“My small town roots are the thing that has always kept me grounded,” Vondra said. “No matter where I worked or traveled, I always knew home – the place that shaped my character.”

A marketing and communications double major at �㽶��Ƶ, Vondra participated on the volleyball and softball teams, served on the student executive council and public relations council, and worked in the admissions office. She recalls her time on campus as an incredible chapter with a loving, enriching community.

“The people and opportunities challenged me to become a lifelong learner,” Vondra said.

After graduation, Vondra lived in Denver for two years before retracing her roots back to Nebraska.

She and her spouse, Jeremiah, who will be married 25 years this coming June, live in Crete, and opened Vondra Veterinary Clinic in 2007, where Jeremiah is a veterinarian. Their daughter, Tori ‘25, is following her father’s footsteps and pursuing her doctorate of veterinary medicine through a joint program with the University of Nebraska and Iowa State University. Son, Quinlan, is a sophomore at Wayne State College, studying manufacturing and construction management.

Vondra spent most of her adult life chasing significance and validation from the world, working with industries and well-known brands in her career. In 2013, she joined Cabela’s on the financial services side of the business; during the next five years, she grew exponentially and advanced into a leadership role. By 2018, Cabela’s was acquired by Bass Pro Shops, resulting in many of Vondra’s work family being displaced, furloughed or unemployed. While she was one of 40 asked to stay on during the company’s transition, she also found herself working 60- to 80-hour weeks to convert half a century’s worth of work within less than 18 months.

“As much as I hate to say it, my work owned me,” Vondra said. “When we finally navigated through 2018 and 2019, we thought, ‘2020 will be the year everything normalizes.’ There was no leadership manual or class that could prepare us for taking our teams through 2020,” she said, referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.

When the calendar flipped to 2021, what Vondra had hoped would be a more promising, optimistic year, was one that she said “rocked her to the core and transformed her.”

Within the first few weeks of the new year, her father was diagnosed with stage four pancreatic cancer and passed away just two and a half weeks following his diagnosis. Daughter, Tori, was involved in a serious car accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury.

“He was the anchor of our family, life of the party and my protector,” Vondra said of her father. “Losing my dad was hard, but [Tori’s accident] was unimaginable. Suddenly, the title, the salary, the schedule seemed to have little meaning as I reflected on God’s purpose for my life.”

Remarkably, Tori made a full recovery. But as Jody returned to the corporate scene, she realized that she wanted to have a greater impact on the world.

“I started to share my story with others, and it connected with people,” Vondra said. “God slowly started to reveal to me that maybe this pain and heartache had a purpose much greater than I could imagine. He has used my struggles and failures as my greatest growth and learning opportunities.”

And with that, Vondra stepped away from her corporate career and invested her life helping others experience God’s love and discover the best version of themselves through the founding of Perspective Elevation, L.L.C., where she implements leadership & growth training with individuals, teams and organizations. She has spoken at numerous events across the country and will travel to Washington, D.C., this fall to speak with leaders in healthcare.

“I believe people matter and everyone holds value,” Vondra said. “Life is a series of mountains and valleys. We learn who we are in the valley and discover who we want to become looking from the mountaintop.”

Vondra has also written a book, “The Country Road Perspective: Finding Purpose in the Journey,” in which she talks about life’s challenges and finding value and purpose in the least expected places. Her book is available for purchase on Amazon.

By Kendra Bargen ‘04

With a practiced rhythm, he guides the tree into a shaker that rattles loose needles and debris before he trims a one-inch puck from the trunk. He presses a small branding iron into the slice, stamping it with the Pine Patch logo to create a keepsake ornament. He wraps the tree in netting, and a worker hoists it onto the roof rack of the family’s gray SUV.

One more Christmas memory is heading home.

In the Pine Patch barn, where giant nutcracker soldiers stand guard, shelves and tables brim with Christmas decor for sale – wreaths, porch pots and table arrangements. Nikayla Kindig, Joe’s spouse, and their three-month-old son, Jax, greet customers and offer candy canes and Christmas coloring books while holiday music plays in the background. A few lucky kids even get to talk to Santa on a walkie-talkie.

