During the competition, contestants are given various tests and cases to explore their level of preparedness to manage large scale projects and solve complex problems.

Potential leaders’ hard and soft skills are evaluated like leadership, positive influence on people, critical thinking, orientation to reach results, teamwork, collaboration, communication skills, social responsibility and ethics. Participants are also required to complete a large-scale project aimed at solving an existing societal problem.

Leaders of Russia was initially organized by Russian President Vladimir Putin. This year, more than 230,000 Russians took part in the competition. Only 106 were selected as winners based on cumulative scores following a SuperFinal event.

As one of the winners, Kalinskiy was awarded a $15,000 grant for educational purposes in Russia. He said he’s considering enrolling in the Executive MBA Program of the Stockholm School of Economics accredited in Russia.

“The competition, as a whole, and the SuperFinal, in particular, were very challenging events with people competing aggressively knowing that there will be no second chance,” said Kalinskiy. “I believe I became one of the winners due mostly to what I was taught many years ago at �㽶��Ƶ.”

Kalinskiy said he was taught by many prominent �㽶��Ƶ faculty — Dr. Chuck Evans, Dr. Denny Storer, Roger Doerr, Dr. Phil Dudley and many others, including Dr. Rich Lloyd, who is now the College’s executive president. He said �㽶��Ƶ faculty taught him how to interact with people, listen and to solve problems as one team to support each other.

During his time at �㽶��Ƶ, Kalinskiy said he was a student on the �㽶��Ƶ Lecture Series Student Symposium Committee under Dr. Jim Dugan. Dugan taught him that leaders do not reward mediocrity, but help students excel.

“The lesson on leadership that Dugan taught me is something I have never forgotten,” he said. “I am grateful to �㽶��Ƶ and its community for making me who I am today.”

Kalinskiy, who majored in economics, was the College’s Commencement speaker in 2014 and was presented a Young Outstanding Alumni Award.

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

CPI is a farmer-owned cooperative with more than 400 employees and operations in 30 communities. It offers a wide range of products and services in agronomy, energy, feed and grain divisions.

Wiegert focuses much of her time using the company’s inventory tracking system to invoice every product at the customer’s price. She keeps track of each amount separately because it could be different based on the salesperson who originally sold the product to the customer.

Her biggest summer project was wrapping up invoices for the fiscal year that ended on July 1— she was in charge of making sure everything was correct and up-to-date.

As a part of her internship, Wiegert said she had the honor to tour the new dry fertilizer facility in Hastings. CPI’s previous dry fertilizer plant, which was only a couple months old at the time, burned down in May 2019 after being struck by lightning.

After the fire, CPI had quickly taken the initiative to start building a new one and completed the new plant in just over a year. The new plant is one of the largest in the nation, with more than 42,000 tons of storage space.

“It was inspirational to see what they did in a year and how amazing the new facility is. It will be perfect for the business,” she said.

In the fall semester of her junior year, Wiegert reached out to Kim Graviette, �㽶��Ƶ’s director of vocation and career services, who helped her connect with CPI. She was interviewed for the job in October 2019 and began her internship in April 2020.

A lot of the coursework Wiegert completed during her time at �㽶��Ƶ career applied to her internship.

Besides coursework, she also participated in professional development days the College’s Department of Business and Economics holds.

“I took in everything I’ve learned from professional development days and alumni panels at �㽶��Ƶ and relayed it to my experience to prepare myself for my internship,” she said.

On-campus, Wiegert volunteers her time with Local-Global, a �㽶��Ƶ group that focuses on solving hunger and homelessness. She said she enjoys seeing both the Hastings and campus community coming together to care about such a big issue.

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

“I believe in the mission of the department and find my work meaningful because I want to see Nebraska thrive, especially the areas outside Lincoln and Omaha,” she said. “The national pattern is that rural areas and smaller cities and towns are starting to die out. I think we can change that dynamic in Nebraska. It’s important for the health of Nebraska overall that we have dynamic communities across the state.”

A native of Grand Island, Nebraska, Zarek graduated from �㽶��Ƶ in 2015, magna cum laude, with high distinction in economics and Spanish. After earning her master’s degree in economics at Iowa State University and working as a research analyst at the Greater Omaha Chamber, she was hired last year to create a comprehensive data infrastructure and manage the research team at the Department of Economic Development, which strives to attract and retain businesses and talent throughout Nebraska.

