The University of Arkansas at Little Rock College of Business has named its 2014-15 College of Business Ambassadors following a highly selective process.

Ambassadors, which serves as the honors program within the College of Business, represent the college’s top students.

Ambassadors are connected with area business leaders and provided networking opportunities. They also receive resume assistance and interview coaching to prepare to enter the job market.

Those selected as ambassadors enroll in additional coursework, tour diverse central Arkansas work sites, and represent the college at special events, on and off campus.

Students are nominated by College of Business faculty and are then evaluated by Dr. Jane Wayland, the Stephen Harrow Smith Dean of College of Business, and Dr. John Hall, associate dean for undergraduate studies.

This year’s group includes eight students from varied backgrounds:

• KenDrell Collins, an economics major from Osceola, is pursuing minors in writing and Spanish. He plans to attend law school upon completion of his undergraduate degree. He credits an economics reading group led by Dr. Richard Ford with his choice to major in the College of Business. This summer, Collins helped prepare a report for the National Whistleblowers Center in Washington, D.C., that was presented to members of Congress. He currently serves as executive editor of the UALR student newspaper, The Forum, and volunteers to help students at Franklin Elementary learn English, among other activities.

• Brittany Connell, a native of Jacksonville, found a home in the COB by looking for a major that combined her analytical skills with people interests. She found it in business finance, stating it was “the best choice I’ve ever made.” She is particularly interested in project management, always looking for new experiences. Over the summer she held an internship with First Security Bank that enabled her to see how a bank works from the teller position to managerial situations. Connell describes the internship as “a great experience.” A resident assistant for UALR Housing and very involved in campus life, Connell also serves in the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps, which gives her opportunities to participate in Boo at the Zoo, the Boys and Girls Club, and other community service activities.

• Jia Deng, originally from NanNing, China, is a management information system major. His special interests are to connect the U.S. to the Chinese market and the game development world, past and present. Deng recently held an internship with Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield in which his team worked with vendors and multiple departments. He volunteers with a local Chinese church.

• Brandi Glover is a marketing major who calls Omaha, Neb., home. She decided on the College of Business because commerce of all sorts has always intrigued her. She is especially interested in advertising and public relations or “how you can bring a business to life through many forms of media.” Glover notes, “I also really enjoy learning about sales. Even if you are not going to be a salesperson as a career, at some point, it’s something everyone does whether they’re selling a product or trying to sell their services.” She is a longtime soccer player – 14 years – and loves travel, an activity she plans to continue in future.

• Dreykus Lowe, a Little Rock native and a finance major, says that the café in the Reynolds Building atrium first attracted his attention to the College of Business. Since then he’s developed an appreciation for the faculty, whom he describes as “great teachers. It’s clear the students are their number one priority.” Lowe describes his particular interest in finance as risk management, saying, ‘We make financial decisions almost every day of our lives, whether we know it or not. I like to see choices pay off, and if not, where I made my mistake and how I can improve.” Lowe frequents the gym and is an American Red Cross blood donor.

• Mario Montenegro, a finance major originally from Dallas, explains his interest in business as, “something that will always keep you thinking. Business doesn’t play favorites; you either work hard and excel or slack off and watch everyone else pass you by.” He headed Project Earth for the First Year Experience group at UALR, helping to raise awareness on recycling and healthy lifestyles; the group also raised money for Children International. Montenegro runs marathons, and as the parent of a young son, keeps busy chasing a toddler as well.

• Khusboo Patel, an accounting major from Little Rock, loved mathematics in high school and chose accounting on that basis. She is especially interested in the ways accounts of partnerships and corporations are handled. Other academic interests include economics and quantitative analysis. Patel is a basketball player, a runner, and enjoys yoga.

• Qingyun Scarbrough, an accounting major from Hunan, China, worked in a global trading company for several years before coming to the United States. She chose the accounting major at the College of Business because she believed it would be the most versatile training in the long run. Scarbrough currently holds an internship at Cheyenne Industries, an import company. A member of the American Red Cross, she also volunteers at Saline Memorial Hospital.

The UALR College of Business is accredited by the AACSB International (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top undergraduate schools of business.

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