Within these walls, bright, cheery colors, the smells of warm chocolate and caramel, and the sounds of laughter welcome both the young and young at heart who walk through the doors.

What once began as a small town boutique has evolved into a community hub of homemade goodness and extraordinary memories with the opening of Joe Sweet Creamery in the fall of 2025.

Owner Jessi (Shafer) Richter ‘97 graduated from �㽶��Ƶ with a degree in elementary education and special education and taught for 15 years in Grand Island. She loved teaching and the students she impacted, but admitted she is not a schedule-oriented person and thrives on creative energy.

After having their last child, Richter was a stay at home mom and picked up photography on the side. She also dipped her toes into buying and selling antiques and thrived on being a DIY’er.

Richter then decided to open a boutique in downtown Doniphan, which she operated for two years before turning the store into a venue for people to host parties.

From there, the family brainstormed starting an ice cream business during a gathering at Calamus Lake.

“My cousin (Tatum Hansen) and her husband Jeremy (a 2013 �㽶��Ƶ graduate) always brought ice cream to family functions. The name Joe Sweet came from a combination of family names — Jeremy and (J)essi, (O)livia and (E)mma. Everyone who works here is family.” Richter’s daughter, Charlee, also helps with the business and will be a freshman at �㽶��Ƶ this fall.

The business is owned by Richter, the Hansens and Richter’s sister, Jill. The crew gathers to decide on new flavors and throw out ideas for names, then create smaller batches to taste test and decide how to make it better. Once they have a plan of action, they churn their energy into making bigger batches to sell.

“We hosted our first ice cream social in October 2025 and made 27 gallons of ice cream. It went over really well, and we sold out,” Richter said. “People were excited, and the atmosphere was fun.”

At their next ice cream social in November 2025, they increased production to 60 gallons of ice cream, also selling out.

“We ended up getting a big machine that would make five gallons at a time. The last three socials, we’ve gone from 27 gallons to 150 gallons of ice cream. It’s all homemade, completely started from scratch.”

In addition to monthly ice cream socials, the business hosted a St. Patrick’s Day party and events in conjunction with National Ice Cream Day and Donuts for Breakfast.

Among the hot sellers so far have been “Sunday Morning,” a cinnamon-flavored ice cream, along with seasonal flavors. “Sweet Micki,” a chocolate-flavored ice cream, has become a permanent menu item to honor Richter’s late grandmother. Richter said pints to go are a popular purchase, and the business has also started selling Joe Sweet t-shirts.

“We’ve talked about getting an ice cream truck to take around to different towns, and people have asked us about making pints available for retail store sales,” Richter said. “We definitely would like to do more; in the meantime, we will continue with monthly socials until our schedules allow.”

Even with the simple joys of gathering with friends to catch up on the latest scoop over ice cream, the vision of Joe Sweet has taken flight.

“We thrive on ice cream and having a gathering spot that is happy, fun and carefree; we love having people fill the building,” Richter said. “It wasn’t a business I envisioned being in, but it has really taken off. I love creativity and being hands-on; this has given me an opportunity to do all of those things that are enjoyable.”

When asked about a possible flavor to honor her college alma mater, Richter eagerly shared that a new creation will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

For more on Joe Sweet Creamery, visit them on or .

By Kendra Bargen ‘04

Holman, a first-year student from Franklin, Nebraska, is a member of the College’s forensics (speech) team. For Academic Showcase, the art and secondary education major delivered a persuasive and humorous speech addressing concerns about declining literacy rates and the growing role of AI in classrooms.

Academic Showcase, held each spring at �㽶��Ƶ, provides students the opportunity to share presentations and performances with the community. Classes are canceled for the day to allow full participation.

Holman opened her presentation by outlining various forms of literacy — media, digital, critical, informational, reading and writing — before introducing research and data to support her claims.

According to a study done in 2025, literacy rates have been declining steadily since 2013, with increased technology use in classrooms cited as a contributing factor. This use, combined with the lack of regulations placed on school devices until recently, has taken away from students’ ability to do independent research.

“Only a fourth of eighth grade students are at the recommended reading level,” Holman stated.

