My FBLA-PBL journey started my freshman year of high school, with some encouragement from my life-long friend, Michaela Mapes, and Information Technology teacher, Sydney Kobza, who is now an FBLA State Advisor. Throughout high school, I was able to step up and take on local leadership roles for my chapter, including President. Being able to collaborate with a different leadership team each year, and meeting new people on both the local and state levels, pushed me to stick with the organization upon transitioning to college.

Joining PBL at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Not only did I get to solidify my relationship with Michaela, but I also made a vital connection with Allison Schlender, who was a senior during my freshman year. At the time, I did not know that Allison would become such an integral part of my professional career, but now, three years later, she is one of my closest colleagues.

Last year, when I was applying for various actuarial internships, I reached out to Allison to ask for any advice she had about the job-search process and how to stick out as more than just an actuary. She was able to look over my resume and provided recommendations on how to make my application more appealing, both visually and content-wise. In addition to fine-tuning my resume, Allison even put in a good word for me at her place of work, where I eventually ended up interning.

During my summer internship experience at Lincoln Financial Group, my connection with Allison grew even stronger. Each day we would meet to discuss my work, and she would answer any questions I had about the company or life after college. Her knowledge and experience were invaluable and helped me thrive in the workplace, resulting in a full-time offer from LFG.

Now, as a state officer, I can only hope to make the same impact Allison made on me with our current members.