Moving from the Dallas鈥揊ort Worth Metroplex in Texas to the plains of Nebraska is a big enough jump on its own.

Joining the first-ever team in the state鈥檚 history adds another level of pressure. But for Austin McLeroy, a junior transfer from Central Christian College of Kansas, the transition required one more essential element: a choir folder.

While McLeroy, a sociology major, is a key part of the groundbreaking Bronco men鈥檚 volleyball program at 糖心传媒, he鈥檚 also found a home on the risers. We reached out to him to talk about the move, the music, and the “real” reason he joined the 糖心传媒 Choir.

The Power of Unification

For McLeroy, the bridge between the volleyball court and the choir loft isn’t as wide as you might think. While many might assume the lung capacity of an athlete helps with singing, he sees the connection through a different lens: teamwork.

“Playing volleyball, you learn to act as a team and an individual,” McLeroy said. “That is essential to a choir sounding its best. A unified choir is unmatched.”

Though he loves the adrenaline of a match, music is what anchors him. Having grown up bonding with his mom over car rides filled with music 鈥� and recently picking up both guitar and bass 鈥� Austin considers music his “soul at its core.”

“If I lost the ability to walk or run or jump, I would be okay after a while,” he said, “but music is a non-negotiable.”

Q&A with Austin McLeroy

Q: Coming to Nebraska for volleyball is a huge move. Why add choir to an already busy schedule?

Austin: The real answer is because of a girl 鈥� but my media training says to say otherwise. Choir has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember and even though I changed sports I never stopped choir!

Q: How has joining choir helped you integrate into the 糖心传媒 community as a transfer student?

Austin: It allowed me to meet people I never would have imagined I would have met. Shout out Clark!

Q: What would you say to another athlete who is nervous about trying out for a music ensemble?

Austin: I would push them to go to one rehearsal. This is not a make or break moment – they can have time. I almost joined the choir in the first semester, however, I joined later, and everyone accepted [me] as if I joined the first semester. The director is also very good about scheduling around other commitments with notice!

The Closing Huddle

If Austin were giving a “locker room speech” to his fellow athletes, his message would be simple: music is a universal language. He points out that we often love songs in other languages without understanding a single word 鈥� that is the power of unification.

Whether he鈥檚 spiking a ball or hitting a harmony, McLeroy is proving that at 糖心传媒, you don鈥檛 have to choose between being an athlete and an artist. You can be both.

By Brianne Gauthier

Check out the video for more from this forensics (speech) All-American who graduated in May!

That鈥檚 what Eboni Nash 鈥�19 entered into her browser in March 2020. Like other students, her spring break trip home to see family was鈥xtended. A Harvard Divinity School student at the time, she was feeling 鈥渉elpless鈥lmost useless鈥� in Eads, Colorado.

Yet what the search produced changed Nash鈥檚 life鈥攁nd saved the life of a young girl.

This story originally appeared in .

Search Results: Be the Match

According to its website, Be the Match is a nonprofit organization connecting leukemia, lymphoma and other blood cancer patients with peripheral blood stem cells and bone marrow transplants. Bone marrow is the spongy tissue in some bones that produces blood cells.

When Be the Match appeared in Nash鈥檚 search results, she had much to learn.

鈥淚n fact, I thought we had to be deceased to be able to do that,鈥� she said. 鈥淎lthough it wasn鈥檛 immediately impactful, I was eased by the idea that there was a chance I could save a life.鈥�

As a woman who is Black and Native American (Muscogee Creek), she possesses a unique human leukocyte antigens (HLA) Type among others on the donor registry.

HLA Type comprises protein markers that 鈥渢ell your body which cells belong in your body and which do not鈥� according to the Be the Match website. The closer the HLA Type match, the more likely the transplant is to be successful.

Timing Isn鈥檛 on Her Side

In 2022, Nash鈥檚 phone blew up with messages from unfamiliar numbers.

She and a teenage girl battling cancer were a perfect match. But was the timing?

鈥淚 just started my professional career, was in between permanent housing, and had no idea what I was meant to do with my life, personally or professionally,鈥� Nash said. 鈥淗ow could I ask my new employer for a day off when it was among my first weeks on the job?鈥�

She asked.

