“The cranes are a captivating species. They’re big, they’re easy to see and watch, and 1.25 million come together in one place. There are not many places where you can see a migration of that scale all at once,” said Matt Fong ’05, director of fundraising and outreach for Crane Trust, a nature and visitor center near Wood River, Nebraska, that welcomes 60,000 bird enthusiasts and nature lovers each year, half of them during Crane season.

“This spring we had someone visit from every single state in the U.S.,” Fong said. “For our overnight VIP program, we had folks from Canada, England and China. It’s really amazing to see people from all over the world come to Central Nebraska.”

Along with his fundraising duties, the business administration and media production graduate works to draw national attention to the annual phenomenon. In March, CBS Sunday Morning sent a videographer to film the cranes for “Moment in Nature,” the closing segment of the iconic program. Smithsonian Magazine ran a feature story.

Fong said the public’s fascination is easy to understand. Sandhill Cranes stand four-feet-tall and boast a wingspan of six to seven feet. Gray-plumed with a patch of red on their heads, the cranes mate for life and engage in elaborate dancing rituals with leaps, calls and elegant bows. A flock of more than 500 Whooping Cranes, a highly endangered species, joins the massive crane migration each year.

Visitors on guided tours watch the cranes from riverfront blinds. The Trust’s “high touch” VIP program offers overnight lodging in cottages and suites, catered meals and sunrise and sunset viewing from heated blinds. The past two years, ���Ĵ�ý reserved a block of rooms for alumni and special guests.

“So many visitors say this trip has been on their bucket list for a decade,” Fong said. “How wonderful is it to spend time with someone who’s fulfilling a bucket list item?”

Beyond crane season, the Trust welcomes visitors and educates the community year-round. As chief fundraiser, Fong visits donors and foundations and prepares grant proposals and solicitation pieces. He connects with the public and oversees special events and membership services.

His team includes ���Ĵ�ý alumni Sarah Nottage-Tacey ’04, development and special events coordinator, and Matt Urbanski ’23, a Crane Trust Fellow before being hired as marketing coordinator. Venn Wood ’26, a junior from Lincoln, Nebraska, majoring in wildlife biology, will intern at Crane Trust this summer.

Protecting the environment, serving the community

Raised on a farm near Lexington, Nebraska, Fong has been drawn to the natural world since childhood. He gardens, landscapes and spent several years on the Hastings Tree Board. After graduating from ���Ĵ�ý, he coordinated conferences and seminars for the Arbor Day Foundation, a global nonprofit dedicated to planting trees.

During a 15-year tenure at ���Ĵ�ý as director of alumni development, chief of staff and eventually associate vice president for external relations, Fong continued to find ways to connect with nature. He served on the Arboretum Committee, which oversees tree planting on the 120-acre campus and, with Emeritus Professor Will Locke ’61, started a Legacy Tree program that allows supporters to sponsor a tree in memory or in honor of a person or group.

In November, Fong will complete his second four-year term on the City Council. A longtime board member for The Lark, a local nonprofit and performance space, he helped found the Hastings Young Professionals and received Leadership Hastings’ 2022 Outstanding Alumni Award.

“Kaleena (Reeves Fong ’05) and I want to give back to the community, and Hastings is a place we love very much,” he said. “We enjoy being part of things that make the community better.”

A life journey rooted in nature

At Crane Trust, Fong has found the perfect environment to grow and nurture his lifelong passion for nature.

His workplace is a stunning visitor center amid 10,000 acres of wildlife habitat and prairie ecosystem. Working in jeans most days (a perk of the job), he takes visitors and supporters down a pathway flanked by a pollinator garden and a small research herd of American Bison, leading to a 35-foot observation tower, two picturesque footbridges crossing the Platte River and 10 miles of hiking trails. And, for one month each year, he welcomes more than a million majestic cranes to the shallow waterways and shifting sandbars just a few hundred feet from his office.

