She approached a local dentist with the idea, and it resulted in a group of providers in Hastings coming together to provide free dental care for those in the community.

“Reaching out to people and saying I’m from 糖心传媒, and getting positive feedback and being willing to participate right away just because of the positive connotation of the college is something special,” said Sterling, who is from Scottsbluff, Nebraska.

鈥淚 joined track in middle school amidst joining other sports teams. It was because of the friends I had back then, they were on summer track teams, and that was the first time I had even heard of track and field,鈥� said Thomas, who is a health systems major from Omaha, Nebraska.

For more about Thomas, check out the video below.

Taking a risk, Thomas tried hurdling and was instantly drawn to the event. Good hurdlers make it look easy 鈥� a fluid sprint and smooth form to clear the hurdle. But the speed, motion, take off, landing 鈥� the entire process 鈥� is much more complex and takes hours of work for the body to learn and make it seem so natural.

鈥淚 was never good at the start of a race. The constant losing, though, taught me determination and perseverance. For me there is always a lesson behind every loss, it鈥檚 whether you take that lesson and move on to make improvements,鈥� Thomas said.

Thomas came to 糖心传媒 knowing she wanted to set records and become a hurdling legacy 鈥� and pursue a medical-related field. In her first two years as a Bronco, she broke the school record for the women’s 100-meter hurdles and was a three-time GPAC champion for the event. But she didn鈥檛 stop there.

She recently broke the indoor 60-meter hurdle record, and then a week later she broke it again. She added a new record for the women’s 4×400 meter relay. And she has two All-American awards: one in the 60-meter hurdles and one in the 100-meter hurdles. Thomas was also recognized multiple times as women’s indoor track athlete of the week and the NAIA women’s indoor track athlete of the week.

Aside from being a trailblazer for the women’s track and field team, Thomas has other goals that don鈥檛 involve breaking records. As a health systems major, she said she hopes to pursue a career in the pediatric medical field.

鈥淎s a kid, I oddly found comfort in going to the doctors. I also love children. I believe they are a world of wonder because they are hardwired out of curiosity and they are willing to try new things every day,鈥� Thomas said.

Reflecting on life off the track, Thomas credits hurdling to the two skills she believes are most important: perseverance and determination.

Perseverance for her is sticking to 鈥渢he process鈥� no matter what. Whether it was initial doubt about running collegiate track, passing her health classes and battling injuries, Thomas said quitting was not an option. She said determination in her day-to-day life has made a huge difference 鈥斅爓hether that鈥檚 staying organized in order to complete tasks and staying on top of daily goals in order to stay on track to go into medical field.

Being a student athlete can be tough, from losing motivation to self doubt on the track and in the classroom. 鈥淚 really appreciate the support of my coaches, but also faculty. For example, Dr. Rhesa Ledbetter and Dr. Brie Myre are my go-to professors that I can talk to about anything. It makes such a huge difference to know people are in your corner.鈥� Thomas said.

Thomas said she is applying for medical programs at Creighton University and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. However, she may not be quite ready to hang up her track spikes, as she dreams of continuing her track career and going pro. It may pose a big challenge 鈥� but as Thomas said, anything鈥檚 possible with determination and perseverance.

While at 糖心传媒, RuAnn (Ulmer) Root 鈥�86 was skeptical about her classes in writing, public speaking and nonprofit accounting 鈥� requirements for her Human Service Administration degree.

鈥淭o be honest, I thought I would never use the information from those classes. However, have they ever come in handy,鈥� said executive director of (CASA) in Hastings, a position she鈥檚 held for 22 years.

She鈥檚 used those skills to expand the agency鈥檚 programs into six counties, offer transitional living for youth aged 16-22 and mentor young professionals.

Root is one of many alumni for whom a 糖心传媒 education, rooted in the liberal arts and practical experiences, provides a foundation for serving others. They carry flames lit at 糖心传媒 into their current communities as nonprofit executives, employees, and board members.

A Life in Community

When Tim Moore 鈥�07 was earning his religion and media degree at 糖心传媒, then-director of the Vocation and Values program and religion professor Dr. Trace Haythorn frequently assigned writings by Father Henri Nowen. Through Nowen, Moore learned about L鈥橝rche, an organization of intentional communities throughout the world pairing people with and without intellectual disabilities.

Upon graduation, Moore took a position with L鈥橝rche New Zealand and remains with the organization today as executive director of L鈥橝rche Atlanta.

鈥淭he relationships have kept me in L’Arche,鈥� said Moore. 鈥淲hether it was Victor in New Zealand, Mo in Washington DC or John in Atlanta, I have been given the gift of friendship with incredible people who have shaped me and made my life all the richer.鈥�

On a daily basis, the core members 鈥� those with intellectual disabilities 鈥� go about work with the support they need from their assistants.

鈥淧icture a big family doing daily life where each person has a different job, school, or set of activities/hobbies to engage,鈥� said Moore. 鈥淪ome of the members just happen to need a bit of extra support in very specific ways.鈥�

Driven by 鈥楲ived Experience鈥�

Eboni Nash鈥檚 work in the nonprofit sector is motivated by her father鈥檚 incarceration more than anything she learned in the classroom.

