65 Husker students earn certificate in sales excellence

Sixty-five University of Nebraska–Lincoln students have earned undergraduate certificates in sales excellence and were honored at a May 2 luncheon hosted by the Center for Sales Excellence.

The students completed 15 credit hours of sales coursework that sharpened communication and relationship-building skills. Students can opt to take another three credit hours to earn an advanced certificate.

“The Center for Sales Excellence provided me with real-world experience that goes beyond the classroom,” said Christopher Vasvery, a senior management and marketing major from Lemont, Illinois. “Through hands-on projects and professional mentorship, I developed practical skills in communication, negotiation and problem-solving that have prepared me for success after graduation.”

Open to all majors, the program draws students from across the university.

“We take great pride in the fact that the center works with students of any major at the university, because we all sell something,” said Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean and professor of finance in the College of Business. “Whether it’s selling our skills to a future employer, selling in our jobs or simply selling our ideas to others, sales skills are valuable. These students have a competitive edge in the job market.”

State-of-the-art technology within role-play rooms in the Center for Sales Excellence allows students to practice pitching and receive real-time feedback on their techniques, honing communication and selling capabilities. Students also participate in regional and national role-play competitions.

“Each of our classes provides hands-on learning experiences,” said Ravi Sohi, professor of marketing, Robert D. Hays Distinguished Chair of Sales Excellence and executive director of the Center for Sales Excellence. “Some of these experiences include role-plays, actual sales assignments with target quotas and networking. Through our employer partnerships, we also provide students with access to the sales platforms they will use on the job, such as Salesforce, a cloud-based customer relationship management software, and xiQ, an AI software platform.” 

Sara Montalbano, a senior marketing major from Parkville, Missouri, said the center helped her secure a summer internship.

“Whether getting hands-on experience with software like Salesforce or role-playing real-life sales scenarios, the Center for Sales Excellence has given me countless unique learning opportunities I will apply to my future career,” she said. “Prospective employers for my summer internship loved hearing about the skills and experiences gained through this program, and I accepted a sales internship with Mondelēz International, one of the world’s largest snack companies.”

Sohi said more than 95% of sales excellence students have job offers upon graduation. Companies that have recently hired sales students include Dell, Deloitte, Gallup, Hubspot, Mutual of Omaha, NRC Health, Oracle, Sandhills Global, Union Pacific and the Walt Disney Company.

“Companies are pleased with the people they hire from our program and come back for more,” Sohi said. “It’s the highest compliment. They realize our students have the skills to succeed and are likely to stay longer in sales roles because they want to be in sales.”

The Center for Sales Excellence has awarded more than 425 certificates and 120 advanced certificates since its founding in 2013, and Nebraska has been named a “Top University for Professional Sales Education” by the Sales Education Foundation each year since 2014.

“Students receiving their certificates today are now our ambassadors to show others around campus and in the workforce what you can do with a certificate in sales excellence,” Sohi said. “I know these graduating students will do their best and utilize what they’ve learned. I encourage them to stay engaged with the program.”

Following is a list of students who have earned a certificate in sales excellence, listed alphabetically by hometown, with their year in school and major(s). Students who earned an advanced certificate are denoted in parentheses.

Nebraska

Bennington:

• Evan Tomlinson, junior, marketing 

Central City:

• Jade Erickson, senior, management 

Columbus:

• Brandon Urkoski, junior, marketing 

Doniphan:

• Hannah Fjeldheim, senior, marketing 

Elkhorn:

• Kylie Eads, junior, management and marketing
• Benjamin Hastreiter, senior, marketing
• Ella Hazen, junior, management and marketing
• Reagan Moritz, senior, marketing 

Gretna:

• Jake Kozak, junior, finance
• Dane Westengaard, senior, marketing 

Hayes Center:

• Karlie Erickson, senior, communication studies 

Hickman:

• Taylor McMurray, senior, finance 

Lincoln:

• Jon Canaday, senior, management
• Brayden McPhail, senior, accounting and finance
• Amani Mfinanga, senior, finance
• Makenna Stanton, senior, management
• Avery Stege, senior, finance
• Joe Sutko, junior, marketing
• Tyler Vander Woude, senior, management and marketing 

Omaha:

• Ellie Anglim, junior, business administration
• Devyn Carmichael, senior, marketing
• Jack Connealy, senior, accounting and marketing
• Caroline Dubisar, junior, marketing
• Joseph Falk, senior, finance
• David Goldsmith, senior, finance
• Maris Grabill, senior, management and marketing
• Simon Hanus, senior, finance
• Sydney Moore, junior, management and marketing
• Logan Nelson, senior, marketing (advanced certificate)
• Drew Shafer, senior, finance and marketing (advanced certificate)
• Amanda Smolsky, senior, marketing (advanced certificate)

Papillion:

• TJ Stanek, senior, marketing 

Plattsmouth:

• Taylor McClatchey, senior, finance 

Valley:

• Audrey Frohloff, senior, management and marketing
• Ryan Zavadil, senior, finance 

Waterloo:

• MacKenzie Wheatley, senior, marketing 

Elsewhere in the U.S.

Windsor, Colorado:

• Maren Tuell, senior, marketing 

Chicago, Illinois:

• Ty Demand, junior, finance and marketing
• Benjamin Penner, junior, finance 

Elburn, Illinois:

• Morgan Phillipp, senior, marketing 

Geneva, Illinois:

• Celia Owen, senior, marketing 

Grayslake, Illinois:

• Owen Miller, sophomore, marketing 

Lake Zurich, Illinois:

• Taggart Niepomnik, junior, finance 

Lemont, Illinois:

• Christopher Vasvery, senior, management and marketing (advanced certificate)

Northbrook, Illinois:

• Keaton Anderson, junior, marketing 

Wheaton, Illinois:

• Paige Leonard, junior, marketing 

Brownsburg, Indiana:

• Brynna Baker, senior, nutritional science and dietetics 

Earling, Iowa:

• Savanna Musich, senior, communication studies 

Hays, Kansas:

• Madelyn Martin, senior, marketing 

Leawood, Kansas:

• Chase Davids, senior, marketing
• Andy Simeroth, senior, business administration 

Salina, Kansas:

• Reed McHenry, senior, marketing (Raikes School) 

Cottage Grove, Minnesota:

• Mara McGuire, senior, marketing 

Minnetonka, Minnesota:

• Chase Banken, senior, marketing (advanced certificate); Ashley Haan, senior, marketing 

Victoria, Minnesota:

• Kaylee Wanless, senior, marketing 

Wayzata, Minnesota:

• Ryan Leary, senior, agribusiness 

Woodbury, Minnesota:

• Daniel Koland, senior, economics
• Allison Larsen, junior, management and marketing 

Parkville, Missouri:

• Sara Montalbano, senior, marketing 

Richmond, Missouri:

• Madison Teschner, senior, marketing 

North Sioux City, South Dakota:

• Mia Conley, senior, marketing 

Sioux Falls, South Dakota:

• Sabren Bortnem, senior, marketing
• Anna Engels, junior, advertising and public relations
• Matthew Haar, senior, marketing