Beate Naglestad: Outstanding Graduating International Student 

Beate Naglestad, of Oppegård, Norway, is the Outstanding Graduating International Student in the Maine Business School. 

Naglestad is majoring in business administration in management, with a minor in international affairs with a focus on international security.  

Cite your top three academic scholarships, achievements and awards: Academic Achievement in Management award, Outstanding Student Athlete in Business award, Outstanding Graduating International Student in the Maine Business School. 

Beyond academics, what extracurricular activities occupied your time? 
I was a part of the UMaine women’s soccer team throughout my four years (being team captain my senior year), and I served as a team representative for two and a half years in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), in addition to being an officer of the Beta Gamma Sigma chapter here on campus.

What are your plans after graduation? 
With these uncertain times, I still do not know 100% what I will be doing. Hopefully, I will be working in the U.S. for a year using the Optional Practical Training program, but if that does not work out, I have applied to take a Master at the University of Oslo in Organization, Leadership, and Employment.

What difference has UMaine made in your life and in helping you reach your goals? 
UMaine has opened up a number of opportunities for me, by first of all giving me the opportunity to move across the world and connect with people I would otherwise never have met. The soccer program has given me a family away from home and an arena to focus on something completely different in the busy everyday life as a college student. Academically, UMaine has offered tons of classes that interested me and made it possible for me to pick and choose areas that I wanted to dig deeper into and understand better. The different professors I have had throughout my years here have been super helpful and have also been interested in my life outside of just being one of their students, which to me, has been valuable. They have come to my games and been interested in learning more about my background and life at home in Norway. They want you to succeed and will help you find a way for you to achieve what you set your mind to.

Have you had an experience at UMaine that has changed or shaped the way you see the world?
The last semester of my senior year, I took the interconnected course “Camden Conference,” which is offered to students in multiple fields or majors, creating an environment of mixed backgrounds, specialties and perspectives. We then went to Camden, Maine, for the annual conference hosted there, a conference covering current topics that change every year, as they bring in speakers from all over the world to talk about the topic for an entire weekend. The Camden Conference class is built up to be a reflection of the current world, rather than based on a textbook, which definitely makes you open your eyes and question what is actually going on around you.

Why UMaine?
I chose UMaine because it felt like a small community offering a safe space. The people working here seemed to have your best interest at heart, and it seemed like a place giving their students the ability to succeed. It also reminded me of home, which is a good thing when you move across the world.

How would you define the opportunities for student success at UMaine? Is there any particular initiative, program or set of resources that helped you succeed?
I think the opportunities for student success at UMaine are great. They are as big as you want them to be. There are so many helpful resources and services offered to the students, so if you want to succeed, you can definitely achieve your goals at UMaine. Throughout my four years here, I visited the Career Center, I reached out to professors and created connections, I used my academic counselors for everything they are worth, and I took advantage of office hours whenever I had any questions.  

Have you worked closely with a professor or mentor who made your UMaine experience better?
Throughout my four years at UMaine, two professors stood out to me and helped me reach my goals and understand where I wanted to go in life, as well as took their time to connect with me in meaningful ways. Stefano Tijerina in the Maine Business School opened my eyes to the world and made me think deeply. By connecting with him, I received valuable advice and guidance that I will take with me after college. Stephanie Welcomer, also in the MBS, is another professor I truly enjoyed being around. Her genuine interest in her students’ lives and her frequent follow-ups created a place for myself to air my ideas and thoughts, and receive helpful feedback and motivation to reach even higher.

What advice do you have for incoming students to help them get off to the best start academically? 
My biggest advice for incoming students to get the best start academically is to be organized and disciplined. Know what you have to do, write down your plan and stick with it. By having a plan, I find myself being so much more productive. My other advice would be to reach out to your professors and ask for help, even though it might be the simplest little question. By doing that, you slowly create connections that will help you later.

Contact: Margaret Nagle, 207.581.3745