Her boss at Metropolitan State University in Denver, Colorado, said yes. Twenty days later, Nash and her mom flew to Washington, D.C., for a bone marrow extraction. Be the Match covered their expenses.

Nash鈥檚 workplace, where she鈥檚 the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Program recruitment manager, didn鈥檛 question whether she had the leave.

After her experience, Nash began advocating on behalf of bone marrow donors. While still in her hospital bed, she made a Tik Tok about her experience. It went viral.

鈥淭he power of story-sharing is real. Individuals are moved by others鈥� experiences. It raises awareness, it educates the majority and provides guidance for others thinking about following your steps,鈥� she said.

Soon, her advocacy expanded to in-person lobbying, including a trip back to Washington, to advocate for donor leave. That鈥檚 an allowance for employees to take up to 40 hours of nonconsecutive, unpaid leave to become a donor. Nash describes the policy as similar to jury duty.

鈥淢any individuals have trouble requesting the day off to ensure they can travel to the donation site and have appropriate time to recover, all while ensuring they are able to still pay their bills and have a job to come back to,鈥� she said.

Nash, who is once again on Be the Match鈥檚 donor registry, has been named co-advisor for the Midwest Region of the Be The Match Advocacy Ambassador Team.

Meeting Her Match

As HC Today went to press, Nash was expected to meet the recipient of her donation. They had already exchanged texts and spoken. Nash said she thinks about her often.

鈥淪he has dreams, ambitions, desires and even fears. Her goals were at one point, day by day; but because of our match, she can now think farther into college, parenthood and beyond. Giving a small portion of my body, that replaced itself in a mere 30 days, was worth it to give a life for this precious little girl,鈥� Nash said. 鈥淲hen we have the opportunity to love our neighbor, in whatever way that may come to you, it is up to us to answer the call.鈥�

Donating Bone Marrow

In a Be the Match video, Dr. Rayne Rouce with Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Childrens鈥� Hospital describes the bone marrow extraction process.

1. The donor鈥檚 health is assessed for this outpatient procedure.
2. The donor is administered anesthesia.
3. The doctor makes a quarter-inch incision in the back of the donor鈥檚 hip bone.
4. Using a small, hollow needle, the doctor extracts the liquid bone marrow.

The process takes 30-60 minutes. Recovery pains are described as minor. Donors leave the hospital that day.

To register to be a donor with Be the Match, go to .

By Alicia O’Donnell 鈥�96

Hoffmann, an ag business major, and Hervey, a double major in political science and sociology, didn鈥檛 cross paths much as students at 糖心传媒, but struck up a friendship while attending law school together at the University of Nebraska鈥� Lincoln.

Despite their diverse academic backgrounds, the two share an undergraduate experience at 糖心传媒 that helped them define their motivations, and the areas open for those motivations to turn into job opportunities.

For Hoffmann, the fourth generation of a farm family, this looked like realizing how her passions for law and agriculture could work together.

鈥淚 always had an interest in law, and growing up on a farm I always loved agriculture. But after getting my ag business degree at 糖心传媒, I kind of saw our operation through that lens and knew I wanted to get my law degree,鈥� Hoffman said.

Hoffmann first practiced as an associate attorney at Bacon, Vinton & Venteicher Law Firm in Gothenburg, Nebraska. This role had a strong connection to agriculture and rural life, often dealing with estate planning, real estate contracts and economic development, which was a perfect fit at the time.

Hervey鈥檚 law career went in an entirely different direction, but one that is equally fulfilling for her. She currently works for Lindemeier Law office and also for Lincoln County as a public defender, primarily practicing family law.

While she is presented with a variety of cases, Hervey has really found her passion in juvenile law. Here, Hervey has the opportunity to work with clients under the age of 19 that are charged with a crime, as well as representing parents and children in child welfare cases.

鈥淧ersonally, I really enjoy the children’s welfare cases because I get to work one on one with the kids and I really get to know them. I see their environments, how they鈥檝e grown up and I help make a recommendation of what is in their best interest,鈥� Hervey said.