She also addressed the lack of clear guidance for teachers navigating AI tools, noting that many are frustrated with students relying on platforms such as ChatGPT and Grammarly to complete assignments. These tools, both forms of generative AI, compile responses based on prompts, which can sometimes lead to misinformation or oversimplified information.

“Teachers love completed work,” Holman said, “but not at the cost of students lacking effort.”

Holman spoke out about educational disparities, such as how socioeconomic and racial factors can contribute to a lack of resources.

“These systematic barriers lead to higher AI usage,” she said. “Every time confidence in artificial intelligence increases, critical thinking decreases. If a child is constantly asking ChatGPT questions, they’re more likely to fall behind.”

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Holman added, “maybe it is those phones.”

Holman explained that while technology was introduced into classrooms before the pandemic, its use expanded significantly during the 2020 shutdown and has remained prevalent throughout platforms such as Google Classroom, Kahoot and Quizlet. She said some schools have reduced or eliminated spelling instruction due to the widespread use of grammar and spell-check tools.

The adoption of technology to make education easier or more efficient may have actually made it harder for teachers to do their jobs, Hollman argued. Students often learn from corrections and feedback because it forces them to reevaluate their work, but when AI generates the work, that feedback may not be applicable to the student.

Holman said artificial intelligence should be used as a tool rather than a replacement for learning. She suggested using AI to create discussion points or help with studying material through electronic flashcards, instead of generating a complete essay or providing test answers.

“AI is here to stay, so we must create a culture that understands AI,” Holman concluded.

By Caspian Weeden, an English major from Pueblo, Colorado.

Academic Showcase, held every spring on campus, gives students a chance to present a project of their choosing to the community. Gifford, a math education major from Eagle, Colorado, took the opportunity to dive into more details behind a documentary on the quilters.

“The dichotomy between harsh prison conditions and the gentleness of quilting was fascinating,” Gifford said. “What could be the impact of these opposites being paired together?”

The program aims to help prisoners in the maximum security prison feel safe and unwind, while at the same time supporting foster children by providing them with beautiful, handmade quilted blankets.

Before diving deeper into that, Gifford explained alternative rhetorical identity.

She said prison education can act as resistance and safety in a system that is built around hypermasculinity — a set of behaviors such as an over the top attachment to traditional gender roles with a focus on aggression, dominance and physical strength. Inmates in the quilting program break down these behaviors because their craft allows them to do so. Aggression isn’t helpful in quilting — as it’s all about patience.

“Resisting the loss of identity is difficult in a uniform system,” Gifford said. “Prisons perpetuate the narrative that prisoners don’t matter the same way as those outside the prison do.”

This loss of identity can also be found in the small living spaces prisoners are placed in, often sharing a cell that is no larger than the average single dorm room. These cells are small and leave zero room for privacy, leaving prisoners vulnerable physically and emotionally.

“Restorative justice programs, such as the quilting program, allow a safe space for self expression,” Gifford explained. In the walls of the quilting room, individuals may abandon hypermasculine traits as they ask questions and learn patterns.

The crafting room also offers a communicative space, where a social bridge is created between inmates and foster children.

“Quality and care exist even within prison walls,” Gifford said. An art-centered program allows prisoners to reactivate their personality through a humanizing act. Individuals become gentle with the fabric, and then gentle in their behavior.

Unfortunately, when the day is done, many of the prisoners slip back into their metaphorical masks of hypermasculinity. In a prison system, these behaviors are often meant to be self-defensive rather than outwardly aggressive.

Gifford said programs like the quilting one aren’t uncommon. A lot of prisons are beginning to offer restorative justice options such as education, arts, gardening and more because they have been proven to help prisoners retain knowledge and skills that are helpful after they complete their sentence.

By Caspian Weeden, an English major from Pueblo, Colorado.

“Everyone at �㽶��Ƶ has your back, wants you to succeed, and no matter what area you are in, everyone on campus will help you out,” said Sites, who is from Erie, Colorado.

Now retired with her husband Jeff Jacoby ‘91 in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Jacoby grew up in Wyoming, where she heard the call to teach at an early age.

