Meet Margo Berends. Margo, an Aurora, CO native, is a junior economics and political science major with minors in French and African Studies. While at first Margo looked into UNL because of the scholarship she was offered, she found that UNL offered her plenty of great opportunities as well as some of the nicest, most genuine people to make her feel at home. Since coming here, Margo has gotten extremely involved on campus, so I asked her to answer a few questions about her experiences here in Lincoln.
HC: You’re super involved around campus. What activities are you involved in?
I am on the CBA Student Advisory Board and the Honors Program Student Advisory Board. I am in Alpha Omicron Pi [AOII]. I am also an honors ambassador and I do research through the UCARE program. I also work for admissions giving campus tours to prospective students and I am an NSE orientation leader. I am also a Dance Marathon Family Representative and am involved with Greekside through Navigators.
HC: You’re the president of the CBA Student Advisory Board. What do you do?
The CBA Student Advisory Board as a whole works to communicate student concerns and needs to the administration of CBA. We also work to plan events and programs that will be beneficial to students both academically and professionally. We try to create a greater sense of community in the college. As president of the board I lead our weekly meetings, delegate tasks to our committees and members, and help with selection of new members for the board. Basically I figure out what it will take to turn our ideas into actions and then help the board create and follow a plan to make those ideas a reality. I also spend a lot of time emailing the administration of CBA and our members.
HC: What made you want to be so involved?
I have always liked being busy. In high school I played two varsity sports and playing in the school orchestra and in the orchestra pit for the musicals. When I came to college I didn’t continue those activities, so I looked for new ways to get involved. Also, being an out of state student, I really wanted to meet more people and I realized getting involved with activities I was passionate about would be a great way to meet new people and make friends.
HC: How has being involved in these activities and organizations impacted your experience here at UNL?
These activities and organizations have made my experience at UNL amazing. I cannot imagine my life here at UNL without being a part of these groups. I have made so many friends through AOII and working as a NSE leader. These organizations have given me so many amazing opportunities and made college so much more fun!
HC: How do you balance extracurriculars with schoolwork?
I have really good time management skills. I write absolutely everything down in my planner and I never let myself fall behind on my schoolwork. I make sure I stay on top of my homework so I have time for everything that I am involved with. I prioritize based on when things or do or when events for my organizations are coming up.
HC: Okay, last question. What is your favorite part about UNL/Lincoln?
This is such a hard question because I have so many favorite parts! I guess I would say that my favorite part of UNL is definitely the people. I am a people person; I love interacting with others and hate being alone so I really love having so many awesome, diverse, friends that are doing amazing things. I also really love how many opportunities there are here at UNL for students to do anything they want!