Enea Pashaj

Enea Pashaj
Meet Enea Pashaj

Pashaj welcome to succeed at Nebraska

May 3, 2019 | by Courtney Van Hoosen

Since he was young, Enea Pashaj had a dream of coming to the United States to complete his college degree. As the Albanian native receives his Bachelor’s degree in May 2019, he’s grateful the community at Nebraska has welcomed him to succeed.

Pashaj will earn his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration through the College of Business. He originally began his Husker journey as a business administration major, but after greatly enjoying his introductory accounting classes, Pashaj decided to switch his major to accounting.

"I enjoy accounting because it challenges me and I like paying close attention to details," said Pashaj. "Furthermore, it provides me the necessary knowledge to understand a business's financial conditions and use my problem-solving skills to solve any issues that occurred."

Although he initially became interested in attending Nebraska after his sister graduated from here, Pashaj is glad he came to UNL because of the variety of resources available to him as a student. In particular, the university's Career Services office provided him with a lot of support during the job search process, teaching him how to write a resume, putting a cover letter together, and preparing for job interviews.

Enea soccer award

One of Pashaj's proudest accomplishments from his undergraduate career comes from an on-campus job working in the multicultural community. Pashaj served as a Staff Assistant for the Campus Recreation Center's intramural sports department and worked closely with two other international students on his staff. From the moment they began their positions, the trio dedicated a lot of time and effort into the intramural soccer program. Their hard work paid off as they won the 2018 Favorite Intramural Sport, chosen by their fellow student peers.

"Working as a staff assistant and leading a group of officials three times a week helped me improve my leadership skills," explained Pashaj. "Working with people from different backgrounds and experiencing the diversity on campus also helped with my communication skills."

Enea in Chicago during break

Pashaj believes the diversity on campus and meeting other students from around the world was a unique experience for him that would have been difficult to find elsewhere. Making friendships with his peers has been crucially supportive for success in his future career, according to Pashaj. In fact, one of his favorite memories is a spring break trip to Chicago that Pashaj went on hosted by the New Student Enrollment International Programs. He enjoyed spending time with international and domestic friends, visiting local attractions, and eating deep-dish pizza.

In addition to the relationships he's made and the extra-curricular opportunities he's had, Pashaj feels the faculty and coursework at the university have played another significant role in his personal development. Pashaj says the faculty always answered his questions and every time he needed assistance, there was someone there to help. With the faculty's support to succeed and his hard work to study, Pashaj graduates after earning a spot on the College of Business Dean's List for three consecutive semesters. Beyond his increased accounting and business acumen, Pashaj is also grateful that his coursework taught him time management and teamwork skills that will be crucial in a future job.

The best thing about the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is its community. It’s very diverse and the people are very welcoming here.

Enea Pashaj
Albania

Though his undergraduate career is coming to a close, Pashaj is glad his time at Nebraska is not. In fall 2019, Pashaj will begin his Master's in Professional Accountancy at the College of Business with the ultimate goal to earn his Certified Public Account (CPA) license and work for one of the Big Four accounting firms. Excited to continue his education, Pashaj is also looking forward to serving as a graduate assistant for the next year with Professor Rob Simon and his Introduction to Marketing course.

"I've changed a lot since I first started here," said Pashaj. "I have improved my leadership skills, my communication skills, which I can't wait to take to my next job."

After graduation, Pashaj is eager to return home for the summer and spend time with family and friends in Albania. But when he comes back in the fall, Pashaj is ready to succeed again at Nebraska, this time as a graduate student.

Meet more international Huskers