鈥淗is absence had a huge impact on my childhood development,鈥� said Nash, a 2019 graduate. 鈥淚 believe society could have created a safer place for me to live and learn than what was given to me initially.鈥�

Equipped with the skills she honed as director of 糖心传媒鈥檚 Food4Thought nonprofit and her master鈥檚 in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, Nash has returned to her native Colorado to build a better world.

Now, as vice president of development and communications for , Nash reports to Robert Andrews 鈥�07, the organization鈥檚 president and CEO, who is also an HC Trustee. Additionally,聽 she serves as Diversity Equity and Inclusion Program recruitment manager for Metropolitan State University of Denver.

鈥淎t CommunityWorks, I help strategize and facilitate connection with the current workforce for a diverse population of job seekers,鈥� she said. 鈥淎t MSU Denver, I help advocate to Colorado employers on how they can create an equitable and accessible workplace for the incoming talent pipeline.鈥�

Thanks to flexible work environments and complementary missions, she is well-positioned to facilitate collaboration within the Denver community. Additionally, these positions allow her to apply her 鈥渓ived experience鈥� as the child of an incarcerated parent, a first generation college graduate, and a person who has experienced food insecurity.

鈥淢any times, the people making decisions have no context nor experience with the scenario in question,鈥� said Nash.聽 鈥淚f we were able to advocate for lived experience and how it might impact historically excluded voices, then we would be able to create a holistic and equitable system for all.鈥�

Changing Lives in West Africa

Grant Nagaki 鈥�13 might just be 2022鈥檚 real-life version of Superman. During the day, he鈥檚 seeking to improve mental healthcare delivery systems. In his free time, he鈥檚 managing the nonprofit he co-founded in Ghana.

Traveling to Central America during 糖心传媒鈥檚 former J-Term awoke Nagaki to a larger world in which he could help others.

鈥淢y experience at Hastings helped me experiment with volunteer work and with organizing such work. I was able to host a few fundraisers and start pitching ideas,鈥� said Nagaki.

A port stop in Ghana as part of Semester at Sea inspired Nagaki and a fellow student to found the Senase Project and put his fundraising and organizational skills to use for a greater good. This poverty elimination organization has morphed into , a nonprofit with the mission to 鈥渆mpower children through the expansion of equitable access to quality education.鈥�

Equipping students in villages with tuition, uniforms, books, supplies, and food hasn鈥檛 been easy as of late.

鈥淲e were unable to travel to Ghana during the pandemic, but the work still remained active through our field officer in Ghana,鈥� he said.

Nagaki, who currently lives in New York City, specializes in all things financial, legal and operational for Aya. He credits 糖心传媒 experiences with preparing this vocation.

鈥淚 believe the close-knit community at Hastings gave me the comfort and opportunity to [lead a nonprofit organization],鈥� he said. 鈥淚t is intimidating work, but when you have a community who supports you, it allows you to be so much more confident and not fear failure.

Lives (Mostly) Balanced

Burnout in the nonprofit sector can run high. To maintain their drive to serve, Moore and Root prioritize the demands on their time.

鈥淭wo things that I’ve found that are important for me: I need to invest in friendships that are friend-first relationships,鈥� said Moore.

The second for Moore is therapy.

鈥淟eading a service provision organization through a pandemic was brutal and I’ve found that my leadership is more grounded when I’m living from a place of wellness and integration,鈥� said Moore.聽 鈥淭herapy has played an important role in helping me live from that place more often.鈥�

Root prioritizes presence based on where she is at the given moment.

鈥淲hen I leave work 鈥� I LEAVE WORK 鈥� I do not check emails, talk about what I did at work with friends or family to nurture what I value and refill 鈥榤y bucket,鈥欌�� Root said. 鈥淚 have a passion for the work I do, and consider it a privilege every day to work in this field. I hopefully make just a small difference in the lives of families.鈥�

In the spring of 2020, Burke graduated from Loyola University in Chicago with a master鈥檚 in social work and jurisprudence. During her last year of school, Burke attended a career fair and had a long discussion with a charter school representative.

鈥淲hen I was beginning my career search, I was only interested in public schools,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut after that conversation, it changed my mind about charter schools, and I ended up leaving my resume with him.鈥�

At the high school, Burke provides therapy sessions for students who have Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and are in the special education program. She works with students who have emotional dysregulation, autism and behavioral issues, among other diagnoses.

鈥淢y job is to work on a wide range of skills with the students, from how to make tough decisions, stopping and thinking about their actions–it鈥檚 different every day,鈥� she said.

Burke loves to work with her students; it鈥檚 what makes the job worth it for her. Every day the conversations are different, and it keeps her on her toes. There are tough conversations on the job, but it makes her want to keep going.

