Sports may have driven December graduating senior Emily Carlson to transfer to UNK, but her time here has been more than enjoyable.

“I have met a lot of my lifelong friends while at UNK,” she says.

Carlson grew up in Orleans and attended Southern Valley Jr.- Sr. High School. There, she was always busy with extracurricular activities and sports.

“Sports have always been a major part of my life.”

Carlson says it was her passion for sports that led her to UNK. Now, she is excited and ready for her next adventure.

After spending one year at UNL studying meteorology, Carlson found herself missing the sports environment she grew up around.
 
She transferred to UNK, changed her major to sports management and says she’s been happy ever since.

At UNK, it never felt like I was just another student. It really felt like my participation and contribution mattered.”   -Emily Carlson
 
Carlson says she is extremely excited to be graduating this semester.  With the support from her family, Carlson says she is more than ready to make them proud.

“It might be bittersweet after a few months, but for right now I’m excited to have a break from school,” says Carlson.
And a break is exactly what she needs.

While attending UNK, Carlson has paid for her schooling by herself. She knew once she moved to Kearney she would need to get a job.

She turned 19, and right away started applying for jobs and began working at Target the week after she moved.
 
At the conclusion of her sophomore year, Carlson decided to get another job for the summer, while keeping her almost full-time position at Target.

“I worked days at Target, and I would waitress at Cunningham’s Journal, a bar and restaurant at night.”

After the hot summer days came to an end, Carlson wasn’t ready to quit either of her jobs.

She continued to work both jobs while being a full-time student at UNK.

Her hours and workload began to increase, but it wasn’t anything she couldn’t handle at the time.

“I worked between 50-60 hours a week at both jobs. I continued to do this for a couple of more years, each year adding more hours at both places.”

Eventually Carlson had reached nearly 75 hours between both jobs and was ready to cut back a bit to enjoy her final semester.
She recently ended her time at Target where she had worked up to Cash Office and even Front End Supervisor. Currently Carlson still works at Cunningham’s Journal where she bartends and serves.

Working hard is just part of being herself. “Just from how my personality is, even if I didn’t need a job, I would continue to work. It’s just how I am,” says Carlson.

While working two jobs and having classes, Carlson says she learned how to manage her time extremely well.
 
“Was I exhausted a majority of the time? You bet! But I knew I was working toward my end goal, which was graduating.”
Carlson jokes about the library not being open after she gets done bartending at 2 a.m. “My dining room table or Baristas is where all of my homework gets done,” says Carlson.

Carlson says not having time to enjoy hobbies was one of the hardest parts of being so busy during college. “I love to paint and draw, and I never had time for that anymore.”

The constant stress and heavy workload were also a challenge for Carlson at times. But she says she personally thrives off it at times, so it was never too horrific.

If Carlson could have done anything differently, she would have quit her day job a little sooner. “Having one job right now has been a blessing.”

If she could give any advice to underclassman it would be: “Always keep the end picture in mind. Sometimes we fail but that’s when we learn how to succeed.”

Carlson also would always encourage any college student to find a balance.

“Learn how to spend your time wisely. Life is all about balance, and too much of anything can be detrimental.”

Carlson is definitely in need of a little break but after graduation she plans to return to UNK to complete her Master of Business Administration next summer.