“I remember propping up my dolls on a sewing table and teaching them. My brother, cousin and I would play school, and I always wanted to be the teacher,” she said. “Growing up on a farm and ranch, I even tried to teach the cows when they walked up to the fence.”

Her interests led her to �㽶��Ƶ, where one of her first professors, Dr. Ladd Cochrane, made an impression she carried for decades: “He told us, ‘If you’re in it for the money, get out, because you have to love to do this.’”

And love it, she did. “Every year I had a new group of kids. Every year was different,” she said.

Lessons learned in the field

At �㽶��Ƶ, Jacoby and her fellow education majors were immersed in K-12 classrooms early on.

“Right from our freshman year, we had education courses. Sophomore year, we were out observing elementary, middle and high schools. Junior year, we were actually starting to work with kids,” she said.

A defining experience came when professor Jan Watkins took the teacher education students to Kansas City, Kansas, on a multi-cultural education trip. The group visited inner-city schools and churches and even grocery stores in poor and wealthy neighborhoods to experience the class divide.

Intrigued by the experience, Jacoby chose to student teach in Kansas City through the Cooperative Urban Teacher Education program, which provided placement in an inner-city school and housing. The contrast with her rural upbringing was stark.

“It was eye-opening,” she said. “I grew up in a farming community of 110 people, and suddenly I was in an open-concept school with no walls and a diverse student population.”

That experience later helped her secure a position at Swanson Elementary in Omaha. “They chose me because of my experience in the inner-city school,” Jacoby said.

Other college courses sparked her passion for experiential learning. She drew inspiration from faculty like Gilbert Adrian who took her biology class to the Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma.

“I remember walking through a field with him, and he knew the scientific name of every plant. He even told me I could eat one of the flowers,” she said with a laugh.

Equally formative were lessons learned from professors who challenged her. In a language arts education course with Dr. Jeanene Haldeman, Jacoby earned a B after spending more of her time on a difficult philosophy course.

“Professor Haldeman told me, ‘I know you could have done better.’ That was the best lesson ever as a teacher because I learned I can’t compare one student to another in terms of their work or abilities,” she said. “I have to compare the students to themselves.”

Adapting and creating

Jacoby’s teaching career spanned several states, shaped in part by her husband, who worked in the funeral home business. After several years in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the couple moved to Berlin, New Hampshire, where Jacoby walked into a Catholic school looking for a preschool for her daughter, and walked out with a fifth-grade job offer.

“I had an interview right then and there with my daughter in tow,” she said.

Over 12 years in Berlin and, later, Colebrook, New Hampshire, Jacoby taught multiple grades, using her liberal arts background to fuel her creativity. She took her fifth-graders to Plymouth, Massachusetts, to see the full-scale reproduction of the Mayflower and organized an Underground Railroad simulation through school hallways.

Jacoby also sought out new methods when she felt students weren’t getting what they needed. While teaching in a school that relied heavily on basal reading, she attended a guided reading workshop on her own.

“I decided to use a guided reading approach where I was working with different groups on the skills they needed to learn,” she said. “It was a new way of doing things.”

Wanting to be closer to family, the Jacobys returned to Cheyenne, where she taught another 13 years, navigating every grade from kindergarten through sixth.

Jacoby retired to Myrtle Beach in 2023 and now spends her time scrapbooking, visiting daughters Madeline and Abigail and daughter-in-law Laura, and supporting current teachers through Alpha Delta Kappa women’s education sorority. An avid runner, she’s completed six marathons and numerous races, including a 15K last summer in Versailles, France.

Thinking back to her years in the classroom, Jacoby is certain she chose the right path.

“In teaching, you help children grow educationally and emotionally. If you love working with children, you can’t have a more rewarding career,” she said.

By Judee Konen ’85

This was especially true in Burkina Faso and Malawi where I served as the U.S. Ambassador. Upon retirement, I joined the Board of Advancing Girls Education in Africa (AGE Africa). My journey with AGE Africa deepened in April of this year when I visited our programs in Malawi.