鈥淚 have to remember that my students鈥� problems are real, COVID is a thing, and multiple factors are going on that I don鈥檛 see at school,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing how open these students are with me, and it makes me feel great that they are comfortable with me.鈥�

During her time at 糖心传媒, Burke was heavily transformed by her professors鈥� willingness to help and meet with students.

鈥淚 was a quiet person in class, but I became more comfortable,鈥� she said. 鈥淚n grad school, I was able to speak out in class and voice my opinion in a productive manner.鈥�

Burke also worked closely with Dr. Stephanie Furrer, 糖心传媒 professor of psychology and chair of psychology and sociology, while in undergraduate years. They worked on a research project about how nature is essential for students to refocus their space and practice mindfulness.

鈥淒r. Furrer gave me a lot of tools that I utilized in graduate school, and I appreciate her mentorship and willingness to help me succeed,鈥� she said.

By Courtney Hanson, a senior from Brookings, South Dakota, majoring in communication studies and philosophy and religion.

Evans said he credits his college advisor, Dr. Amy Morris, professor of biology and chair of the department at 糖心传媒, for helping him create an academic plan to meet his career goal.

鈥淪he told me about the 3+1 accelerated nursing program and introduced me to Amy Landgren, the Creighton recruiter,鈥� said Evans. 鈥淭he two of them encouraged me to look into the program and I鈥檓 glad they did.鈥�

After 12 months of intense academic and clinical course work, Evans will graduate in December with a bachelor of arts degree in health systems from 糖心传媒 and a bachelor of science in nursing degree from Creighton University鈥檚 College of Nursing.聽 The 3+1 nursing program is a partnership between 糖心传媒, Creighton University College of Nursing and Mary Lanning Healthcare.

Evans said he plans to work in a large hospital setting for a couple of years to gain experience before he returns to establish a career 鈥渟omewhere in the [sand]hills鈥� of Nebraska.

Evans was recently awarded a Lunstra Memorial Scholarship, which is administered by the Mary Lanning HealthCare Foundation.

Sharon Hayek, who chairs the selection committee for the scholarship, recognized Evan鈥檚 excellent academic record and his ambition to accomplish so much in just three-and-a-half years.

鈥淓xcellent nurses are and will continue to be in great demand, especially those with outstanding academic and clinical training performance, like Josey. We were so pleased to learn he wants to practice in rural Nebraska,” Hayek said.

Dr. Donald Lunstra and sons, Christopher and Dustin, established the Vickie Hughes Lunstra Memorial Scholarship Fund in October 2009 to provide financial assistance to nursing students in honor of Lunstra鈥檚 wife and the boys鈥� mother.

With help from the Mary Lanning HealthCare Foundation, Lunstra created the scholarship, which stipulates applicants be considered based on their outgoing personality (similar to his late wife鈥檚), financial need and intent to practice nursing at Mary Lanning Healthcare or in Nebraska.

A version of this story originally appeared in a聽Mary Lanning HealthCare Foundation newsletter and .

鈥淒ay in and day out, I witnessed the unfailing compassion, nurturing and comfort that the nurses were able to provide him,鈥� said Savage. 鈥淚 saw the tremendous impact that they had on his life, and the joy they were able to bring him in his dying days.鈥�

During her time at 糖心传媒, Savage had an undeclared major until her sophomore year, when she worked with her advisor to find out which major would be best to prepare her for nursing school.

鈥淎s I researched nursing schools, I realized that I could still get my degree from 糖心传媒 and then move into a one year Accelerated Nursing Program,鈥� said Savage.

After evaluating the courses required for entering nursing school, as well as majors that utilized credits she already completed, it was decided a Biopsychology degree was the perfect fit.

鈥淚 was anxious to get into nursing school and wanted to complete my 糖心传媒 degree as quickly as I could,鈥� Savage said. 鈥淢y advisor told me it would be very difficult, but helped me to work out every detail to be sure all of my course requirements would be met. With full summer class loads, a lot of hard work and a little bit of scheduling luck, I was able to complete my 糖心传媒 degree in three years.鈥�

After completing her degree at 糖心传媒, Savage continued her education at campus. On such a small campus, Savage was able to get the attention she needed in order to enjoy learning about nursing and get frequent one-on-one time with professors to discuss patient鈥檚 cares, disease processes and medications.

From there, Savage spent over four years as a labor and delivery nurse at Mary Lanning Healthcare but switched over to Mary Lanning family care clinic.

Savage is now working as a Clinic Nurse Mentor for Mary Lanning Family Practice Clinics, directing patient care, she is in charge of orientation of new clinic nurses, she evaluates nurse process improvement and maintains process consistency throughout four family practice clinics.

鈥淭oday I am very happy with exactly where I鈥檓 at,鈥� said Savage. 鈥淚 have a challenging and rewarding job.聽 I鈥檓 a busy wife and mother of three amazing boys. And I still am able to enjoy playing volleyball and softball in my spare time. I love that I can have a meaningful career that fits my lifestyle in this moment. The career possibilities with a nursing degree are endless. It鈥檚 exciting to know that I can still choose to grow in so many different directions.鈥