“The arc of your life is so interesting,” he said. “I vividly remember sitting at my grandmother’s table, looking at her bird book and trying to identify what species were at the bird feeder. I’ve always had a passion for birds, and I’ve always cared about the outdoors and the environment. All those pieces of my life have come together. I feel like this is exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

By Judee Konen ’85

When he’s not in class, chances are you’ll find ���Ĵ�ý junior Amiel Johnson of Nassau, The Bahamas, with his camera on the sidelines of whatever athletic team is practicing or competing, or at a campus event — always looking for his next shot. Johnson is rarely seen without his camera, always rolling ready to capture the perfect moments for students and athletes.

Johnson was a high school volleyball player. During a game, he experienced an intense knee injury and was told he could no longer play. Disappointed, he looked for a new perspective — and picked up a camera.

“If I knew I couldn’t play volleyball anymore, why not capture the love of the sport through the lens? So I started capturing video and photos of volleyball games and other local sports in town such as basketball and track and field,” Johnson said.

His interest in photography and videography came before the injury, when his aunt gifted him his first camera, sparking a love for capturing moments that post-injury developed into more than just a hobby.

He began expanding his skills and expertise, and became a content creator in his community, including for sporting and church events.

As his passion grew, Johnson became curious about life beyond home. His search for small, religious-affiliated colleges in the U.S. led him to ���Ĵ�ý. Intrigued, he explored the college’s social media presence, which deepened his curiosity.

“I felt there was a lack of athletic experience coming from students on the College’s social media. I wanted to be the one to change it,” said Johnson, who reached out to the College’s marketing office before he arrived on campus.

Once on campus, Johnson brought a fresh perspective to student life.

He founded “The Backstage Co,” a social media platform dedicated to showcasing all aspects of life on campus, with a strong focus on student-athletes. From covering games, practices and weight room sessions to conducting athlete interviews, Johnson captures the essence of ���Ĵ�ý’s athletic community, enriching the student experience.

Johnson, a communication studies major, found work immediately on campus with the Office of Marketing and Communication, as well as in the Athletic Department. Since then, he’s been involved with “The BroncPod,” an on-campus podcast, and he directed his first short film, “Home,” which features a ���Ĵ�ý faculty member.

“I want to give value and recognition to the athletes and voices on campus that need to be heard. I want to represent the side of the College that people don’t always think about. I want students’ stories to be heard because we all have one, so it’s my job not only to tell their stories but to tell them right,” he said.

Johnson said he enjoys creating a bond with other students, getting to know them more on a personal level before he tells their stories. It helps him envision the right direction for his stories and closes the gaps in any part of the narrative.

“I appreciate the friendships with the people I interview. I have made many great friends and it gives me gratification knowing they trust me to tell the world their story and to post it online for more to listen to,” he said.

Another factor driving Johnson’s passion for content creation is the raw, unfiltered reactions of his subjects. These genuine responses inspire him to continuously improve, pushing his storytelling and capturing these students to new levels each day.

Even after the stories have been shared and the posts have been viewed, the journey doesn’t end for Johnson. The camera keeps rolling, reminding him to stay grounded and strive for improvement in his work and to be the change he wants to see for his campus community.

By Cecilia Velarde, a senior marketing and communication studies double major from Loveland, Colorado

Maybe you’ve seen him in a Rug Doctor television commercial, sporting a lab coat and bow tie as the company’s “director of clean.” Or standing under a waterfall in an Olympus camera print advertisement. Or portraying an Air Force pilot in “Mouse,” a suspense film available on Amazon Prime.

Or, most recently, playing a suspect on “Time Will Tell,” an episode of the iconic NBC series “Law & Order,” which aired November 7. Hergott was cast as Glenn Donovan, the temperamental father of a prep school student. In a classic “Law & Order” walk-and-talk scene, his character hurries through a factory, flanked by two detectives who ask him pointed questions about the murder of the school’s dean.

Is Donovan guilty? Hergott isn’t telling, but if you haven’t already seen the episode, you can watch it on Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming service. A clip is also available at .

“As a New York actor, it’s a little feather in your cap to get on ‘Law & Order’ at least once. It’s particularly competitive,” said Hergott, who lives in New York City’s Financial District.

Hergott was selected after submitting an audition tape. His role was confirmed on a Wednesday, and he received the script on Friday.