Zarek’s career choice was inspired, in part, by her undergraduate experience in �㽶��Ƶ’s Talent Pool, a program that pairs business and economics interns with local organizations. During an internship with the Hastings Economic Development Corporation (HEDC), she conducted research on local businesses and entrepreneurs and the resources available to them in the Hastings community.

“I was already interested in economic development, but this internship really solidified that this could be a career for me,” Zarek said. “I saw that there is a real need for economic development in the state and that I could develop the skills to make a difference.”

Zarek’s internship mentor at the HEDC was Dave Rippe, who later became director of the Nebraska Department of Economic Development and hired Zarek as the chief data officer. This fall, Rippe joined �㽶��Ƶ as director of the Scott Scholars program.

“Jennifer is an amazing talent. She is a unique combination of a confident leader and a skilled tactician. I knew from the second I met Jennifer that she was very special, and I am honored to be a part of her journey,” he said.

In her position at the Department of Economic Development, Zarek collects and analyzes data to provide insight into Nebraska’s economy, the outcomes of department programs and grants, and the impact of national and state legislation. She and her team are currently working on a project that compares Nebraska to all other states in the areas of workforce vitality and economic strength.

“According to about any metric you can find, Nebraskans are well-educated, hard workers. We also have a diverse economy and tend to weather recessions better than other states,” she said. “I think one area where we are struggling, which is not uncommon, is the availability of workers. We have slow population and workforce growth, which is limiting how fast our economy can grow.”

While more populated states with multiple urban centers have greater access to qualified workers, Nebraska offers unique career and lifestyle possibilities with a touch of “nice” thrown in the mix, Zarek said.

“I think Nebraska is a great place to live because there are so many opportunities. You can do anything you want here — focus on any career, raise a family, start a business. Most important, you can live in any type of area that you want — rural, small town, big city — and the people will be welcoming and friendly. You can really plug into your community in Nebraska and make a visible difference,” she said.

Zarek credits a diverse group of faculty mentors at �㽶��Ƶ with preparing her for a successful career and interesting life. From her economics classes with Dr. Amy Black ’90 and Spanish classes with Dr. Pedro Vizoso, to her flute lessons with Deb Johnson ’77 and Bell Choir experiences with Dr. Byron Jensen, she learned to think critically and pursue her passions across the disciplines.

“The professors at HC truly cared about me as a person and as a student,” she said. “For me, the liberal arts approach was very important, and I believe it has given me an advantage in the workforce.”

By Judee Konen ’85, associate vice president for advancement.

The Omaha-based company, which was founded 11 years ago by Gordon Whitten ’93, currently serves more than 90 percent of the Fortune 500 travel companies. The company employs about 500 people across 13 global offices, and for the last five years, it has been honored on the Deloitte Technology Top 500 Fastest Growing Companies list.

“Our secret to growing quickly and effectively is to hire strong leaders and employees in new markets, train them on our products and processes and then let them run fast,” said Brent Brummer ‘04, vice president of business and strategy and member of the �㽶��Ƶ Foundation Board of Trustees.

Brummer has been with Sojern since its inception. He’s watched the company grow from 20 employees who focused on helping travel companies put their advertisements on boarding passes, to an internationally successful influencer of where and how people book their trips.

In August, Brummer led the company in opening its newest workspace — in the same place it all started.

Situated in the West Dodge corridor of Omaha, Sojern’s new building combines two previously separate offices into one. It expands the physical footprint of the workspace by 40,000 square feet, complete with 190 workstations, 53 conference rooms, a kitchen, three mothers’ rooms, two ping pong tables, one shuffleboard table and an on-site gym.

The building was designed to accommodate 325 employees.

“Omaha is where Sojern started, and we’re proud of our Omaha roots. It’s a highly productive location for us, so we wanted to go bigger there,” Brummer said. “It’s our largest office today and will continue to be so into the future. Now we have room to grow by 70 percent.”

Brummer said Sojern’s Omaha employees are exemplary of the company’s intelligent, hardworking and committed staff. It’s those same three qualities that lead Sojern to recruit new employees from �㽶��Ƶ.

“I’ve worked hard to build relationships between our recruiting team and the HC Career Services Office. We’ve hired several HC students over the years, and we hope to add many more soon,” Brummer said. “�㽶��Ƶ provides such a well-rounded education that we’re able to hire lots of different shapes and sizes, including business, marketing, accounting, English, history, philosophy and communications majors, to name a few.”

The �㽶��Ƶ advantage

For Brummer, the benefit of a �㽶��Ƶ education shines through every day. He said the college provided him with a solid educational foundation and strong communication skills, which are vital in the Sojern workplace. His time as a student-athlete on the men’s soccer team showed him how to work as a team to achieve goals.

