Deciding your entire future – your major, your college, your career – at 18 years old is no easy feat. Despite societal pressure to have it all figured out right out of high school, Nola Voskuil ’26 reminds us how important it is to take the time you need to find your own path – and all of the wonderful opportunities that can arise from having the courage to do what is right for you.
When Nola was a high school senior looking at colleges, she was looking for two things: a college where she would be taught by professors instead of teaching assistants, and a strong healthcare curriculum. Growing up surrounded by family who serve in higher education, their wisdom was never lost on her. “I knew I wanted to go somewhere I was valued and seen by my professors,” she says. “It was always something that was emphasized to me growing up – that I should go somewhere where I would never have someone teach me who wasn’t my actual professor.” Nola visited Valpo’s campus twice, found what she was looking for, and enrolled in our exercise science program in 2022.
As her freshman year continued on, Nola found herself struggling to feel empassioned and engaged in what she was learning. It’s a feeling many college students wrangled with: is this really the future I want? Wisely, Nola decided to take some time away from her studies to figure out what profession she was truly drawn to. “I knew I needed to take a step back, so I went back home [to Holland, Michigan,] in the fall [of 2023] and took some general education requirements at Aquinas College,” Nola shares. It was during that time that her interest in business sparked. She began taking exploratory courses – a decision that ultimately led her back to Valpo in 2024. She reapplied, open about the academic struggles she had faced earlier her college career, and was met with open arms.
“When I was talking to the College of Business about coming back, they were so welcoming and accepting of everything I went through during my freshman year… They took a very holistic approach to my overall success. So what if I hadn’t done well my first year – that wasn’t all they looked at. You’re not your GPA, and you don’t have to have a 4.0 GPA to be a good student,” Nola says. “That sentiment was very powerful to me. And I knew that’s where I wanted to be.”
Since her return, Nola has flourished on our campus. She’s forged lifelong friendships, gained resume-buffing leadership opportunities, and excelled with confidence in her studies. Through our Business Core – a college-wide curriculum designed to give all business students a strong foundation in multiple areas of the field – Nola narrowed down her career focus: business management, with a focus on human resources. “I always knew that I wanted to be a leader. I think my sisters would say I’m bossy,” Nola jokes, “I’ve always felt drawn to being the kind of leader who can speak up for others who don’t have a seat at the table for decision-making, and to have an impact that directly benefits my organization, company, or college. Management seemed like an obvious choice for me.”
With core classes like accounting, supply chain management, and business ethics under her belt, Nola was prepared to take the real-world knowledge she gained from the classroom and apply them to her dream internship at Haworth – a renowned office supply company with deep roots back home in Holland. “Getting my internship at Haworth was kind of the luck of the draw for me… It’s a big company,” Nola says. (There’s a decent chance your office chair, cubicle, or desk is Haworth-made!) “I wasn’t passionate about office furniture,” she continues with a smile, “but a lot of Haworth’s company values… Those resonated deeply with me. They always say that they’re working to make the world a better place and, after taking my business ethics class, I really want to align with what my company is doing in the world. I feel very lucky to have already worked with a company that really values me. They value what I have to say. And I’m really grateful for that.”
As a Human Resources Culture of Belonging Intern, Nola has gotten a firsthand look at the inner workings of a global corporation – a structure that’s surprisingly similar to leadership in Valpo’s panhellenic organizations, with which Nola has plenty of experience. “[Haworth’s] HR department has about 100 people – a big department for a big company. I work with them, of course, but I also get to work with tons of different departments, which is super awesome,” Nola says. Her duties – looking into labor laws, filing compliance reports, assessing support plans – have even brought her onto the floor of Haworth’s manufacturing plants. “It’s been a very insightful and powerful experience for me. When you’re in HR and you’re looking at a plant and the people working in it and trying to understand the support they need, [actually being there] is how you make sure you’re accessing everything well.”
Combined with Nola’s time at Haworth, her experiences on the executive boards of her sorority, Chi Omega, and Valpo’s Panhellenic Council solidified her future aspirations to give others a voice as a strong, supportive leader. The skills she gained in her sorority transferred directly into her internship – and even came up during her interview. “The reason I love being in HR is because I love being able to work directly with people. I get to help people directly. HR touches every single aspect of a company,” she explains. “If you’re going into HR, go into it with the purpose of helping people and you will feel very fulfilled. With every interaction you have, lead with empathy. Any business, any organization, can always have more empathy.”
Looking at how far she has come, Nola would like to give a special shoutout to her lifelong friend who came to Valpo with her, Sam Starkenburg ’26; her sister, Marcie Voskuil ‘29, now in her first year at Valpo; her close friends Jessie Presta ‘26 and Teresa Antoon ‘26; her father, Karsten Voskuil, who works at a Lutheran church and helped lead her to Valpo; and former interim president of Hope College Dennis Voskuil (affectionately known as ‘grampie’) whose lessons in the power of education, leadership, and a welcoming faith brought her great comfort and joy.
If you’re inspired by Nola, we are, too! Explore your future as an empathetic, people-oriented leader in the College of Business at valpo.edu/college-of-business.
