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 ...

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. ...

  Dear Reader, Thank you for finding your way to my small corner of the Internet. I started this project, Humans of UNL , in the summer of 2019 in connection to a graduate course I was taking through the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's College of Journalism . Focused in digital media and analytics, part of our course work included creating a Blogger website and writing five posts throughout our five-week course, then use the visitor data to make strategic recommendations. My first reaction, upon reading the course syllabus, was a sigh; another course where I have to create another blog. As I wracked my mind on what topic I should select for this course, I was inspired by my recent birthday and goal to write thank-you letters to those who have impacted my life so far. There are far too many to count, and many who may not have an idea just how much they have impacted me. But they are important to me, and their story and our story together has become a small, yet crucial part...