“The tree farm during Christmas is never a transaction; it’s only tradition. I get so much joy,” said Kindig, who began working at the farm as a �㽶��Ƶ student and bought the place in 2021. “I’ve been taking photos of the same families since 2011 and watching their kids and grandkids grow, seeing families as they change. It’s a tradition that has far surpassed a price tag. It’s a lot of fun when you see people coming to Hastings from Salina, Kansas; Beatrice, Lincoln, Grand Island and Omaha, just because we’ve created a tradition.”

From the 1,000 evergreens Kindig cultivates on a one-acre plot, he sells about 100 each year and lets the others continue to mature. He sells another 500 large pre-cut Christmas trees shipped in from Michigan.

“Nikayla and I got engaged at the tree farm, and her dad built the barn,” Kindig said. “Everything I hate doing in a business, those are her strong suits. As a tandem effort, we are an entrepreneurial couple.”

At Pine Patch, Christmas trees make up 20 percent of the inventory, while the rest are landscape varieties such as oak, maple, birch and locust. Kindig grows 700 landscape trees each year and sells roughly 500 to area households and businesses. He offers his expertise to �㽶��Ƶ as a member of its Tree Campus USA Committee.

The barn, in addition to serving as a showroom during the Christmas season, doubles as an event venue for weddings, showers, graduation parties and other special occasions. Constructed from pine and douglas fir, the charming structure includes a kitchenette, buffet line, restrooms and even a bridal dressing area on the top level.

“We built the barn in 2022,” Kindig said. “From November to December, it’s a Christmas wonderland. From January to the end of October, Nikayla runs the venue portion. We can accommodate about 100 people.”

Branching out in other ventures

As if running a tree farm didn’t keep them busy enough, the couple also owns Barista’s, another local business where Kindig worked during college. They bought the original location in north Hastings in 2020 and last spring added Barista’s Downtown.

“I graduated from �㽶��Ƶ and bought the two businesses where I used to be an employee, so here we are,” Kindig said.

Yet another venture — Hastings Complete Lawns, a mowing business he started after graduating from St. Cecilia High School — shares employees with the Pine Patch Tree Farm. In addition to mowing lawns for customers and for several rental properties Kindig owns in Hastings, the employees hang Christmas lights at local residences and commercial properties, even decorating Downtown Hastings for the annual Celebration of Lights festivities.

Kindig’s three local businesses employ more than 20 full- and part-time workers. He estimates that 75 percent are attending or have graduated from �㽶��Ƶ.

“My education at �㽶��Ƶ played a vital role in learning how to run a business,” Kindig said. “In addition to the courses in my business major, my major helped me be more relatable in dealing with customers and staff. I pride myself on the fact that my current and previous employees become friends for life. Without communication, you have no business.”

Kindig’s entrepreneurial mindset even extends to his eventual retirement plans 30-40 years down the road. He bought a home in Estes Park, Colorado, a beloved location where his grandparents owned property, and is renting it out as an Airbnb.

“We want to buy at least one Airbnb rental a year in other states we enjoy, like Arizona,” Kindig said. “That’s our retirement plan. We can go and visit each one.”

By Judee Konen ’85

When he’s not in class, chances are you’ll find �㽶��Ƶ 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 �㽶��Ƶ. 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 �㽶��Ƶ’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 �㽶��Ƶ 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

“It’s about building connections with our homeless community here in Denver. We want to be a support system for these people because the biggest illness that runs through the streets in Denver is loneliness,” said Byrne, a communications major from Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Christ in the City is a Catholic, nonprofit organization based in Denver since 2010. It is committed to serving the poor and homeless in the metro area. Every day, missionaries walk the streets of downtown, offering physical assistance, such as food and water, as well as spiritual support through fellowship and connection. These routes are assigned to the same people every day to build relationships with the homeless people in the area.

In his internship, the communications major has been expanding on both his communication skills behind the scenes while also learning how missionary operates.

When Byrne isn’t directly helping those in need in his community, he works on creating content for the organization through videography and editing.

For example, he helps tell the story of Christ in the City by producing lunch in the park videos. Lunch in the park is a large, friendly gathering of homeless community members, volunteers, missionaries and other community members where they all enjoy lunch together. For Byrne, his task is to help come up with pictures and captions for the social media platforms to update followers and supporters.

“Creating content about what we do at Christ in the City is rewarding, but seeing it come to life in real-time is even more fulfilling,” he said. “Watching the posts on social media and spreading our mission to the community is truly gratifying work.”