“I had all weekend to work on it before my 6:30 a.m. call time on Monday. As I was going to bed Sunday night, I got a message from the assistant director saying to check my email for a rewrite. The edits made for an even earlier morning, but it’s part of the game,” Hergott said. “Everybody on set was really lovely. The director, Milena Govich, was gracious and kind.”

When the show aired, several HC graduates in Hergott’s family were watching, including his mother, Cathy Hergott ’82, in Omaha. A gathering of family in Hastings included his father, Ron Hergott ’82, recently retired from coaching the College’s successful bowling team; his stepmother, Lori Hergott ‘91, a former residence director at Taylor Hall; and stepsisters Nikki Adams ’12 and Maggie Esch ’16.

“It was nice knowing they made a little night of it. I was feeling the love,” he said with a laugh.

Honing his skills at ResponseNews

Hergott enrolled at ���Ĵ�ý as a media production major with an emphasis in television broadcasting. In between classes and sports practices, he worked for ResponseNews as a news anchor and reporter.

“I loved the storytelling aspect of it,” he said. “My senior year, I covered President George Bush’s visit to Omaha. I was the only college reporter alongside the network television stations.” His feature story placed first in a Nebraska Collegiate Media Association competition.

“Even though I didn’t go into broadcast journalism, the skills transferred to my career in entertainment since I was familiar with editing, sound, lighting, and being in front of a camera,” he said.

After graduation, Hergott eventually landed in Las Vegas where he was approached in a casino by a modeling agent who signed him to her agency. He also began auditioning for acting roles and made his professional stage debut in the show “Birdy’s Bachelorette Party,” an audience participation comedy at the Stratosphere Hotel and Casino.

When a coworker nominated him for a “Cosmopolitan” magazine contest looking for the country’s most eligible bachelors, Hergott was selected to represent Nevada. The magazine invited him to New York City for a press conference and photo shoot, and he booked a flight.

“Coincidentally, at the same time, I was sending my modeling portfolio to a bunch of agencies in New York trying to get signed,” Hergott said. “The week before my flight, an agency called and wanted me to come in for a meeting.”

That initial visit to NYC ended with contract offers from four different agencies.

“I booked a job with Giorgio Armani in New York during my first week in the city. I’ve been blessed to have a career now spanning over 15 years,” he said.

Crafting a career in entertainment

Since moving east, Hergott has been featured in nearly every form of entertainment.

As a model, he’s walked the runway at fashion shows and appeared in print ads for brands like Untuckit and Tiffany & Co. As an actor, he’s done improv with the Upright Citizen’s Brigade and appeared off-Broadway and in theater festivals. His television work includes appearances on six different shows, including the miniseries “Dead Ringers” and “Lisey’s Story.”

He has appeared in numerous television commercials for national brands like American Express, Samsung, Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra. He made his feature film debut in “Episode 50” and has had both leading and supporting roles in several other independent films.

Hergott’s proudest achievement is the creation of his company, August Ace Productions, which released the award-winning short film “Issues” about angsty superhero Calvin Elliot. He played the lead role, co-wrote the script, and directed and produced the film, currently available on the YouTube channel, “Issues – With Supers.”

“Artistically, being able to create something that elicits an emotion from the audience is cool, especially when you do it right,” he said.

By Judee Konen ‘85

On field trips to the farm-based center west of Hastings, preschoolers scamper down tree-lined trails, collect seeds and make pies in the outdoor mud kitchen. First-through-sixth graders explore topics like food webs and ecosystems, plants and pollinators. ���Ĵ�ý theater students perform one-act plays in the old horse barn. Local residents take quiet strolls through moonlit prairie grass or learn how to plant a garden or make sourdough bread. Families gather between the barns to enjoy bluegrass and folk bands at the Flatwater Music Festival.

More than 8,000 visitors each year participate in Prairie Loft’s classes, field trips and summer camps, as well as private events like wedding receptions and company retreats.

“Our goal is to get as many people as possible outside, enjoying nature and connecting to the agricultural heritage that’s so important in our area,” said Arrington-Williams, who grew up camping and hiking in her native Colorado. “We teach people where their food and fuel and fibers come from, and we help them enjoy the recreational and wellness benefits of nature.”