I met extraordinary young women whose determination and resilience embody the mission of AGE Africa. Through scholarships and CHATS — our peer-led life skills program — these girls are breaking barriers, building confidence and carving out futures that once seemed unimaginable. Sitting with them, hearing their stories, I realized that AGE Africa is not simply providing education. We are nurturing agency, courage and leadership in a new generation of Malawian women.

What struck me most was the multiplier effect of our work. CHATS does not end when the session closes; it spills over into families, schools and communities. Younger children watch and learn. Parents take notice of their daughters’ newfound confidence. Villages begin to shift their expectations.

AGE Africa is not just educating individuals — it is reshaping cultural landscapes and creating generational change.

Serving on the AGE Africa Board is more than governance or oversight. It is a commitment to walk alongside these girls as they pursue dreams once denied to so many before them. It is an opportunity to amplify their voices and to invest in their potential.

My visit to Malawi reaffirmed what I already believed: that empowering girls through education is the best way to build a more equitable, prosperous world. AGE Africa is doing exactly that—and I am honored to be part of it.

A sign in my office says: “May many futures flourish because of you.”

Thanks to �㽶��Ƶ for the education that allowed me to flourish and in turn, help others flourish.

By Jeanine Jackson ‘71

This article originally appeared in the fall 2026 edition of HC Today.

Rosalie Koepp ‘15, director of christian education at First Presbyterian Church in Hastings, reimagined the Nativity from the perspective of those shepherds into a children’s book, “While By Their Flocks.” The book, which was released on Amazon November 11 this year, follows three young shepherds on a transformational journey to meet the newborn Jesus, blending biblical imagination with themes of wonder, curiosity and childlike faith.

The idea for a book came from a musical written by Koepp and Hannah Jensen-Heitmann ‘15 for the church’s Christmas program in 2024, which you can . Koepp and Jensen-Heitmann were education majors at �㽶��Ƶ.

After the musical performance, Rev. Greg Allen-Pickett, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church and a member of the College’s Board of Trustees, suggested the story would make a great children’s book. He put Koepp in touch with a friend who helped Koepp get the story on paper.

In the musical, three teenage girls played the shepherds, which she carried through to the book. Each of the three shepherds has a critical personality flaw: the not humble shepherd, the tired shepherd and the rude shepherd.

“When writing the book, I really tried to pull out those personality traits because in the musical, the shepherdesses go on a transformational journey,” Koepp said. “They have these flaws, but when they encounter the Christ-child, those flaws soften, and it shows how an encounter with Christ changes us in some way.”

She said what really excited her was when she got the first illustrations back from her illustrator Oshadi Sandareka.

“The first one I opened was just a black and white drawing of the three shepherd girls and two sheep, and I just gasped because they were so cute,” she said, noting that it was that moment the story in storybook form came to life.

While writing, Koepp reflected on her time at �㽶��Ƶ as an elementary education and K-12 special education major, specifically her children’s literature class.

“We read hundreds of children’s books and it really helped teach me how to condense a story to put it in a way that children understand,” said Koepp.

Koepp said that class taught her to love children’s books because they are fun to read, look at and try to tell a story in a condensed way.

“I think that was a challenge I was really looking forward to conquering,” said Koepp. “I thought to myself, let’s see if I can do this.”

She said her time at �㽶��Ƶ taught her to ask lots of questions and then use her imagination to find the answers — which was helpful when writing the musical and then the book.

“Rosalie and Hannah’s work demonstrates the powerful impact that creative educators can have on children and families,” said Allen-Pickett. “Their �㽶��Ƶ roots are evident in their thoughtful approach to storytelling, collaboration and faith formation.”

Koepp said the way the book came together with the words and the illustrations is one of her favorite things about the process.

“I hope people will be able to see the sparkle on every page because when I look at the pictures, they just dance in front of me,” said Koepp. “And while there’s not singing coming through the book, it’s almost like you can feel the music.”

By Carissa Barwick, communications specialist

Seniors Markus Miller, Gunnar Pike and Zander Hardy, and recent graduate Tyler Welsh ‘25, are all contributing to the Sodbusters, and all have collegiate experience through the �㽶��Ƶ Broncos baseball program.