A typical workday for him includes many personal and group prayer sessions, followed by training from the yearly missionaries. For Byrne, these sessions provide guidance on what it means to be a missionary, how to serve and what that looks like to the homeless community. After the team-leading sessions, they pack up the supplies to hand out during their walking routes for the day.

“It’s building these relationships with some of my homeless friends and seeing them open up and share their burden with us and trusting us is the most rewarding for doing this community work. It’s knowing I am making an active change to my community by showing spiritual companionship and kindness that makes me wake up daily,” Byrne said.

His ties to communication experience back to his time spent on the �㽶��Ƶ media team.

Much of Byrne’s knowledge in editing and videography comes from assisting media professor Jarod Rogers in his media courses and media team.

Byrne’s plan for after graduation is to work in communications and as a missionary at a non-profit like Christ in the City. He said he looks forward to applying both his spiritual and communication experiences in the future as he looks to help community members feel seen.

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

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

And she wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I was definitely one of those individuals that fell into this line of work, and I’ve loved it ever since,” said Jamieson.

Currently, she serves as program officer for Supportive Housing for Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) San Antonio, Texas. In this role, she works with a team to provide affordable, stable housing options as well as key services to households with at least one person with a disability. Many people in supportive housing have experienced homelessness because they have struggled to secure and sustain housing in their communities.

Jamieson’s position requires: being an independent starter since the working conditions are hybrid, connecting with varied audiences, and continually studying and presenting the best practices for permanent supportive housing – all skills she honed as an active student at �㽶��Ƶ.

“Being involved kept me busy and helped with my organization skills as well as being able to meet people where they are,” she said.

Formally, Jamieson served as president of the Multicultural Student Union, co-president of Alpha Delta Alpha, and a member of the Public Relations (PR) Council, among other endeavors. Personally, she took it upon herself “to mentor and support many minority students.”

“The connections, friendships, responsibility for others, and being the face for someone making the choice to attend HC all helped me grow in my communication skills,” she said.

Finding Success in Nonprofit Management

Jamieson provides this advice to others seeking to succeed in the nonprofit field:

• Truly have a passion for the work.
• Understand that you won’t save the world, but you can have a huge impact on someone’s life, to help them reach whatever level of independence looks like for them.
• Seek a mentor to help you in areas that aren’t your strengths.
• Being genuine, empathetic, trustworthy, humble, and keeping your word are very important in nonprofit management.
• Develop skills that will grow your team, the organization, and yourself.

After managing various marketing campaigns, receiving his Master of Business Administration, and becoming a team leader at Tropicana, Sexson’s passion has become clear. He loves to lead people — and was recently named to the Brand Innovators 40 Under 40 in the Midwest.

As a former captain of the men’s soccer team, the passion for leading and motivating teams has always been there for Sexson. Over time he saw how that same passion could be translated from athletics into the business world, a realization that changed everything for him.

“I enjoy building people up, getting them motivated, finding what makes them tick and growing their careers,” he said. “Leading teams is something I have always enjoyed and I feel really blessed to have the opportunity to do just that.”

When Sexson realized that his dream was to eventually move into an executive role, he went back to school and received his MBA from Northwestern University.

After building his resume working for Tropicana and various other companies, Sexson landed the role of Vice President & General Manager of Emerging Brands and Breakthrough Innovation. Sexson currently has full leadership of several brands within Tropicana, including IZZE, a sparkling juice, and KeVita, a line of functional beverages.

Sexson has been successful working in this role, and was recently named to Brand Innovators 40 Under 40 list in the Midwest, an honor he claims is due to the great people he has the privilege of leading. Honorees were nominated by the Brand Innovators community, which includes more than 25,000 brand side marketers across the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. Winners were selected by the Brand Innovators editorial team based on their professional accomplishments, expertise in leveraging digital media and emerging advertising technology platforms and a drive to continually keep their respective brands on the cutting edge of innovation.

“One of the things that has enabled me to be more successful in my career is leveraging and leaning on the people on my team,” he said. “I wouldn’t have been able to get that award if I didn’t have a strong team under me. They are brilliant leaders, which makes my job that much easier.”

Sexson values the people around him, and makes it his goal to learn from all his interactions with those surrounding him. This started for Sexson as a student at �㽶��Ƶ.