But Brummer’s �㽶��Ƶ experience gave him more than the degree and skills that equip him to be a leader at Sojern. In fact, Brummer ended up with the company thanks to the alumni connections he made through his alma mater.

“I was introduced to our founder, Gordon Whitten, through the college. ��I interned with him while in college and worked with him in a couple of businesses prior to Sojern,” Brummer said. “The mentoring he has provided me throughout my professional career has been invaluable.”

Brummer continues to embrace his �㽶��Ƶ heritage today by hiring and mentoring Sojern staff members, just like Whitten did for him.

And now with its new and improved space, the travel advertising giant that is Sojern is looking again to �㽶��Ƶ in its recruiting efforts.

“We are very focused on hiring for our culture — people who are genuine, deliver ‘wow,’ center on our customer, win as a team and champion diversity,” Brummer said. “As a company we’ve hired nearly 150 new employees already in 2018, and I look forward to �㽶��Ƶ being a key partner in our recruiting efforts for many years to come.”

By Mallory Gruben ‘18

Talent Pool, started in 2013 for business majors and minors, pairs a student with a mentor from a local business or organization. The exclusive opportunity sets up students with an internship that fits their career interests while also giving them an outlet to showcase their academic gifts. Talent Pool is directed by Roxann Holliday, assistant professor of marketing.

“The purpose of Talent Pool is to provide students with not only an internship, but also a mentor from the Hastings business community that they can reach out to and learn from,” Holliday said. “We have a pool of exceptional local employers and a pool of exceptional HC business students, and we put them together for an internship.”

To be selected for Talent Pool, students need to have completed at least nine credits in the business and economics department, be enrolled as a full-time student and have a good GPA. Students in Talent Pool spend the first semester working on resumes, soft skills, cover letters and networking. Students are then placed in an internship for either the spring semester or over the summer.

For the 2017-18 academic year, seven students were involved in Talent Pool. Businesses and organizations participating are Hastings Economic Development Corporation (HEDC), Lochland Country Club, Adams County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Steeple Brewery/Idea Bank Marketing, Eaton of Hastings, Midwest Farm Management and Pacha Soap. In the past, students have also been mentored by Mary Lanning Healthcare and Industrial Irrigation Services.

Talent Pool alumni give back

�㽶��Ƶ has had great success with Talent Pool. One of the most notable achievements was placing three graduates in full-time positions created for them after their Talent Pool internships with those companies. Talent Pool mentors have also been instrumental in helping interns land jobs and graduate school placements by serving as references and writing recommendation letters.

Maggie Vaughan ’16 and Kayla Nelson ’16 are �㽶��Ƶ alumni who are now employer mentors, encouraging the next generation of business students. Vaughan was also a Talent Pool alum and she has the opportunity to give back to the program that helped her find so much success.

By Ryan Smolko, a senior history major from Phoenix, Arizona

Sojern, travel’s direct demand engine, operates by partnering with travel providers, such as American Airlines, to collect travel intent data from travelers. Then, the company uses that information to create customized, targeted advertising for its partner companies in hopes of influencing travelers to patronize those companies.

“If we know a traveler is going to Las Vegas for a weekend with a party of two next month, our technology allows us to see this traveler as they browse their favorite websites,” said Brummer, vice president of global ad operations and Omaha general manager. “Specialized algorithms make decisions on what the traveler is likely to need, like a hotel room, and we buy ad inventory to serve our partners who can provide these offerings.”

Sojern partners with more than 65 travel websites, driving over $10 billion in travel bookings in the last year alone.

An opportunity for Hastings graduates

Sojern began in Omaha with 20 employees, but has since expanded to more than 300 employees in cities all over the world, including Dublin, San Francisco, London, Dubai, Singapore and New York. It is continuing to expand, with the Omaha office looking to hire approximately 50 employees this year and even more in the future.

In addition to partnering with colleges and universities in and around Omaha, Sojern plans to partner with Kim Graviette and the Career Services Office to expose current �㽶��Ƶ students and alumni to internships and careers with Sojern in the future. Many of the positions that are set to be available in the next few years are perfect for graduating seniors. Sojern is regularly hiring in Omaha for entry-level positions into their advertising operations and inside sales departments, including campaign coordinators, account coordinators, sales development representatives and sales support representatives.