Before joining Prairie Loft in May 2023, Arrington-Williams used her skills in writing, marketing, fundraising and event planning at several local organizations. For two years, she was an admissions counselor at ���Ĵ�ý. She started a business magazine and directed operations and marketing at a craft brewing company. In her off time, she attended Prairie Loft events and volunteered on the Flatwater Music Festival planning committee.

“Prairie Loft was one of those places that really touched my heart when I graduated from ���Ĵ�ý and was deciding whether to go home to Colorado or put down roots in Hastings,” she said. “When I heard the executive director position was open, I had an intuitive hit saying ‘that’s my job.’ Being able to come back as the organizational leader is pretty fantastic.”

From working farm to educational center

Prairie Loft’s roots go deep into the history of Adams County, Arrington-Williams said. Its four renovated barns and farm buildings stand on 8.3 acres that were originally part of Ingleside, a working farm managed by the former Hastings Regional Center psychiatric facility. Patients and staff grew vegetables and crops and tended the dairy herd, chickens, turkeys and pigs. Produce was used to feed those housed at the hospital.

In 2019, Prairie Loft secured additional land through a management agreement with the State of Nebraska, including 15 acres of farm ground planted and harvested by volunteers and 50 acres of diverse ecosystem for nature trails and outdoor learning.

“We have grassland and trees and forest cover. We have a variety of wildlife,” Arrington-Williams said. “A lot of biodiversity is within walking distance. That’s what makes it really special.”

While a full-time program manager teaches and coordinates youth classes and camps, Arrington-Williams focuses on adult education and the tasks that keep a nonprofit running smoothly — community engagement, board relations, event planning, marketing and communications, and financial oversight and fundraising.

The fundraising piece is especially critical as Prairie Loft prepares to launch the final phase of a $1.5 million capital campaign to renovate the Workshop Barn that once housed farm equipment. Donors have already provided funds to build out the Pershing Prairie boardroom and Big R’s commercial kitchen. Additional donations will be used to finish a meeting and classroom space.

Future plans include renovating a red horse barn donated by the late Dr. John “Doc” Yost, an orthopedic surgeon who was volunteer physician for ���Ĵ�ý athletic teams for more than 25 years.

“We’d like to use the barn as an ag-focused classroom space where children can have hands-on, tactile experiences,” Arrington-Wlliams said.

Connecting neighbors with nature

The mother of two young sons, Arrington-Williams is always busy, whether she’s coordinating the Harvestfest at Prairie Loft or teaching a yoga class. Her penchant for multi-tasking began early when she majored in media production at ���Ĵ�ý while pursuing minors in Spanish and philosophy, writing for the “Collegian” student newspaper, leading tours for the Public Relations Council and ending her senior year with Who’s Who honors.

“I feel like ���Ĵ�ý prepared me to think critically and not be afraid to take risks and learn something new,” she said.

At Prairie Loft, her creative passion is fueled by connecting the community with this region’s rich agricultural legacy and prairie landscapes.

“Being able to pay homage to a space that has such historical significance and is such an important resource for our community is a huge honor. It drives me forward every day,” she said.

By Judee Konen ’85

Eli Delhay came to ���Ĵ�ý from Freeman Public Schools to become an elementary education teacher and to play basketball. But like many students, he has many interests — and one area he’s found success is on the student media team.

In high school, it started by watching and listening to students who were broadcasting games. And so he joined the high school media team.

“My junior year of high school was mainly learning how to broadcast volleyball games, which at first I wasn’t comfortable with because I didn’t know volleyball,” Delhay told a writer for . But he learned, and excelled, and realized that broadcasting was something he could do in college, too.

Since his arrival in the fall, Delhay has been active with the ���Ĵ�ý student media team, which livestreams home athletic events, many music events and other special events held on campus. It’s housed with the Center for Applied Media Arts.

Check out the full profile on Delhay at .

“We enjoyed and learned from demanding courses taught by caring professors; we built many friendships that continue to this day; we were able to create a healthy balance between our academic lives and extracurricular activities; and we both felt securely comfortable in an incredibly supportive, positive and collegial environment,” Doug said.

In gratitude for all ���Ĵ�ý provided them, the Andersons have kept the College among their philanthropic priorities.

