and immerse herself in the Spanish language and culture of the country. The experience provides lasting memories, such as a trip to Valencia where the city hosts the Fallas Festival. Las Fallas, as it is called, is a 19-day-long festival where artisans build giant papier-mâché puppets to parade through the streets. On the last day of Las Fallas, called La Crema, the city burns these structures in celebration.
When asked what some good advice is to give to incoming freshman, Meghan shares that figuring out what you want to do and being ok with change were some of the hardest challenges she had to overcome.
“When you’re younger, it’s very normal to graduate high school and go to college, which is what I did, but even then, there’s so many experiences you haven’t had yet or pathways you haven’t explored. As you learn more about new things, maybe what you want to do changes. It’s ok to deviate from the ‘4-year plan’ to find your passion. Be open minded and find out what you care about.”
After graduation, Meghan plans on attending law school at UNL, getting a dual degree with a Master of Business Administration and a Juris Doctor.