“�㽶��Ƶ allowed me to be a member of the soccer team as well as being involved in Lambda Pi Eta, the communications team. I learned so much from getting to know people involved in different activities and sports, with vastly different backgrounds,” he said.

Sexson, who studied marketing at �㽶��Ƶ, also learned immensely from his professors and is thankful for their dedication to helping students find their voice.

“There is an art to speaking in front of people, and at �㽶��Ƶ my professors really helped me find my voice, my unique voice. Because of professors like Dr. (Jessica) Henry, I became confident in my ability to speak in front of people. The ability to stand up in a meeting with purpose and command the attention of the room with a cohesive and logical story has done wonders for my career,” said Sexson.

Sexson has ultimately found his voice through the teams he leads and the products he manages; the two driving forces behind his passion for his job.

“I am married with two kids, and I want to work on products that I am proud to take home to my family,” he said. “Right now that means lots of health and wellness products. And second, I want to grow the careers of the people on my team. I am very fortunate to be in a position right now that has given me the opportunity to do both.”

By Landry Hinkson, a junior communication major from Bazaar, Kansas.

Kennon found a passion for TikTok marketing while doing freelance social media work during the COVID-19 pandemic. She saw TikTok as an up-and-coming platform and decided to make an account for a small mocktail company. She grew this platform from zero followers to 63,000 followers in a week. That’s when Kennon knew she was on to something.

After receiving her masters degree from University of Alabama and working a marketing agency job, Kennon started seeking out opportunities to return to TikTok content creation on a more full time basis. Once again Kennon leveraged her social media knowledge, and connected with the social media manager from The Knot on LinkedIn, who also happened to be an University of Alabama graduate.

She went on to land an interview with the company, and eventually a job. Kennon credits this to the use of social media to advance her career, something she believes can benefit all college students.

“One of my biggest pieces of advice is to get on LinkedIn. It is the social network of the career world, and I would recommend getting involved and reaching out to professionals that you admire. You would be surprised to see who responds, or is even interested in meeting with you,” Kennon said.

Now, a typical day in Kennon’s life looks like filming videos, strategizing campaigns and analyzing TikTok trends to find what could best promote the company. Not to mention working with fun video subjects, such as TikTok comedian Erica Priscilla and several couples from the popular reality show Love is Blind.

These opportunities bring out her ultimate passions: telling stories and solving problems

“I love figuring out how to make content blow up on TikTok, which really brings out my resortitive strength. I do this through sharing stories and finding what resonates with people, which has always been a passion of mine as a former collegiate speech team member,” she said.

Her experience as a member of the forensics (speech) team at �㽶��Ƶ formed Kennon’s ability to tell compelling stories, something that she credits a large part of professional success to.

“I leverage what I learned from �㽶��Ƶ Forensics team in every single job and job interview I’ve ever had. Knowing how to give a presentation and back up my ideas with arguments has really helped give me confidence while working in the corporate world,” she said.

Not only did her extra-curricular experience at Hastings prepare her for the professional world, but also the academic portion of her education. As a Communications Studies major, Kennon learned how to effectively engage with people in a variety of settings.

“I always tell people that you can literally do anything with a communications degree, which is what makes it such a great degree,” she said. “You will be communicating with people in every single job you have, and it is so beneficial to truly understand how to do that.”

While Kennon is currently living her dream working at The Knot, and living in Boise, Idaho with her husband, she hasn’t stopped dreaming yet. Her future aspirations include eventually moving into a creative planning role at The Knot, and coaching collegiate speech and debate. In every aspect of her life she continues to strive toward learning and growth.

“I’ve learned to never put limits on yourself,” said Kennon. “You might end up working in a newly invented role, and you may even fall in love while doing it.”

By Landry Hinkson, a junior communication major from Bazaar, Kansas.

Hinkson, a communications major from Bazaar, Kansas, up until the summer of 2021 believed she’d work at a newspaper as a journalist. Now she’s interested in going to grad school to become a school counselor, and it was her experience at a summer camp that year, and now this summer, that changed her mind.

“I figured out what I wanted to do after spending a summer at a summer camp. I just fell in love with it, and fell in love with the kids,” Hinkson said.

Hinkson said she has always had a passion for working with kids, as she babysat from a young age, but it’s an area she didn’t really plan to consider since lots of her family has worked in education previously. She said everyone always told her she’d be a great teacher, but she never envisioned herself working in a school system.