Sojern especially likes to hire �㽶��Ƶ graduates. As Brummer said, “I find Hastings students to be very solid overall. They tend to be hard working, committed and good teammates. The education, regardless of major, exposes them to a variety of disciplines.The speaking practice they receive in class presentations helps them interview well and leads to effective communication with customers and fellow employees.”

Several �㽶��Ƶ graduates are currently working at the Sojern office in Omaha, including Elizabeth Van Kirk ’11, Madeleine Michalek ’14, Marissa Rasmussen ’15 and Scot Wescoat ’17.

Brummer, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics, credits �㽶��Ƶ with much of his success with Sojern.

“My �㽶��Ƶ education gave me a well-rounded foundation in business concepts and communication. The opportunity to be involved in many extracurricular activities helped develop leadership and teamwork skills that have been highly valuable in every role I’ve held.”

Brummer’s spouse, Jessica Hardy Brummer ’04, is director of marketing and public relations at The Durham Museum in Omaha.

By Ryan Smolko, senior history major from Phoenix, Arizona

He’s such a believer in this foundation of happiness for him that, in January 2015, the former �㽶��Ƶ economics major started his own custom shoe brand and company. Yan Raven Germany, based in Munich, Germany, is a one-of-a-kind business that sells luxury sneakers.

Thiel’s brand stands out among the crowd of notable footwear producers due to its high-quality materials — including fine goat suede and rare ray leather — and completely customizable offerings.

“Every pair is personally crafted for the customer, and every model is limited, which keeps the exclusivity of the product,” Thiel said.

From cleats to custom kicks

Thiel’s first musings for Yan Raven Germany developed during his professional soccer career for the SpVgg Unterhaching in Germany. Off the field, the self-proclaimed “shoe addict” explored the world of sneakers. He learn about different styles, materials and vendors, and expanded his personal collection of kicks — until he discovered a limitation to his interest.

“At the time, I was personally buying a lot of shoes, and I eventually came to a point where I was not able to find the design and quality I wanted. I decided, ‘Why not just create your own shoes and designs?’” Thiel said. “Fortunately, my working hours as a soccer player left time for me to develop and create my own brand.”

What started as an unmet need in the market transformed into Yan Raven Germany, as Thiel put his �㽶��Ƶ education into action to build a company from the ground up.

“At �㽶��Ƶ, I received exactly the broad business and economics education needed to start as an entrepreneur,” he said. “And it was not just the economics major that prepared me; I picked something out of every class, and I use every single part of my �㽶��Ƶ education to run Yan Raven Germany.” ��

Home away from home

Thiel first learned about the college that would play a pivotal role in his entrepreneurial ventures through his older brother Simon Thiel ’06, who is now an investment banker in New York. ��After a high school exchange year in Clay Center, Nebraska, Simon continued his education in America at �㽶��Ƶ.

Thiel followed in his brother’s footsteps, spending a year as an exchange student at Hastings (Nebraska) High School; it was an easy next step for him when deciding where to receive his post secondary education.

“In my year as an exchange student, I fell in love with Hastings and the people,” Thiel said. “It felt like home, so it was an easy decision for me to continue my education in Hastings.”

The homey feeling of Hastings followed Thiel throughout his collegiate career. Whether he was on the field as a part of the men’s soccer team, or in the classroom developing a background in economics, the support system he found at �㽶��Ƶ helped him flourish.

“Right from the start I felt welcomed,” he said. “The teachers, the students, everyone helped me and supported me in anything I was unsure about. ��It was an awesome feeling to know that at any time, someone is there to help you. I didn’t take that for granted.”

Succeeding as a student-athlete

One of Thiel’s most defining �㽶��Ƶ experiences was his four-year career as a student-athlete at �㽶��Ƶ. He said the men’s soccer team combined his passion for soccer with a post secondary education.

The student-athlete lifestyle also helped Thiel develop skills he still uses today. He noted that his time management skills improved as he learned to balance coursework and soccer.

“As a student-athlete, you are a student first, then an athlete. I wanted to succeed in both,” Thiel said. “At times it was very difficult — especially at the beginning when everything was new for me and my English was still not the best — but I grew with work, time and experience.”

By his senior year, Thiel’s growth was evident. The men’s soccer team won �㽶��Ƶ’s first NAIA national championship, Thiel was honored as a first team All-American selection, he received his �㽶��Ƶ diploma and he returned to Germany to fill his roster spot with the SpVgg Unterhaching.

And now, just six years later, Thiel continues to find success in combining his schooling with soccer and sneakers. In fact, his custom footwear company is blossoming in its niche for luxury sneakers, and professional soccer players and fashionistas alike sport Yan Raven Germany shoes.

