Humans of UNL

One's own story is always the hardest to write. In this post, I take a look at why exploring and stories mean so much to me, and reflect on what I've learned about humans doing this project. Now comes the time to write the hardest story of all: mine. Not because it’s so grand, but because it can be difficult to find your own story. In case you haven’t read the introduction letter to Humans of UNL or haven’t yet figured out who the first person “I” has been in the previous posts, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Courtney Van Hoosen. And this is what I've learned doing my Humans of UNL project . There are a hundred different ways I could introduce myself, and I’ve probably written at least as many in all of the cover letters, applications, speeches and emails I’ve made. For example, I could tell you: I’m a proud Nebraskan native, originally from Omaha who was dead set on leaving the state for college only to find myself the perfect ...

If you didn’t know already, the International Man of Hospitality makes his home as a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln: Dipra Jha. Read Dipra’s story to learn the purpose behind education, the secret to true hospitality, and the reason innovation is key to success. The bespectacled, always impeccably dressed and smiling Dipra Jha entered into my life soon after I began my job at UNL’s Office of Global Strategies in September 2018, at a meeting on for virtual exchange at the university. My first impression upon meeting this International Man of Hospitality: Wow, I can’t wait to pick his brain on all sorts of things. Since then, I’ve had the pleasure to pick his brain about a plethora of topics: cross-cultural competency, menu options at Hiro 88, videography, traveling and more. In fact, I often joke with him that I need to have a map just for “Where in the World is Dipra?” But as I mention at the end of this post, there’s still many more topic...

Agustín is one of those people you can laugh about anything with. Seriously—just ask him about his "fun manure times." But no matter what you talk about, whether it’s his passion for agriculture and science, or staying open-minded, you finish the conversation inspired to find new opportunities for yourself. One of the things I love most about my job is that it brings me into contact with people from around the world through various grant programs. In February and March 2019, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln had the pleasure of hosting our third cohort of the Friends of Fulbright Argentina undergraduate exchange program . As we prepared for the program, I heard from the English instructor that a current graduate student from Argentina was very interested in assisting with the grant and peer ambassador program. This is how I met Agustín Olivo . On agriculture Agustín, it turns out, is not only originally from Argentina—he was also a UNL alum...

The first thing you notice about Victo Nalule is not that she’s differently abled or in a wheel chair; it’s her smile. As you get to know her journey through leadership and love, you realize just how inspiring this bright woman is. Working at a university, many of my friends joke with me that summers must be slow and relaxing. My response is usually a (half-crazy or sleep deprived) laugh. No, my summers are not slow and lazy; they are long but exciting days as my office works our way through hosting the Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders . On June 19th when the Fellows arrived, I had little idea just how incredible and inspiring these 25 young African leaders would be. Now, six weeks and a full heart of memories later, I continue to be impressed by each of them. And while I wish I had the time to write a story on each of them, one of the stories I knew I had to write is none other than the beautifully bright and optimistic Victo Nalule. ...