Alumni Stories
Darling ’03 leads Fontenelle Forest, inspires a love for nature
On a bitterly cold winter’s morning, Matt Darling ’03 points out the wonders of Fontenelle Forest Nature Center: 17 miles of hiking trails winding through 1,400 acres of upland forest and Missouri…
Sanford leaves comfort zone behind in content marketing career
As she made job changes, moved across the country and took risks, Marissa Sanford said it was important to “be okay with being uncomfortable for a little while” — advice she chose…
Ginkens says ‘yes’ to one of the biggest opportunities of her career
For as long as she’s lived, she’s played every sport. So it was no surprise that Ally Ginkens ‘20 would leave her hometown of Mullen, Nebraska, to go on and double major…
Appelhans pursues dentistry through residency in Pacific Northwest
Brooke Appelhans ‘16 dreamed of being a dentist since she was a little girl, which led her to pursue her undergraduate degree in chemistry at Hastings College. She is continuing to follow…
Teal ’17 credits Hastings College in finding her passion (video)
“I remember when I came here as a freshman, I was very much like, ‘I have to receive the training to go on to do the big things,’” said Laurel Teal ‘17.…
Knehans leaves comfort zone behind while continuing her education at CalArts
An advocate for continually exploring outside her comfort zone, Hastings College alumnus Cheyenne Knehans ‘18 is currently pursuing her master degree at the California Institute of the Arts (CalArts). Knehans is in…
Building a better world of athletics: Female coaches In Human Performance
On Monday mornings at 5:00 a.m. most people are fast asleep, getting their last few hours of rest before starting another week of work. Human Performance coaches, however, are not most people.…
Liberal arts education prepared Mills for career in social media marketing
The prevalence of social media marketing in today’s society has produced job opportunities in a brand-new industry, one that Hastings College alumnus Casey Mills ‘08 has taken advantage of. Though his college…
Akotaobi aims to grow concepts of equity, diversity and inclusion
After graduating from Hastings College in 2006, Uzo Akotaobi had no idea where he would go. He just knew he needed a job in human resources where he could devote his career…
Selfless mindset helps Mertens ‘15 bring new businesses to life
While many young professionals spend their lives chasing their own dreams, for one Hastings College alumnus, the dream is to help other people make their dreams a reality. Isaac Mertens, a 2015…
Krause launches PassTime app to help others connect through recreation
After graduating from Hastings College in 2015 with a degree in business administration, Brandon Krause began the process of transforming an idea into a reality: helping connect people looking for a pickup…
Perdunn ‘04 protects power system by working in cybersecurity with OPPD
A man of many talents, Michael Perdunn ’04 worked in customer service, marketing and project management before landing a dream job that fits with his passions. He protects the Omaha Public Power…
Burke ‘17 starts educational career in the midst of COVID-19, helps students succeed
When starting her career in a high school this fall, Melissa Burke ‘17 wasn’t expecting her job to be fully online. The Hastings College psychology and health administration graduate works as a…
Morten wins Big Idea Hastings, opens Lemon & Co. Juicery
In 2019, Hastings College graduate Chelsey Morten ’16/MAT ’18 submitted an idea to Big Idea Hastings. Big Idea is modeled after the show “Shark Tank,” and Morten built a pitch for Lemon…
Kalinskiy thinks of Hastings College skills after winning Russian competition
In early September, Dr. Oleg Kalinskiy ‘98 was named one of the 106 winners of the all-Russia competition, Leaders of Russia. The competition, held for the third time, is designed to help…
Through clerkship, Sisson ‘19 applies tangible skills in law school
During his sophomore year at Hastings College, Marc Sisson ‘19 interned for the Nebraska Attorney General’s office in constituent services. Now in law school, he returned to the same office this past…
