Alumni Stories

Meeske maximizes publishing talents with graduate program
For a young professional looking to launch a career in publishing, the Denver Publishing Institute (DPI) makes a perfect stepping stone. The four-week graduate program covers the complete book publishing process through…

Cranbrook grad finds beginning with Hastings College art
When Alyssa Rose Bliven ’14 first enrolled at Hastings College, she planned to one day become a veterinarian. The future had something else in store for her. During the 2017 Hastings College…

Brummer ’04 helps build global company with Hastings graduates
Sojern, originally a small business developed to monetize the online airline boarding pass, has distinct ties to Hastings College. The company was founded by Gordon Whitten ’93. Today, Brent Brummer ’04 runs its…

Thiel customizes career in luxury shoes
Yannic Thiel ’11 takes pleasure in his refined tastes for the simple joys in life. For him, there is great happiness to be found in a good education, competitive soccer and luxury…

Recent grad takes on Comic Con, television news
For Jennifer Schmidt ’17, opportunities abound behind the lens of a camera. Her photography and videography skills have introduced her to Napoleon Dynamite, helped her bring news to audiences across Nebraska and…

Black ’97 makes history
Joe Black’s workplace, the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island, Nebraska, is like no other. With sites and exhibits spanning 200 acres, the museum takes visitors back in time…

Andley ’01 markets globally for 3M
As global business and marketing leader at 3M, a multinational company based in St. Paul, Minnesota, Danette Wilson Andley ’01 develops business strategies in places around the world. No matter where her…
Alumni help students launch careers
Last summer, alumni-sponsored internships allowed a biology major to research coral colonies in Florida, a marketing major to create a social media campaign for a soap manufacturer and a broadcasting major to produce…

Sherrill interns as NAIA sports ‘gatekeeper’
Since right after her graduation in May of 2016, Nikki Sherrill has spent her days overseeing women’s division II volleyball and women’s division II basketball for the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).…

Humanities grad fights poverty, serves others
When you consider what an English major might do after graduation, working at a social services agency might not be the first thing that comes to mind. Aaron Bowen, however, has discovered…

Johnson gathering experiences, working toward master’s degree
After receiving degrees in political science and peace, justice and social change from Hastings College in 2014, California native Emily Johnson followed her food security and public policy passion and moved to…

HC music alumnus breaks new ground in Japan
Nathan Mertens’ saxophone career has a distinctly international flair. Since graduating from Hastings College in 2012, he studied at the l’université Européenne de Saxophone in France during the summer of 2015 and…

HC alumna secures prestigious scholarship for graduate study abroad
Most students complete master’s degree programs at schools across the state or even across the country, but few have the opportunity to study abroad. Miranda Klugesherz, a 2015 Hastings College graduate, plans…

After 57 years, Sachtleben introduces students to the night sky one last time
From his first day at Hastings College in 1960 as a “24-year-old kid with a crew cut,” to this past January Term as a seasoned educator, Dr. Clyde Sachtleben has spent most…

Hajny finds ‘magical moments’ fighting wildland fires (with video)
See a video interview with Hajny below. A biology degree from Hastings College can often lead to a career in a white coat, as many graduates go on to become physicians, veterinarians…
Video: Petersen continued education at Hastings College to achieve master’s degree
Alumna Frankie Petersen graduated from Hastings College twice. Once with Bachelor of Education in Science Teacher Education/General Science and a second time with a Master of Arts in Elementary Education and Teaching. She…