By Mallory Gruben, a senior from Eckley, Colorado, majoring in journalism

Being the world’s largest democracy with 1.2 billion people, the Republic of India is a country full of diversity in language, religion, food, architecture and customs.

India’s culture is among the world’s oldest with civilization, beginning about 4,500 years ago. It is home to more than 15 languages, such as Hindi, Bengali, Telugu, Marathi, Tamil and Urdu. It is identified as the birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism, the third and fourth largest religions. Having savored the Indian cuisine, I can testify that it is rich with curries, spices and thick condiments and spreads. With this rich history and culture, it is difficult to truly capture and experience all of India’s immense diversity.

Yet, being in India for about three months, I have begun to experience its grandiose culture and customs. The first semester of my Boren Award is only the study of the Hindi language in Jaipur. Classes at the American Institute of Indian Studies (AIIS) include discussion forums on various relevant topics, reading of current events in Hindi, and even watching Bollywood films.

The language pledge, requiring us to only speak in Hindi, provides an avenue for me, and the other Borens, to truly surround ourselves in the language. The weekly speakers from across the

community allow us to learn about different occupations, including a reporter, college student and founder of a non-governmental organization. Our language partners help us practice the language and to be connected with the community.

Outside of class, my Boren peers and I spend time at coffee shops, getting to know the Jaipur chai and coffee scene. We bargain with shopkeepers at the different bazaars, using our Hindi skills to buy all sorts of crafts, kurtas and saris. Additionally, by volunteering at a local Catholic school, I am able to further practice my Hindi with the school’s girls while helping them with the English language.

My most recent cultural experience has been participating in the Garba dance, hosted by my dance teacher in Jaipur.

Garba is a form of dance, which originated in the state of Gujarat, performed around a centrally lit lamp or a picture or statue of Goddess Shakti. It is danced in a circle as a symbol of the Hindu view of time. Both men and women wear colorful costumes to this dance. The girls and women wear Chaniya choli, which includes an embroidered and colorful blouse (a choli), a flared, skirt-like bottom (a chaniya) and a long colorful scarf (a dupatta).

A day before the event, we, the Boren and AIIS girls, excitedly rented traditional Indian dresses and wore them to the Garba dance. When we arrived, local girls warmly welcomed us and graciously taught us what to do. We danced around in the traditional circle with two decorated sticks, getting creative with our dance steps. The dance celebration had awards for the night, and to our surprise, we won best group dance. It was such a wonderful experience, allowing me to participate in this rich and long-standing Hindu dance celebration.

Having traveled around the northern part of India, I’m slowly encountering the vast history and culture of India, but I know I’m barely touching the surface. Luckily, I continue my journey in Hyderabad, in the southern part of India, and get the opportunity to uncover more of this beautiful country.

Story by Suzette��Escamilla Morales, a junior from Hastings, Nebraska��majoring in political science and economics.
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Though they each have individual roles, four Heartland Bank employees relate to a special understanding that brings them together — a �㽶��Ƶ education.

Heartland Bank is made up of ten locations in Nebraska, with eight full-service branches and two loan production offices. Numerous corporate, bank-wide positions are officed at the Hastings branch, so what these four �㽶��Ƶ alumni are accomplishing with their liberal arts background impacts Nebraskans across the state.

Rush scores marketing position before graduating

Jameon Rush is a 2012 graduate of �㽶��Ƶ, earning a degree in web communication design. His interests led him to minor in studio art with an emphasis in graphic design.

He worked four internships during his time at �㽶��Ƶ and spent the last half of his senior year working part time at Heartland Bank while still managing his academic schedule as a full-time student.

“I wanted to get out into the real world to have a higher level of experience and responsibility,” Rush said. “The education I got at �㽶��Ƶ perfectly prepared me for this position.”

Rush is now the assistant vice president and marketing director at Heartland Bank.

“The department shapes the image of the bank from a marketing and public relations standpoint, and it’s directly utilizing the education and experience we’ve gained from �㽶��Ƶ,” Rush said.

His marketing work consists of both branch-level and bank-wide projects, using principles of all types of media and techniques he learned from previous college classes, internships and freelance opportunities.

Because Rush knows the importance of earning professional experience in college, he set up an internship program. Heartland Bank has hired talented �㽶��Ƶ students as marketing interns which Rush said has been mutually beneficial for both students and the bank.

Rush has also expanded his media talents into freelance video production, website design and logo design for his own separate company, Optix Digital Media.

