Scholars Academy: Lauren O’Malley

The University of Nebraska at Omaha 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 degree.

Throughout the four years in the program, Scholars are mentored by business professionals in the Omaha community, enroll in special business courses taught by award-winning faculty, and gain real-world experience through community engagement and international travel.

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

Meet Lauren O’Malley, of Omaha, Nebraska, a member of the 2016 Cohort.

Why did you choose UNO?

I chose UNO because I love the city of Omaha and all it has to offer. Mammel Hall and the UNO College of Business Administration played a prominent role in why I chose UNO specifically. I'm really excited about the program and all of the opportunities available to me. Plus, the apartment-style dorms won me over right away, and I can't wait to move on campus this fall.

Why did you choose business as a major?

I always knew I wanted to major in business, and I've been passionate about it my whole life. Throughout my involvement in DECA and business classes at my school, I've experienced business in a more "real world" aspect and truly see it as the best fit for my major and career choice. A major in business is very versatile and can be used in a variety of fields, which I particularly enjoy.

What business concentration are you planning to pursue? Why?

I truthfully enjoy many different avenues of business, but I plan to pursue business finance and marketing. I like the financial and numbers aspect of finance and enjoy solving problems and finding solutions. However, I want to also get a concentration in marketing because I like the creative side of business. My final DECA project was a franchise business plan, which heavily involved both finance and marketing. I had to be financially minded in planning and analyzing but also creative in executing my proposed business plan while marketing it to potential investors. This project further confirmed my passion for both sides of business, and I plan to have a career that involves both.

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

I'm stoked to be part of the Scholars Academy and to participate in all the opportunities available to us. On Interview Day, last year’s Scholars talked about going to schools and teaching young students about finance. I instantly wanted to be part of the Scholars Academy even more because of how much I enjoy being with and teaching kids. Being able to teach kids the tools and information that can help them be financially more aware and stable in the future would be extremely rewarding, and I hope we get the opportunity to do that this year.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I love to spend time with my friends and family. My friends and I have a blast no matter what we do, and I wouldn't be where I am without them. My favorite thing to do with my parents is watch sports. I'm an avid New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox fan, and I follow both their seasons closely. My family and I try to attend as many of their games as we can each year, and it’s always a great time traveling to see them. In 2013, we went to St. Louis to see the Red Sox play the Cardinals in Game 3 of the World Series. It was an amazing experience I will never forget. Although the Red Sox lost the game, they won the series, and I couldn't have been more excited.

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

One thing people don't often know about me is that I have an older sister. She is six years older than me and lives in North Carolina. When I started seventh grade, she moved to Texas for college and fell in love with it. She lived in Dallas after graduating from TCU and now lives in Charlotte. Because she is so busy with work, she usually can fly home only a couple times a year, so I don't get to see her as much as I would like. People who didn't know me before seventh grade think I am an only child and don't usually believe I actually have a sister. Whenever she comes to visit, we have a lot of fun spending time together, and my peers are amazed to see my long-lost sister is very much real.