Established in 2018, the Sodbusters are a part of the Independent League Baseball. It’s a growing association spread across three states and includes eight teams. Andy Chase ‘19 is a co-owner and an assistant coach for the Sodbusters, and coaches the esports club team at �㽶��Ƶ.

During the busy summer league, which includes travel, players have to balance commitments to the team with internships and jobs. Student-athletes understand the importance of practicing and training over the summer and learn how to stay responsible and committed to their sport while maintaining their commitment to their academics and future career.

“Summer ball is all about getting reps and keeping the players active. The worst thing to do is take a break, it can be detrimental to how you play in season,” Chase said.

Miller, who is from Hastings, is studying physical education at �㽶��Ƶ. In addition to playing for the Sodbusters, he coaches a Hastings American Legion Baseball team. He plans on becoming a physical education teacher and hopes to coach wrestling and baseball.

“Just seeing baseball from a different perspective, the way a coach looks at a game compared to a player is kind of different,” Miller said. “The head coach is like a teacher, so I am able to ask him questions that can contribute towards my future career.”

Pike, a mathematics major from Broomfield, Colorado, is a pitcher for the Broncos and the Sodbusters. When he’s not on the field, he works at Head Start, an early childhood development center, and at Blue Fork, a local restaurant. Pike said he plans on working towards his masters in mathematics and becoming a statistician.

“Both of the jobs I’m working are very flexible and are very accommodating to each other. It involves a lot of early planning and setting up a schedule,” Pike said. “These jobs help me grow as a person and learn how to interact with an assortment of different people.”

Miller said Sodbusters is different because he gets to experience other coaching styles and new teammates. The Sodbusters bring in players from all across the country, and Miller said he enjoys getting to know other players and the different practice styles and techniques they have.

Being able to play with different people has broadened his knowledge and can contribute towards his coaching and teaching passions.

Pike said he enjoys that summer baseball is more relaxed and everyone is there trying to have fun and grow as individuals. He’s played on a summer baseball team every year since he was little. So, when it comes to balancing athletics and a job, he is used to juggling multiple things at once.

The Broncos and Sodbusters both play at historic Duncan field in Hastings, which was built in 1940 and is known to be larger than any current MLB field by square footage. The field has attracted many baseball athletes and has become a monumental staple in Hastings.

“Home runs don’t happen often at Duncan Field, which pitchers have learned to love about it. It’s a pitchers’ paradise here,” Chase said.

Participating on both Broncos and Sodbusters, Miller and Pike have been able to get involved with the Hastings community.

“Being able to pitch in my hometown in front of the community I grew up in is kind of cool to me. And going to �㽶��Ƶ has allowed me to give back to the community,” Miller said.

Pike being from Colorado has had a different experience coming from a bigger town. He has had more flexibility with his schedule and chose to stay in Hastings to not only work on his career and athletics, but to also learn about living on his own.

“A lot of it is credited to the people where I work and play baseball at. With it being a smaller town, employers know about the Sodbusters and they want to support their home teams and young athletes,” Pike said. “They want to support their community, so they are very accommodating when it comes to the busy life of a college athlete.”

By Rachel Ritzmann a business administration and marketing major from Broomfield, Colorado

Uhrmacher found a home at �㽶��Ƶ, somewhere where the professors recognized him just by his laugh. “It felt nice being known that well by professors and staff,” he said. “It was very important for me to feel that sense of community and connection.”

By Tyler Mogilefsky ‘14, Activities Director at Doniphan-Trumbull Public School

So just imagine a teacher of teachers like Dr. Kathryn (Kass) Rempp, and how many lives she’s changed over the last 25 years through her work in the Teacher Education Department at �㽶��Ƶ.

“Our roots run deep, so we stay long,” Kass told me on a sunny day earlier this spring. We met in Hurley Mac 220, a place where so many of my educational experiences at �㽶��Ƶ happened. I was caught with a unique blend of nostalgia, and an eye toward the future.

I thought back to my first year as a teacher in the fall of 2014. I was lost in trying to give every single kid what they needed, yet I felt like I was failing them. Teaching was not what I thought it was when I fell in love with it as a third grader. In my rose colored glasses world back then, my students had no problems at home, they could all read, they weren’t hungry and they just listened. That could not have been further from the truth.

