New grad looks forward to giving back to UNO

New graduate is looking forward to giving back to UNO because of all it’s given to her.

New grad looks forward to giving back to UNO

Baxter Arena was the last place Ashley Spurlock sat as a University of Nebraska at Omaha undergraduate student. It is where she walked across the stage and where she received her diploma. It is also the place where she had some of her most memorable college experiences.

“I have some pretty fond memories going through the four years at UNO of all the home hockey games. Seeing it transition from the Century Link to Baxter Arena has been phenomenal,” Spurlock said. “And then especially hockey, going to the Frozen Four, being with all the students cheering them on has just been great memories going through college.”

The Omaha native was very active within the university’s campus community. She served as a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America, as a member of Omicron Delta Kappa honors society and as a resident assistant with university housing.

Besides those activities, Spurlock acted as a university ambassador and as an orientation leader. Through these positions, she helped new students get acquainted with UNO and the new college environment.

“I really enjoyed doing that,” she said. “I was able to brag about the things that UNO helped me with and cater that to new students to help put them at ease with this new transition they were entering into.”

In May, Spurlock earned her bachelor of science in business administration with a concentration in management and a second concentration in entrepreneurship and innovation. She attributes a lot of her college success to the opportunities and facilities UNO offers.

“The facilities at UNO are great, from HPER to Criss Library to Mammel Hall, there are so many study areas, cafés for study breaks and technology resources available. Everything UNO offers is conducive to a student learning environment.”

She especially enjoyed her time in Mammel Hall, the home of UNO’s College of Business Administration, where she worked on group projects, took advantage of new technology and interacted with her peers. She said she loved both the social aspect of the building and the atmosphere of research and study.

“I want to thank all those that contribute to the University of Nebraska, especially at UNO,” she said. “They’ve made my time so much easier.”

Spurlock’s academic career was aided by scholarships. One day, she hopes to be able to return the favor by supporting UNO and future students.

“I look forward to my full-time career coming up and being able to then give back to UNO specifically because they’ve given so much to me.”

Spurlock has a passion for business management and hospitality. She plans to enter into work in either field.

“I’m really excited for my future,” she said. “I feel UNO has really prepared me for the real world, for a career.”

Ashley is just one example of how the University of Nebraska’s Our Students, Our Future fundraising initiative will help make better futures for us all. The two-year, $200 million initiative runs through 2017. If you would like to help promising students like her, please contact the University of Nebraska Foundation at 800-432-3216.

This story was written by foundation intern Madison Wurtele, who is studying journalism, English and political science at UNL.

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