Noah Henry Skrok

Michigan State University, Broad College of Business

 “Driven, enthusiastic, and courageous leader, chasing after his next opportunity to fail forward.”

Fun fact about yourself: I have seven siblings and four niblings (3 nieces and 1 nephew).

Hometown: Sterling Heights, Michigan

High School: Adlai E. Stevenson High School, Utica Community Schools, Sterling Heights, MI

Major:

• Bachelor of Arts in Finance, General, Eli Broad College of Business
• Bachelor of Arts in Political Theory and Constitutional Democracy, James Madison College

Minor:

• Minor in International Business, Eli Broad College of Business
• Minor in Economics, College of Social Science

Favorite Business Course: GBL 385: Business Law and Ethics

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

Extracurricular Activities/Leadership

Broad Student Senate

• President / President’s Council Lead (April 2019 – April 2020)
• 2020 MSU StudentLife Organization Achievement Leadership Silver Award Winner
• 2020 MSU StudentLife Outstanding Service Organization Leadership Silver Award Winner
• College Capital Committee Director
• Undergraduate Programs Committee Student Representative
• Events Committee Director
• Revenue Committee Member
• Marketing Committee Member

Spectrum Consulting Group Inc.

• Director of Finance & Legal
• Consultant
• Business Analyst

Russell Palmer Career Management Center

• Peer Career Coach
• BUS 102 Teaching Assistant
• BUS 491 Teaching Assistant

Associated Student of Michigan State University

• RSO Consultant
• Student Allocations Board Member

Delta Sigma Pi Professional Business Fraternity

• Fraternity Member

Delta Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity

• Vice President
• Fraternity Member

Community Service

• IVHQ International Volunteer – My volunteer experience took place in an orphanage located in Lima, Peru, as a part of the special needs/childcare program. During my two-week experience, I was given the chance to provide operational support to under-resourced childcare centers. I was also given the chance to develop my global awareness while opening the minds of the children I worked with to new cultures and possibilities.
• 2020 Spartan Volunteer Service Award: A Presidential Recognition – The Michigan State University Spartan Volunteer Service Award: A Presidential Recognition is the MSU Center for Community Engaged Learning’s most prestigious annual award. It is presented on behalf of the MSU President and aims to give recognition to an MSU student who participated in 100 or more hours of verified community-engaged learning or volunteering.

Awards/Recognitions

* Eli Broad College of Business Education Abroad Scholarship

* 2020 Spartan Volunteer Service Award: A Presidential Recognition

* Michigan Competitive Scholarship

* Dean’s List

Where have you interned during your college career?

• (Summer 2017) Accounting intern at Brooks Kushman P.C.; Southfield, Michigan
• (Summer 2018) Business Analyst at Mayco International; Sterling Heights, Michigan
• (Summer 2019) Accounts intern at LMP Education (Internship Abroad); London, United Kingdom
• (Summer 2020) Global Finance & Business Management Analyst at JPMorgan Chase & Co.; North America, United States

Where will you be working after graduation?  Undecided

What company do you admire most? I admire Tesla Inc. because of its self-imposed responsibility to better the environment and global community.

Who is your favorite professor? Professor Thomas Rimer has to be my favorite professor. He truly pushes every one of his students to reach their full potential. Professor Rimer’s enthusiasm always helped keep his lessons interesting and his students engaged. I enjoyed his class immensely, and he is one of the many reasons why I chose to major in the field of finance.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? One of the biggest lessons I learned from studying business is the importance of truly listening. It’s important to not focus on what you are going to say next, but digest what others are saying and reflect their thoughts back to them. I often recommend others to learn to be an active listener and to listen more than they speak. By doing so, you might be astonished by what you can learn about business and the world as a whole.

I specifically was able to practice this when I served as the President of the Broad Student Senate. While in this role I collaborated with my Executive Board to establish the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. This committee was tasked with increasing equity and inclusion within the Broad College by creating initiatives to celebrate different ethnicities while fostering space for discussions regarding race, gender, and ethnic inequality. Through these initiatives, we were able to guide the advancement of minority groups within our community and help advance our peers’ mutual understanding of other students. This could not have been achieved without everyone involved having the willingness to truly listen and have meaningful solution-driven conversations.

What has surprised you most about majoring in business? Studying business has exposed me to many things, but the most surprising thing has to be the idea of business truly being at the center of everything we do. The world of business is more than just engaging in commerce with other individuals; it is extremely multifaceted with many moving parts. While studying business I was fortunate enough to be exposed to many different sides of business, and I am excited to keep learning about them as I continue my education.

