I picked UNL because it was really close to home.
I was able to see my parents on the weekend if I needed to .
But still had the freedom to be on my own and be my own independent person.
One reason why I pursued the program at UNL was because it was an interdisciplanary program,
that had the 3 components: marketing, communication and advertising...
and those are areas that I'm interested in.
I came to UNL because it was close to my home town, and I wanted to be close to my family.
And it also has this awesome major, biological systems engineering, which caught my eye,
and no other program seemed to compare to this.
I chose to go to UNL because of the Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film.
The endowment has allowed the school to really branch out and acquire a lot more technology than a lot of schools around.
So, there's a lot more opportunity to work with new materials and equipment going to this school.
I decided to come to UNL because I was an academic transfer.
I came from SCC and transferred to UNL because I feel like I would get a good experience here.
I decided to come to UNL because I established personal contact before I even came to this country.
I was admitted to several different schools. Only UNL reached out to me before I came here,
and let me know what it was like to be a college student.
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My feelings about graduation are a little bit of excitement and sadness over the fact that these 4 years have gone by too fast.
But I'm very excited to take this next step in my life and my career, and just to see all that is in store for me thanks to the great education I got at UNL.
I feel so relieved, but I feel scared too.
It'll feel really great walking across the stage, but at the same time it'll be hard to leave Lincoln and leave college.
I'm really excited about graduating because I feel like UNL has prepared me well to move on,
But at the same time, I'm going to be really sad to leave behind so many awesome friends I've made over the years here.
And just the people I've worked with. But I really feel like UNL has prepared me well.
I am so excited to graduate and finally do what I've been working toward doing for my whole life,
and it's just the start of everything.
I guess when I walk across the stage at Memorial Stadium, I just hope I don't collapse and fall over, or start crying in front of everybody.
I am excited because I'm ready to explore a new chapter of my life.
I think CBA has definitely prepared me with the skill set I needed to go out there.
At the same time, I'm a little sad because I'm not sure where I'm going to settle yet.
So, it really kind of makes me sad that I might be leaving this town, leaving this community that I've known for so long.
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I'm getting married next January. January 8th, 2014, and my wedding colors are red for Nebraska
We played dodge ball in Memorial Stadium, under the lights, which was a lot of fun.
Prince Amukamara and Rex Burkhead, Tommy Fraiser and Cory Ross all came back and played with us. So that was a blast
Rex was saying how he never thought that would be his actual last game in Memorial Stadium, so that was pretty cool.
The Big Event is a one-day community service event here in Lincoln, Nebraska. And it's on a Saturday in April.
And it's one of the biggest volunteer events on campus.
I volunteer as an office staff... just help the community around Lincoln... help clean up trash, clean up trails, even dog parks too
There is a big difference between football and soccer
because back home what we call "football" is actually "soccer".
So I got to know the difference between soccer and American football. So, I enjoyed the game.
Early in my time at UNL, I got together with other engineering students here,
and we started a non-profit called "The World Engergy Project."
And the mission is to work with developing communities around the world to design sustainable energy systems.
And it was a really great way for us to take what we learned in the classroom and apply it in the field,
to the people who need it most.
I've done the "Mr. Engineering" pageant for the past 3 years. I won last year,
and I love doing it because I get to go on stage and make a fool of myself. Like this past year I sang "I Believe in a Thing Called Love"
in little short shorts and a wig, and I just tried to ham it up as best I could.
I'm really excited that both my dad and I are graduating, and it will be the best day.
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I love to be a Husker because that means being part of a winning team.
I think the best part about being a Husker is the amount of respect you get because they know you're a hard-working, honest individual,
and I like to keep that level of respect up to the Husker name in everything I do.
I think it is great to be a Husker because you have that DNA running inside you.
I know I'm still going to be very involved in the college as an alumni, and that's just something I'm going to keep doing.
What it means to be a Husker to me is just having those common Nebraska values,
and being able to wear red every Saturday.
Being a Husker is having a true connection to Nebraska, which is the best state in the U.S.
The best part about being a Husker is being connected with so many students that share the same ideals and values as me,
and being able to stay connected with them as I grow into my career.
And one thing about Nebraskans is they are so receptive and they are so welcoming to people. So, I'm going to miss that.
Being a Husker means more than just cheering for a football team.
It's energy. It's passion. It's family. And I think that's the most important thing.
Saturday mornings, just the best feeling, getting up, going out tailgating with all your family and friends.
The greatest thing about being a Husker is going off somewhere else,
and everyone knowing you're hardworking, you're determined, and that you got a great education where you went to school.
