Our Stories

Investing in Civic Life: The Doerr Center at Hastings College
When Karen (Gilmore) ’75 and Roger Doerr committed $600,000 over five years to establish the Doerr Center for Civic Engagement at Hastings College, they weren’t simply writing a check. They were planting

From evergreens to espresso: Kindig ’16 embraces entrepreneurship
On a chilly Friday in December, kids scamper among the evergreens at Pine Patch Tree Farm in Hastings while owner Joe Kindig ’16 prepares a seven-foot spruce for one delighted family. With

Madera ’19 bridges cultures through music
By weaving his Latin American heritage into the choral music he creates, Hugo Madera ’19 – conductor, composer and educator – builds a harmonious bridge between two cultures: his roots in Jalisco,

What happened on the way to the manger? Koepp fills gap in Nativity story
In the traditional Nativity story, angels appear to the shepherds, telling them to go pay homage to the newborn King. The next thing we see is the shepherds at the manger, but

Internship helps Castellanos grow in science and confidence
Hastings College sophomore Sam Acosta Castellanos stepped into his position as a quality and lab intern at Nova-Tech Inc. to help ensure the quality and safety of animal medicine the company makes.

Christenson bringing history, stories of the Plains to life
Kylie (Luth) Christenson ’19 leads a visitor up the elegant curving staircase of the Stuhr Museum of the Prairie Pioneer in Grand Island, Nebraska. On the second level, she gestures toward a

Tidyman learns the life of a zookeeper during summer internship
Surrounded by playful black bears and a roaming grizzly, Hastings College wildlife biology major Chyenne Tidyman spent her summer learning the ropes of zookeeping as an intern at the Sedgwick County Zoo

Mathematics major turns equations into relations to help others understand numbers
Hastings College student Lucy Reid highlights the power of numbers in order to gain a deeper understanding during their summer internship at the Scott Data Center in Omaha, Nebraska. “I’ve always been

Karr spending summer scouting fields — and careers
Standing in a patchwork of Nebraska farmland, Hastings College senior Brock Karr is spending his summer digging deeper into the roots of agriculture — this time, not just as a farm kid

Bronco student-athletes showing off their summer skills at Duncan Field
Four Hastings College student-athletes are participating on a collegiate summer baseball team, the Hastings Sodbusters, where their working to gain skills on and off the field. Seniors Markus Miller, Gunnar Pike and

Hastings College student takes on disease detection — and Japanese culture — in summer abroad
Hastings College student Sophia Lee never expected a chance email to lead her to Japan, but now she’s immersed in high-tech medical research — and Japanese culture — thanks to a life-changing

Uhrmacher finds his place in teacher education at Hastings College
After high school, Cale Uhrmacher got his start at Central Community College, but a call from chair the Hastings College Teacher Education Department steered him on a different path. Uhrmacher found a

Hastings College students examine shortage of medical providers in rural communities
Medical providers in small towns and communities are not always available everyday — with some providers and specialists traveling from and working in several areas. For patients, this means week-long waits for

Fong ’05 builds global support for Nebraska’s majestic sandhill cranes
Each March, thousands of people flock to the Central Platte River Valley to see the annual migration of the Sandhill Cranes, long-legged, crimson-capped creatures that fill the sky with their trumpeting calls,

Does makeup matter in hiring? Harveson puts it to the test
Abby Harveson is a makeup lover. But what happens when she brings that passion into the workplace? That’s the question that sparked her research into the impact makeup has in professional settings.

Community and commitment: Branson thrives at Hastings College
Many students who walk the campus at Hastings College carry special talents, are creative, academically excel or are high achievers on and off the court. Grace Branson is all of those things