“We both profited from and are grateful for our wonderful liberal arts education,” Doug said. “We’ve always felt good about being able to annually give back to the institution that gave so much to us.”

And this couple knows education.

After graduating from HC, Claudia taught for a year in Americus, Kansas, four years at Watson Elementary School in Hastings, while also earning her master’s degree at Kearney State, and nearly 15 years in the Tempe, Arizona, elementary school district. She also taught as an adjunct at Arizona State University, before serving as an instructor of education at Penn State University from 1999 until her retirement in 2012.

Doug worked five years at the Hastings Daily Tribune, earned his doctoral degree at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, taught journalism at Nebraska-Omaha for two years before spending two decades at Arizona State as a journalism professor and administrator in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He then served as dean of the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications at Penn State from 1999 until his retirement in 2014.

Currently, this donor couple, whose first date included attending the late Theatre Professor Dr. Hal Shiffler’s reading of “A Christmas Carol,” lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, close to their two grown daughters and twin granddaughters.

He’s Austin Uhlig, a senior digital design and development major from Omaha, Nebraska.

The former soccer player dove head first into his summer internship with Cooperative Producers, Inc. (CPI), a farmer-owned agricultural cooperative headquartered in Hastings, Nebraska. According to Uhlig, his position as a multimedia intern was the first of its kind for the company. He hopes to help push CPI further into the ever changing media-based marketing world.

Working alongside CPI’s marketing department, Uhlig has shot and edited employee headshots, updated all of CPI location shots, shot and produced agronomy attendants for online marketing, expanded the company’s stock image library and is producing promotional campaigns CPI’s social media, which he manages.

Photography for Uhlig was something he couldn’t run from because his father worked as a wedding photographer throughout his childhood. No stranger to the media world, Uhlig worked for the school newspaper during his high school years, which jump started his career.

“My dad’s been taking photos since the day I was born. It felt like he was waiting for me to get into it,” he said. “I took my first dive into photography with my high school paper, taking photos, covering stories and completing news assignments.”

Uhlig is now a professional photographer who has gathered nearly three years of hands-on experience throughout his collegiate experience by working with the ���Ĵ�ý student media team. In fact, Uhlig’s internship arose from his connection with the Center for Applied Media Arts (CAMA). CAMA offers a wide variety of opportunities for students — including live streaming athletic, music and special events; graphic and web design; social media; photography; and producing the campus newspaper.

“Kim Graviette from Career Services and Andy Chase from CAMA said this position would really match my talents and major. Thankfully, it worked out and I love it,” he said.

Uhlig said photography is the perfect way to tell the stories of the people he meets.

“I’m a storyteller by nature, and I love creating photo and video content,” he said. “My biggest driving factor is when I’m able to share the stories and conversations of the persons that I meet through photography.”

By Kiante Stuart, a junior from Nassau, The Bahamas, majoring in communications studies and business administration.

Jagels, a marketing and digital design and development double major and member of the ���Ĵ�ý cheerleading squad, secured a position as a creative services intern this summer where she is responsible for creating marketing material and graphic work.

“Everyday, I typically have three to four projects that I work on. In most cases, one of the many properties Burlington Capital manages will send in an order for a marketing piece, and my job is to make materials that fit the need,” she said. “More specifically, full marketing campaigns can be around 15 pages of content ranging from advertising material to flyers and postcards that need to be sent out.”

The Omaha native said the internship wouldn’t be possible without the ���Ĵ�ý Career Services office.

“I met with Kim Graviette and we looked at many internships. She showed me how to locate an internship, and then I went and found Burlington Capital on my own,” she said. Additionally, Graviette, the director of Career Services, was a great help during the interview process, as a mentor, and provided materials and time together in order for Jagels to be prepared.

When asked what marketing means to her, Jagels said marketing is the part of business that promotes products and services, especially through advertising and selling methods. There’s research and trends that have to be analyzed with this. “To me marketing means advertising something strategically to be it’s best form in a creative and functional way,” she said.

Jagels also had a lot to say about the marketing program at ���Ĵ�ý.

“At ���Ĵ�ý, I’ve learned useful information because of the marketing classes, especially with my confidence in my designs from start to finish,” she said. Her experience at ���Ĵ�ý has her hopeful for life after she graduates next spring.