“I’m able to balance that with a full-time career here at the bank, and �㽶��Ƶ helped me build contacts and forward from there,” Rush said.

Hands-on media experience prepared Dumas for professional world

Similar to Rush, Caitlin Dumas ‘14 majored in web communication design with minors in journalism and studio art.

Dumas was the HC Media Online webmaster for three years, in addition to writing and taking photos for the Collegian student newspaper.

“I’m still in connection with a lot of people and professors; there’s something really special about the media department and �㽶��Ƶ as a whole,” Dumas said. “It’s been really nice to stay in town and see how those connections grow outside of being a student.”

Dumas believes that her learning experiences with �㽶��Ƶ Journalism and Media Arts were unforgettable and valuable to her career.

“The whole media department did a really great job of giving you feedback in order to take the next steps to get better, and teaching you how to do that for yourself,” Dumas said.

Dumas is thankful for not only the skill set she gained, but the tools that �㽶��Ƶ provided her to improve and get hands-on experience in the media field that is constantly changing.

Dumas recently joined the Heartland Bank marketing team as a media specialist. She and Rush collaborate often and share opinions, as well as utilize each other’s strengths.

“Jameon and I share a lot of the same education, but enough differences that we can see it from the same perspective, but also bring in outside information because we both like to learn new things,” Dumas said.

�㽶��Ƶ allowed Anderson to pursue a new profession

Jeremy Anderson ‘04 took a different path, pursuing a degree in economics after starting a family.

“I was a non-traditional student, and the College really embraced that and took me in. I really felt like they not only took me in, but they took my family in,” Anderson said.

At that point in his life, Anderson made a complete change — he went back to college to make a transition from farming to something new.

“Throughout college, I had a part-time job in banking that transitioned me into a career. My experience at �㽶��Ƶ led me to that path,” Anderson said.

After working at two different banks, Anderson helped open the Hastings branch of Heartland Bank, formerly known as Geneva State Bank. Over time and through success, Anderson earned his way to the regional president position. Anderson now manages six of the 10 Heartland Bank locations, as well as Rush and Dumas’ marketing work.

“I’m responsible for the business output and performance of each of those locations, including Hastings, which I helped start and grow with the help of everyone here,” Anderson said.

Anderson feels that after his experience at �㽶��Ƶ, he was very prepared to make the transition into a new career.

“I’m still utilizing those skills every day,” he said.

As regional president, he looks for that same kind of educational background when hiring new Heartland Bank employees.

“It’s the old adage from �㽶��Ƶ that a liberal arts education makes you well-rounded, and I believe that still rings true,” Anderson said. “I’ve heard folks that have encountered people we’ve hired from �㽶��Ƶ say they have the resemblance of someone with a master’s degree type of education, just because they have that much breadth of experience. It’s a really good testament for what we pick up on at �㽶��Ƶ.”

Liberal arts built a strong foundation for Karloff

Melissa Karloff earned her bachelor’s degree in communication arts, speech and english from �㽶��Ƶ in 1984, and to her, it was a great foundation for anything she would want to do after college.

Her journey began with communications-based jobs out of state, until one day she received a phone call that led her back to Hastings.

“The director of admissions at the time called me out of the clear blue and asked me if I wanted to come back and work for �㽶��Ƶ,” Karloff said.

Though she was clearly on a different path, she gladly took the opportunity to return to her alma mater.

“I think that says a lot about the institution,” she said.

Melissa and her husband Michael Karloff ‘81 have had a close relationship with �㽶��Ƶ ever since. Michael currently works with the �㽶��Ƶ Foundation as associate vice president of advancement.

After earning a master’s degree and settling into another profession in human resources for 20 years, Melissa Karloff made a career move to Heartland Bank. There, as senior vice president of human resources, she is able to use the communication, writing and leadership skills she built during her time at �㽶��Ƶ both as a student and as an admissions counselor.

“It all really transfers nicely from that core that I received. It’s a great foundation,” Karloff said.

Karloff works with all of the branches bank-wide and is responsible for everything human resources-related, including training programs, leadership development and setting expectations for bank culture.

She often collaborates with Rush and Dumas to connect human resources projects with marketing expertise, and with Anderson for ideas concerning branch leaders.

“It’s a testament to �㽶��Ƶ that we are working together at Heartland Bank doing great things, though each of us has a different story of how we got here,” Karloff said.

By Jacilyn Bruns, a senior from Grand Island, Nebraska, majoring in Journalism

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