This wasn鈥檛 what Hervey always had in mind for her law career. Though she envisioned herself going to law school since she was an elementary school student, she always dreamed of being a prosecutor. It wasn鈥檛 until her last year of law school when she participated in the College of Law鈥檚 Children鈥檚 Justice Clinic that she realized practicing juvenile law was where she felt drawn.

鈥淚 wrestled with the decision to work for Lindemeier for a while, just because I had to be a public defender in this role and I had worked the prosecuting side of law for so long. But I thought it was a good challenge, and I got to work on cases I was passionate about. I鈥檓 really glad I decided to take the risk and try the other side of the criminal world.鈥�

In a recent turn of events, Hervey and Hoffmann will be working together at Lindemeier Law Office, as Hoffmann took a position at Lindemeier. Her passion for rural law remains, but she is looking forward to using her profession to help people through difficult circumstances, as well as the opportunity to work with her old friend.

鈥淚’ve done a complete 180 in my career. I’ll be working in criminal defense, juvenile law, and family law as well as continuing to do estate planning. I’m most excited for the opportunity to assist people who are possibly going through one of the worst times of their lives. It will be great working with a fellow HC grad. Tori will be a valuable resource in helping me learn about the new practice areas I’ll be working in,鈥� Hoffmann said.

Career paths change in college, and as Hoffmann shows, sometimes they continue to change throughout one鈥檚 professional life when one continues to follow their passion.

By Landry Hinkson ’23

“I think that you should pick Hastings if you know that you want to stick out. You don’t just want blend in and you want to be more than just a number to your professors,” said Watson, who is from Franklin, Tennessee.

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�

Thinking she wouldn’t be able to attend college, one call from an admissions counselor changed everything for Socorro Topete of South Sioux City, Nebraska.

Despite the challenges, Topete was able to attend her first choice, 糖心传媒, and she is grateful the school took a chance on her.

Originally from Denver, Colorado, Akotaobi, a self-described 鈥淗R nerd,鈥� spent 14 years working in human capital management and operations. Earlier this year, he took a new job, serving as the head of People and Inclusion at Glowforge in Seattle, Washington, where, according to him, 鈥淭his is the first time I鈥檝e ever been number one.鈥�

According to Akotaobi, human resource management goes beyond firing and hiring.

鈥淢y job is about taking diverse people and placing them in positions that leverage their strengths and allow them to be their authentic selves. In businesses, you have to hire for what you can鈥檛 teach, and the best way to do that is by bringing in people of diverse backgrounds,鈥� he said.

As he grew his career, Akotaobi earned a master鈥檚 degree in human resources from Villanova University. After graduating, he settled and served as the vice president of HR for Prologis, a longstanding pioneer in logistics real estate.

While Akotabi enjoyed the work, he wanted opportunities for growth where he could focus more on what mattered to him. 鈥淚 want to create an environment that thrives on authenticity. I want to inspire people to start conversations around changing systems,鈥� he said.

The former human resource, human services administration and sociology triple major acknowledged that his experience at 糖心传媒 equipped him with two necessary tools to succeed: critical thinking and patience. 鈥溙切拇� is where I鈥檝e learned patience for people,鈥� Akotaobi explained. 鈥淏eyond that, my ability to think in-depth serves me well within the business community.鈥�

When asked what diversity and inclusion mean to him, the former track athlete responded, 鈥淒iversity is often focused as something we can see. There is more to our individual diversity than just that. Inclusion, on the other hand, is when people can come as their authentic selves.鈥�

Throughout his college years, Akotaobi said he had many enriching experiences where he learned to communicate effectively across cultures. He attributes his strong work ethic to his continuous efforts to learn and master his craft.

By Kiant茅 Stuart, a junior from Nassua, The Bahamas, majoring in communications studies and business administration.

After graduating from 糖心传媒, Nash moved to Cambridge to attend Harvard Divinity School to earn a master鈥檚 degree in Black liberation theology with a focus on mass criminalization. She鈥檚 one of several collaborators and creative designers for the publication.