And then, about halfway through that first semester I received a postcard at work. It was signed with words of encouragement from all of the education professors at �㽶��Ƶ. Names such as Dr. Barbara Sunderman, Dr. Lisa Smith, Dr. Judy Hall, Doug Phelps and, of course, Kass.

Back in Hurly-Mac all these years later, and Kass was exactly as I remembered her: warm, welcoming and with the greatest 1,000-watt smile you have ever seen. And yet she was so much more: open, introspective and grateful.

“My career is a gift” is how Kass started our conversation, and certainly her story, intertwined with her husband, Barry, and daughter Grace ‘18, is full of the kind of community, relationship and experience that only a small, midwestern town can bring.

Kass herself grew up in a small town in eastern South Dakota, then graduated from Yankton College in 1981 before earning a Masters in Education at South Dakota State University in 1986 and her PhD there in 1997. Church affiliation was something that drew her to �㽶��Ƶ, and Barry was called to lead First Congregational United Church of Christ at the same time that she was offered her position at the College. She joined the faculty at HC in 1999.

Prior to her time at HC, Kass served as an elementary teacher, an assistant principal and a professor of teacher education at Peru State College. Her life has been dedicated to the service of others, a fact she quickly dismisses and flips, instead saying that she has always been more humbled by the students she teaches.

Kass said she might not have immediately known when she enrolled in college that she was meant to be an educator, but her counselor did, reminding her she was always around children. Agreeing, she remembers always being present at summer camps as a counselor or a teacher at Sunday school and a babysitter. It was then that the lifetime in education was presented. To say she grabbed it by the horns is an understatement — just think of the number of lives that she’s impacted!

Teachers, administrators and school personnel across the state of Nebraska and all over the country have been influenced by Kass, and in turn those educators are making an impact on their own communities.

When asked if she could quantify her impact, there was a long pause, and an unexpected answer, but one I cherish because of the perspective: “In some ways, I think any human’s impact is infinite,” Kass said. “And if you remember that to a person, especially in education, the world would be a better place.”

The world of education is evolving, perhaps more in the past four years than in the previous four decades. The way that information is delivered to students has changed, as well as the information that is being taught. Through these changes, teachers still teach.

As a product of �㽶��Ƶ, I can say I was prepared for what education looks like today. Mental health was always something that was stressed in the Teacher Education Department in my time there 10 years ago, and today those conversations about mental health are some of the most important conversations educators are having.

I am thankful for the program of study that Hastings provided to me, as I believe that it prepared me for success in my career.

When I thanked Kass for this, again she deflected, quoting Dr. Fred Condos, the department’s chair before her: ”It’s not the programs, it’s the people. I am proud of the program that we have, but I am more proud of the people that have had such an impact on me. The way in which this place has allowed them to grow together.”

Nearly every single person on the planet has a favorite teacher. Someone who believed in them, who brought learning to life and made it fun. Kass is no exception, remembering her fourth grade teacher, high school teachers who brought learning to life and professors she had in her time at the University of South Dakota who knew the science of what she was learning before it was mainstream.

It was at this point in our interview that Kass, the 2011 Faculty Achievement Award recipient, dropped another gem. “Teachers come into your life at different times, and they might not be a teacher in a formal setting, but they teach you something,” she said.

When I asked Kass who her favorite teacher was, she told me that there were far too many to count, but she is especially thankful for her time with her colleagues at �㽶��Ƶ. Fred Condos, Barb Feezell, Will Locke, Jim Loch, Barbara Sunderman, Lisa Smith, Doug Phelps, Darci Karr, Jessica Allen-Pickett, Jill Beckenhauer�����Ի� Grant Bachman are all educators Kass described as valuing high expectations, quality relationships and genuine experiences — traits that she herself has tried to emulate.

“Well Kass, what’s next?” I asked at the end of our time together. Chasing nieces, spending time exploring South Dakota, and enjoying time with her mother are ways that she plans to fill her time in retirement.

“It’s been a delight. It’s hard work. These last few weeks will be hard, bittersweet of course,” she said, “but I’m looking forward to the next chapter.”