Every college student has their own path, and a successful college career can be heavily measured by involvement in their major and the activities they get involved in on campus. For junior
Robert (Bob) Libal, who is majoring in both Healthcare Management and Finance with a minor in Human Resource Management, his involvement has positively shaped his college experience in numerous ways.
Being a Bulldog runs in the family for Bob. He mentions, “I am a second generation Bulldog, with both my parents and my sister attend UMD before me. I applied to many other schools, but always came back to UMD when I was making my decision.” For some students, having the ability to travel home to see family is really important and with Bob being from Two Harbors, attending UMD allows him to easily travel home to the city he grew up in.
Bob chose UMD’s Labovitz School of Business and Economics (LSBE) because of the healthcare program that’s offered. For him, “It is the main reason I applied into the business school.” Finding connections with peers and professors spurred Bob to declare his second major and a minor, and he’s enjoying taking courses to expand his educational opportunities.
Along with a successful experience in his studies through LSBE, Bob has become very active on his campus.Out of all the positions, Bob enjoys when he’s able to work with students and support them. He explains, “Currently, I am a substance abuse peer educator, a peer leader for UMD Seminar, a member of the student service fee committee, an event director for Startup Cup, and the secretary for the Student Healthcare Management Association.” For those who don’t know, the Startup Cup is an entrepreneurship competition formally known as Shark Tank. The competition allows judges to hear business pitches, ask questions, provide advice, and then judge the varying proposals. The winning idea/product wins a grand prize of money as well as other non-monetary prizes.
LSBE has opportunities for students to work during their academic studies, and Bob works as a student worker in the Dean’s Office of LSBE. His role is student assistant to the Department Specialist & MBA program coordinator, Department accountant, and Department HR/Payroll specialist. He mentions, “I know the relationships I have made allow me come to my job every day looking forward to the work. I also feel that my experience will help me in future endeavors being that I worked in many different capacities under multiple people.” Read More