UNH Today

Cory Nitschelm ’16 describes himself as someone who likes to keep busy. Get ready to think “understatement.”

A senior at the Paul College of Business and Economics, Nitschelm is majoring in business administration with dual options in management and information systems and business analytics. During the school year, he worked at UNH’s InterOperability Laboratory. This summer he has an internship as a digital systems analyst for Liberty Mutual.

In the fall of 2014, when he was business manager for the UNH a cappella group Not Too Sharp, Nitschelm secured a gig for the singers on the “TODAY” show. He has since been elected president. He also is the newly elected president of the Information Systems Management Association, and a member of uLEAD, an organization that aids other student groups.   

In April he received the 2014-2015 Rookie of the Year Award from the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership. The award is given to only one UNH student annually.

Oh, and his GPA is 4.0.

“I like to be involved,” Nitschelm says. “I definitely think toward the future as I do things.” 

It was with an eye toward that future that the Portsmouth resident transferred to UNH from the Rochester Institute of Technology during his sophomore year. At RIT, his major was computer science. 

“I wanted to switch to business and UNH is a much better fit for that,” Nitschelm says. “It’s been a very good move, especially with things like working at the IOL. It’s been a great experience and a great networking opportunity.” 

Arriving second semester in 2014, Nitschelm immediately started getting involved. A member of the New Hampshire Youth Choir in high school, joining Not Too Sharp was like coming home. The group, recently named Organization of the Year by the OSIL, has been working on a CD. “Current” will be released in the fall.

“As the business manager for Not Too Sharp, I learned a lot about how that kind of business works — organizing, scheduling. It’s really great for my management major,” Nitschelm says. “And the singing gigs, hanging out — that’s been fun.”

His involvement with uLEAD and the ISMA has been equally rewarding. “Information systems and business analytics is a very small major,” Nitschelm says. “My plan with the ISMA is to help grow the major by talking to current students.”

And his plan for uLEAD is to keep doing more of the same: offering student groups whatever they might need — getting organized, team building, transitioning to new leadership.

“Changing leadership can be a huge transition,” Nitschelm says. “We help try to make that as smooth as it can be and help set the organization up for the future, not just now.”

Of all his activities, he says, “My life is pretty structured. I don’t have a lot of free time. I spend what little I have with the organizations I’m involved with, and that feels good. I’m happy here.”