In 2021, when she worked at Camp IdRaHaJe in Bailey, Colorado, she was with 6-9 year olds and spent all day everyday with them. “We slept in the cabins together. I was a mom, nurse, archery instructor, therapist and also a pastor because you’re leading devotions with them,” Hinkson said. “You just become a lot of things to the kids.”

While Hinkson explained that this sort of experience could make someone realize they don’t want to work with kids, the opposite happened for her.

During her time at the camp, Hinkson said she realized that her original career path just didn’t make sense. Every job experience she’d ever had was with kids and even when there were guest speakers at the camp, she said, all believed she was going into education.

“I just started thinking about it and it didn’t make sense,” Hinkson said. “My eyes were really opened to what I wanted to do with my life through that experience.”

This summer, Hinkson decided to work at another summer camp, GENERATE by YM360. YM360 is a christian publishing company and GENERATE is the camp they host for 7-12 graders. Churches often bring entire youth groups to these camps.

Hinkson is a SERVE leader this year, which means she facilitates missions and volunteer experiences throughout the week at different locations. These missions, for example, may include helping out at a vacation bible school, building an outdoor chapel, working in thrift stores, painting houses or mulching around trees. A favorite project was a christian retreat center in Cleveland Tennessee called Johnston Woods. One woman was managing 300 acres of land with minimal staff and needed support to prepare for her summer family camp season.

“I’ve really enjoyed that our mission projects were different every week. I’ve gotten to experience how sometimes doing missions is focused around being relational and sharing the gospel with people, but sometimes it’s doing manual labor like raking leaves in the woods for three hours. Both are important,” Hinkson said.

GENERATE has camps across the country during the summer, so Hinkson was able to travel to a lot of different places. They did training and the first week of camps at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain, Georgia. Then they went to Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee, and were there three weeks before heading to Louisiana Tech University, which is in Ruston, Louisiana. She also went to John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas; Marshall, Texas; and then finished up with a two-week stint in Estes Park, Colorado.

Working at GENERATE this summer further confirmed her decision to be a school counselor, but in a different way. While she was not spending as much time with these kids as she was last year at Camp IdRaHaJe, she said she was still able to form connections with them. Since the kids at Generate were older, she could have deeper conversations.

“Since I can have those conversations with them, I can share my experiences at camp and my testimony with them. I see them relate to me and look up to me,” Hinkson said.

That she’s able to share her story with the kids and see them look up to her and want to take after her, is a full circle experience for Hinkson, since the reason she’s working at camps is because of her camp counselor from when she was in high school. “I just thought that what she was doing was great and it was the first time I had ever seen a college kid that just devoted their life to the Lord and camp ministry,” Hinkson said.

Hinkson said she worked and traveled with a team of 25 people full time, and the group taught her a lot about self sacrifice.

“I just believe there is great value in knowing how to put others’ needs above yourself in an organization and also in personal relationships. You can use that in any aspect of your life,” Hinkson said.

By Ally Banks, a junior English major from Shawnee, Kansas

After graduating from HC, Grefe scored a job at a bank in Hastings where he worked for seven years.

“I loved that community and the friends I’d made, so when I got my first job at a bank in Hastings, it was no surprise that I would remain a banker for many years to come,” he said.

From there, he took a job at Northwest Bank, where he is responsible for a number of roles, most of which involves commercial lending.

Grefe, like any banker, knew how to crunch numbers or grant a loan but over the years he has distinguished himself in more ways than one.

In the office, his areas of specialty include working capital lines of credit, real estate loans and equipment loans. Outside of work he has thrived as a community leader and prides himself on serving others.

Kelly is a Small Business Association facilitator, active participant in Boots To Business, Small Business Financial Literacy and a SCORE Mentor. SCORE is the leading source of ongoing small business counseling, business training workshops and online expert business resources in Omaha, Nebraska and throughout the U.S. He is a volunteer USSSA youth baseball coach, RMA member, Sons of the American Legion and Nebraska Bankers Association member.

“The most rewarding thing is not giving someone a $10 million loan, it’s the small deeds like changing someone’s life with a piece of equipment or encouraging someone to take the leap and start their business,” he said. “Hopefully my attitude never stinks. I’m grateful for where I’m at and I’m humbled that I get to do what I love everyday, at a place that I love.”

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