Following is a Q&A with one of the 1,379 students who received a diploma May 5 at UW-Stout.
Name: Nick Super
Hometown: New Brighton, Minn.
Major: Business administration, minor economics
Awards, honors: Chancellor’s Award
Why did you choose UW-Stout? Its incredible industry-driven, hands-on programming. I’ll never forget sitting down with the admissions representative on my tour and being so excited by all the opportunities Stout offered me. My program was focused on getting the skills I needed to be a great manager in the field, and I had industry professionals teaching me. Being able to do that in a hands-on environment made it that much better. I knew without a doubt that Stout was for me.
What are the biggest obstacles you faced in earning your degree? It was a traumatic brain Injury the end of my freshman year. I ended up having to drop a semester to recover, and when I was able to come back my learning style was completely different. After being out of school for nine months and being injured for seven of them, transitioning back to Stout while rediscovering how I learned was a significant challenge. Stout had services on campus that helped my transition, and I am confident that because of the support Stout gave me I was able to come back better and more motivated than ever.
What stands out among your college experiences? I started college with a goal of pairing my education with real world experiences. Stout helped me to accomplish that goal. I participated in four co-ops in two states with three companies. Three co-ops were in different industries and helped me narrow down what I wanted my full-time position to look like. One of my co-ops paid me to travel the country; it was phenomenal. On top of that, I had the opportunity to travel to China with the Operations Management group for a study abroad experience, learning about Chinese manufacturing and operations techniques. That trip was something I will never forget, and it helped me to become an even better student.
What’s next? I accepted a position with Target Corporation as an operations manager for their distribution network. I’ll be managing a team of 25 to 30 people in the outbound department making sure all our products get to the stores on time. Although this position wasn’t one of my co-ops, I did spend two summers with Target. Through my other experiences, I found this type of role to be one I am passionate about, and it’s a good fit for me. I am beyond excited to put my Stout skills to work with such a great company.
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