Major: Political science
Hometown: Omaha, Nebraska
For Greg, being an effective leader is all about making connections.
As a William H. Thompson (WHT) Scholars mentor and professional staff member, staff assistant for the campus rec, intramural ref and — recently — as a legal translator for an Omaha law firm, Greg stretches his strengths by making connections across different organizations.
“I try and lead by bringing all my positions together," he said. "I think a big part of leadership is just about making connections. I get a great feeling from seeing our WHT Scholars around campus and going, ’Hey, there’s Greg!’”
A first-gen student, Greg came to UNL as a Susan T. Buffett Scholar who, when they arrival at UNL, become part of the WHT Learning Community that supports and connects these scholars from diverse backgrounds.
Greg began helping new scholars acclimate to UNL as a mentor his junior year.
“Mentors help you get adjusted to your first year, making sure they’re always a phone call or text away to answer questions. Also, the amazing professional support staff at WHT keep you on track with grades, host monthly meetings and organize social events.”
Now a senior, Greg has graduated to support staff at WHT, mentoring the mentors on how to facilitate and build outstanding scholars.
“We like to be engaged and hold scholars to a high standard — we want our scholars to have a sense of pride and feel like they have a whole team behind them,” he said.
WHT’s team mentality recently led Greg to an exceptional professional opportunity working as a legal translator at an Omaha law firm. In this role, Greg had responsibilities far beyond the purview of a traditional internship.
“I was sharing my interest in law with one of our pro staff, and she connected me with a firm in Omaha looking for a temporary translator,” Greg said.
Knowing his strengths as a communicator, this staff member vouched for Greg’s skillset and helped land him the job.
“It wasn’t something you’d find on LinkedIn or anything," he said, "it was just the personal connections and communication that got me there.”
