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Alumni Spotlight Cory Nickel `04

Father. Accountant. Basketball player. These are just a few of the ways people describe Cory Nickel, a 2004 graduate with a double major in accounting and business administration. The Manitowoc native has been blessed in life since as long as he can remember. Not only was he able to complete a degree at Lakeland while being a father to son Trenton, he also enjoyed many memories on the basketball court with his teammates.

While Cory was a Lakeland student, he spent a lot of his time in the classroom. That is what you do though, when you are an ambitious double major. He recalls how LC was able to prepare him for a career and also prepare his young son in a social way. Trenton attended the Learning Tree Academy here on campus full-time while Cory was in class. Perhaps Trent is a "Future Muskie!" According to Cory, "The discounted student rates allowed Trenton to [attend daycare] and for me to continue towards my degree and to continue my basketball career. I don't think I would be where I am today if it weren't for the values that I learned in the Lakeland classrooms and on the basketball court." Cory's story is very similar to the experiences of many other Lakeland students.

As for his memories at Lakeland, like most alumni he cannot name just one. Cory misses seeing his friends on a daily basis, he misses being able to walk to Old Main and chat with Dr. Gould, he misses Professor Gaumer lecturing on accounting, and Professor Schwartz's talks on opportunity cost. Of course, nothing compares to his memories on the court.

One that stands out in his mind was the night of the semifinals in the conference tournament his senior year. "We had just gone down to Edgewood and upset them on their home floor. My whole family came down to the game to watch. My girlfriend at the time also came along and was expecting me to drive back home with them. After the game, I knew that being with my teammates on that bus to bask in the glory of the big victory was where I needed to be. That is the type of bonds and friendships that Lakeland helped create for me," said Cory. He added, " I sure had to pay for it with the silent treatment from my girlfriend for a week after, but it was well worth it because I can still clearly remember that two hour bus ride home like it was yesterday!"

Today, with his playing career behind him, Cory works in the accounting industry. He finds great enjoyment in the ability to work in his chosen field. Only six months after graduating from Lakeland, Cory was hired to work in the accounting department at Johnsonville and later secured a position with Schenck Business Solutions in Manitowoc. In April 2008, Cory was offered a position at Tower Tech Systems as a senior accountant. Tower Tech builds the tower section for wind turbines that are currently being put up around the nation. He is now responsible for the daily accounting duties and will assist with the Securities and Exchange Commission reporting for the parent company, Broadwind Energy.

When he is not working away crunching numbers, Cory enjoys coaching youth baseball and basketball, playing golf, and staying active playing basketball. He is actively involved in the Kiel Baseball Club and SAIL, a young professional organization in Manitowoc. Cory and his son Trenton reside in Manitowoc. If you would like to contact Cory directly, please do so.

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