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? My experience within the Eli Broad College of Business has been full of great experiences, relationship building and learning, so I wouldn’t change much about my time here. Nevertheless, if I had to go back, I would challenge myself to take more public speaking courses. Public speaking used to be a fear of mine and I still consider it an area of improvement for myself. It is my understanding that, like many things, the only way to get better at public speaking is through repetitive practice. I have always been told that to truly master a craft, 10,000 hours of practice must go into that craft. Unfortunately, I am nowhere near those 10,000 hours, but I have made it a goal of mine to reach that milestone one day.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I am most proud of being awarded the 2020 Michigan State University Spartan Volunteer Service Award: A Presidential Recognition, sponsored by the MSU Center for Community Engaged Learning, and the most prestigious annual award that they present to MSU students. The award is presented on behalf of the MSU President and aims to give recognition to an MSU student who participated in 100 or more hours of verified community-engaged learning or volunteering. This award means a lot to me because it is a continuous reminder of how much of an impact one person can have if they embody the right passion and perspective to put others before themselves.

Which classmate do you most admire?  A classmate I admire most is my friend and colleague Abhishek (Abhi) Tekumulla. As the President of Spectrum Consulting Group Inc. for two years, he selflessly mentored underclassmen with great passion and enthusiasm. He is one of the hardest-working people I have met during my time at Michigan State. I admire his devotion and drive in putting others first. I have no doubt that he will achieve anything and everything he sets his mind to. I consider myself lucky to have crossed paths with Abhishek, and I look forward to seeing where life takes him.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank my family for the success I have been able to achieve during my time at MSU. Without their love and support, I am not sure if I would have been able to achieve some of the things I have done throughout my college career. Additionally, I want to thank them for instilling in me a strong work ethic and the self-discipline it takes to face all of life’s challenges. My parents and siblings will always be my greatest role models. I am truly blessed to have each and every one of them to lean on.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. I would like to attend law school, earn my Juris Doctor degree and eventually pass the bar examination.
2. I would also like to start my own nonprofit charity organization to combat socioeconomic disparity.

What are your hobbies? My hobbies include personal fitness, volunteering, keeping up with sports, investing, traveling, reading and being outdoors (hiking, skiing, boating, etc.).

What made Noah such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021?  

“Having served as the most respected and highest leadership level in Senate as President, there are not many areas where Noah Skrok has NOT given back to Broad: President’s Council, Spectrum Consulting, Broad Undergraduate Programs Committee, Palmer Peer Career Coach, and Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity.

Under Noah’s leadership, the Broad Senate held a gala with hundreds of guests, including the leadership of all Broad Student organizations, to thank and recognize our student leaders. Similarly, with Noah’s leadership, the Broad Senate held a faculty/staff appreciation week to thank our faculty and staff who impact the lives of our undergraduate students. More broadly, the Broad Senate participates in charitable/volunteer activities—Habitat for Humanity, Spartan Day of Service, the Lansing Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics, hosting their own “Road to Broad” 5K to raise money for Junior Achievement, etc. The Broad Senate raises funds for the MSU food bank and supports local senior activities. To help raise money to fund their initiatives, the Broad Senate runs a business—the Broad Store—buying and selling Broad-branded gear to internal and external stakeholders.

As President, Noah and his leadership team keep the Senate “on task” and, at the same time, have created an environment where Senators want to be present—for MSU, Broad, Senate activities, and one another. Under Noah’s leadership, the Senate has expanded its responsibilities this year and has added a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee. This committee held a diversity forum during the fall semester for all Broad students, faculty, and staff. Each month, the DEI committee reaches out to an organization that embodies diversity to partner on an initiative—these efforts have results in shared events including an international business forum with the Broad Chinese Business Society and Diversity and Inclusion night, co-sponsored with Spartan Pride.

Noah simultaneously sets a tone of high expectation, pushing Broad Senate to facilitate the creation of a “better Broad,” but does so in a way that creates deep and meaningful bonds amongst those within Senate and across other student organizations.

Finally, I encourage you to note that Noah has led the Broad Student Senate while also serving in a leadership role for another student organization: Spectrum Consulting. In addition, Noah served as a career management peer coach—one of 16 students supporting the 6,000 undergrads—helping students better understand and navigate building strong resumes, the interview process, and other important facets of career networking based on his significant internship experiences.

Noah is an incredibly thoughtful and caring young man who successfully leads his peers in making a significant difference in the lives of our students, faculty, staff, MSU community and beyond. What I perhaps find most amazing is that he dedicates so much time and all of himself to Broad Senate and its diverse responsibilities while simultaneously giving all of himself to his studies and personal development. Noah has been able to translate his course experiences into summer internships after his freshman, sophomore, and junior years (including an international internship in London in 2019). He is currently on a fourth internship during this academic year as he excels with a full load of courses and leads Broad Senate. He manages all of this while also serving on three other student organizations at MSU/Broad.”

Cheri Speier-Pero
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs

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