I'm glad I'm a Husker because of all the wonderful people in Lincoln, Nebraska.
What the football team did for Jack Hoffman, the pediatric cancer recipient, was wonderful.
It was really a great moment, not only for the University of Nebraska, but for the state of Nebraska.
It's something that Rex Burkhead, C.J. Zimmer and some of those other guys just really wanted to do,
and give Jack that opportunity. So, I'm really going to miss all the special people in Lincoln, Nebraska, and at the University.
ANNOUNCER: A young man who has been adopted by this football team has just scored a touchdown.
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I'm really excited about graduating in Memorial Stadium because I've attended so many football games there,
and it really symbolizes what makes UNL so great.
Graduating in Memorial Stadium definitely makes me more excited for the ceremony.
Plus the fact that my parents are coming here for my graduation,
and it's very exciting to show them around the campus and show them the Husker spirit.
I will feel really great walking across the stage, but at the same time it will be hard to leave Lincoln, and leave college.
I think if I was going to design the commencement ceremony, there would need to be at least 200 moving lights, probably a rig of 500 conventional lights,
probably some LED screens, some strobes and some black lights cause that's how I feel about college.
I think any time you're in memorial stadium, you know it's sacred ground and you're walking where some of the greatest football players have played,
and it's something I'm definitely looking forward to.
I've been going to football games there for as long as I can remember, and if it rains, that'll just make if more fun.
It's cool that we're the first graduating class to do so, and I've always thought that they should do that.
And being outside in the stadium felt like that's what a lot of colleges do, so us being able to do so as well seems really cool.
Graduating in memorial stadium is like my family's dream come true.
I'm not playing football, but I'm still walking on the field.
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I'm going to miss Runza. Yeah. I'm going to miss the burgers and the fries, and that's true. I'm not joking. That's really true.
I'm going to miss the Daily Nebraskan. That's not even a hard question to answer.
I'm going to miss the Daily Nebraskan. It was so much fun and entirely rewarding. I wouldn't be where I am without the Daily Nebraskan.
I think one of the biggest things I'm going to miss is being fed all the time in the dorm lunch halls.
One thing that I will miss most about UNL is the people, and the wonderful people I have met here.
We hear a lot about "there is no place like Nebraska," but I would say "there's no people like Nebraskans."
I'll miss going into Anderson hall just about every day..
It's always such a welcoming atmosphere, with the faculty and the students, in such a great building. So, I'll miss that.
I think the thing I'll miss the most about being a Husker is all my friends, the football games obviously,
just being on campus, being around the university. I'll definitely miss that.
If I had to choose, I would delay graduation a few more years, but I don't think my parents would prefer that.
The one thing I'll miss about UNL is the commarderee that you feel on campus,
and being among people who love doing what you're doing, and being among friends who want to do exactly that.
The one thing I'll miss most about my college career here is probably my friends.
In classes I've met some pretty cool people, and we don't have the same life paths, sadly, so I hope we'll stay in touch.
The one thing I'll miss about UNL is going to the football games and the on campus events.
There's a lot of things I'm going to miss about being a student at the university.
One of the main things is my daily nap. That's going to be rough.
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After graduation I plan to move down to Kansas City to work at an engineering firm called Burns and MacDonald,
where I'll be working in the transmission and distribution department, designing foundations for circuit breakers and transformers.
I will be going to the Santa Fe Opera, as the technical production assistant under Tracy Omegast and Paul Uberdal.
And following that contract, I will be going to New York City, and work to become a freelance lighting designer.
My plans after college are to be come a special education 7th grade teacher at Color Middle School.
After graduation I'm going to work at ConAgra Foods in Omaha.
I'm going to be working mostly on event planning. So, I'll be helping them plan all of there summer trade shows.
I'll probably spend a couple weeks with my family and then go off to the real world.
I would love to work in the account management area in an advertising agency. And I would like to continue teaching as well.
I have accepted a full-time position as a general assignment city desk reporter at the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, in Little Rock, Arkansas.
I will be the assistant golf professional at Wilderness Ridge.
After that I want to one day open my own teaching facility.
I'm starting an organization that's going to bring in partnership in economic development in the Yanza provence of Kenya.
After graduation I plan to attend graduate school at Stanford.
I'll be joining their atmosphere energy program in the department of environmental engineering
I would like to work in the marketing field or the communications field for promotion and marketing strategies, and things like that.
And eventually, I would like to go to grad school.
My plans after college are going to be to attend the University of Nebraska Medical Center, College of Medicine.
At UNMC, I'll be studying to receive my doctorate in medicine and hopefully help with health care in Nebraska.
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