The publication was a part of Nash鈥檚 Freedom School student-initiated class. Freedom Schools are historically created for minority students to gather and learn about the history and work not always included in regular classroom settings. Originating in the South, Freedom Schools worked towards social justice and equality.

The Harvard Freedom School targets prison abolition, feminist theology, womanist theology, Black liberation theology and mass criminalization. Nash and her classmates collaborated to gather pieces of literature from people they thought embodied the true vision of justice, transformation and reformation.

The literary magazine is a compilation of art, prose, poetry and love letters. The objective was to compile works from influential people to create an unspoken dialogue. Creators for the journal were not given a prompt, but after viewing all the entered pieces, the creators realized there was an underlying theme and voice to be heard.

鈥淚 think this magazine is specifically interesting considering the current pandemic we are facing, the tone of this edition is like none-other,鈥� Nash said.

When thinking about her social network and who to reach out to for the journal, Nash knew she wanted Kennon to contribute to the project. She wanted to uplift the thoughts of the younger generation, and she said she believes Kennon embodies servant leadership.

Nash and the collaborators worked on a piece of the publication that is scattered throughout; it鈥檚 a love letter thanking their ancestors and paying tribute to the journal鈥檚 readers.

Kennon hasn鈥檛 always been a writer. She said her writing experience kicked off her first year at 糖心传媒 and her creative writing minor inspired her to write a lot. The communication studies graduate submitted a poem titled, Our Acerbic Extract, to the publication.

Kennon wrote her poem during her creative writing course with Dr. Eleanor Reeds, 糖心传媒 professor of English. The piece started as a single stanza poem, but eventually, throughout the course, it grew to a full poem. Kennon said the poem is inspired by her love of grape juice. With the ongoing editing, it became a poem filled with Christian motifs, light-heartedness and the deep, habitual rhythm of relationships.

Kennon鈥檚 writing often focuses on historical, science and romance fiction, and she often tries to combine all three into one. She said her emotions help her write because it is a way to get her feelings out onto paper.

鈥淭he environment of where I am often plays with my emotions as well, and I think that is why I started writing in college,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is so much beauty on the 糖心传媒 campus that I couldn鈥檛 help but be inspired.鈥�

In the future, Kennon dreams of writing a collection of short stories. For now, she said she鈥檒l continue to submit to journals and magazines because she loves combining her love for advocacy with creative writing.

鈥淲riting fiction has allowed me to talk about more serious topics in a way I know people will listen,鈥� she said.

Kennon鈥檚 submission is under a pen-name 鈥淐hristina K.鈥� The journal is available to view at .

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

Knight鈥檚 research focuses on providing a criminological perspective on the issue of phishing scams that seek to extract money, passwords and other personal information from internet users under false pretenses.

The sociology and psychology graduate is focusing her dissertation on the intersections of religion, technology and crime by exploring how technology mediates revelations of sexual abuse within religious institutions and its role in the tracking of perpetrator movements.

Before attending graduate school, she served two years as an AmeriCorps member for United Way and Court Appointed Special Advocates for children (CASA). Knight worked to improve volunteer recruitment and retention and connected young people with opportunities for community service and skill development within the community.

She said 糖心传媒 prepared her for the future in many ways. She came to graduate school ready to read and critique academic journal articles, allowing her to work more efficiently and rigorously.

鈥溙切拇� professors provided me with opportunities to create research projects and present my work. These experiences helped me communicate my research findings to community members, academics and stakeholders in ways that are meaningful and practical,鈥� she said.

糖心传媒 professors helped Knight gain knowledge, social connections and continue to give her career and life advice. They gave her tools for applying to graduate school and helped her find which school would best serve her needs.

鈥淢y professors continue to be a source of guidance and encouragement for me,鈥� she said.

Knight鈥檚 advice to current students is to seek out opportunities for internships, job shadowing, and service-learning.

鈥淭hese opportunities helped me clarify my career path and provided me with crucial community connections I still rely on today,鈥� she said. 鈥淭here is no substitute for hands-on experience and observation.鈥�

By Hazel Ashton, a sophomore majoring in health systems and psychology and Courtney Hanson, a junior majoring in communication studies and philosophy and religion