“At first I was hesitant about my skills going into this internship, but this experience has made me confident to start a full time career,” she said.

For students seeking a marketing specific internship, Jagels offers this pro tip: “There’s a saying that goes, in business it’s not all about what you know but also who you know. So make the right connections because that’s going to move you forward.”

By Kianté Stuart, a junior from Nassau, The Bahamas, majoring in communications studies and business administration.

Though his college education was focused on print journalism rather than marketing, today he works as the director of social media at Swanson Russell, one of the largest advertising agencies in Nebraska.

Mills is not only working in a job outside of his educational field, but a job that didn’t exist when he started college. Mills said that the broad, liberal arts ���Ĵ�ý education prepared him for the work he is doing today.

“There’s a lot of value in a liberal arts education, as you get exposed to a lot of different things. The biggest value of college to me is learning how to think critically, and then taking that to every class that you’re in, and then to your job one day,” he said. “In the advertising industry, it’s more about thinking critically, the skills you have and being strategic than just knowing how to write a press release.”

Promoted to the head of the social media department last year, Mills works with social media on behalf of the agency itself as well as all its clients. This includes work on various social media platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat among others.

“My job is to ensure we’re offering the best product that we can, that we are on top of the strategy and the technical aspects that make social media successful for our clients,” Mills said. “I have input to some degree on every single account that is doing social media, which means I’m giving advice in varying degrees to about 18-20 clients in our portfolio.”

Mills has gotten to experience the growth and development of social media throughout his career, and the more he learns, the more influential he finds it to be. Because of the power of social media data collection, an interesting aspect of his job is trying to gauge the ethics of social media marketing.

“We have tools that allow us to do all kinds of crazy things with social media data. People have conspiracy theories about what you can do, but I’ve gotten a peek behind the curtain and now understand that if you are clever you can do some really great things with social media data, and some really terrible things,” Mills said. “The line between persuasion and manipulation is really key in social media marketing. Our job as marketers is to persuade people, so we ensure there is a fair value exchange in what we do, whereas manipulation is a one-sided value exchange.”

This is why Mills said he believes data analysis is one of the most important aspects of a career in social media marketing, as well as being a strategic marketer and a technical problem solver.

Mills said he believes success in social media marketing isn’t dependent on understanding the flash and fun of social media, but rather applying critical thinking skills and knowing how to effectively problem solve.

“Social media marketing is a growing field,” he said. “It’s exciting and challenging and a field that’s open to anyone willing to learn.”

By Landry Hinkson, a first-year student from Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, majoring in communication studies.

For more than 40 years, The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County has been coming to the rescue of those in need locally, in Israel and around the world. Nilsen has worked with the Federation for the past five years to collect endowment funds for her community, and has helped raise $77 million.

“It’s extraordinary to be a part of a community that has the ability to raise that kind of money. It’s a gift to see people have such a passionate commitment to be a part of the future,” she said.

Nilsen has come along way since while working with the Jewish Federation. Five years ago she was in a position that wasn’t quite right for her, but she moved outside of her comfort zone and was rewarded for it in more ways than one.

She was a print and broadcasting communications and English double major at ���Ĵ�ý. From a very young age, she knew she wanted to go into journalism.

“It was a part of who I am. I wanted to ask questions, I wanted to write,” she said.

After college, Nilsen went on to have a variety of jobs before she moved to Boca Raton. In her first years in Florida, she owned a freelance writing company and worked closely with many Jewish professionals across the city, leading her to build a social network through writing. When she was ready to let go of her company, she found that the Federation was a natural extension to her freelance work.

Not only has Nilsen helped her community, but she has helped ���Ĵ�ý with her drive to help others. She is one of the 10 founders of Peer HIV Education Organization (PHIVE-O), as she saw it as a great opportunity to speak with her peers about topics that weren’t always easy to talk about.

Her friends and professors at ���Ĵ�ý influenced Nilsen’s life and have helped her get to where she is today. She said she is still in touch with her professors after 25 years, and they are still pushing her to unlock her full potential.

Nilsen will continue to inspire many no matter what she does, as she’s left her mark in Florida and certainly in Hastings, Nebraska.

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