Family, faith, and friends is what I need to be known by because they have raised me into the individual I am.” - Vickie Ference

Vickie Ference felt homesick in Lincoln and sought a way out. When she shared her feelings with mentor Tom Field, she told him she wished to move her family, pigs, and hometown, Ord, to Lincoln. Tom knew that bringing Ord or her family wasn’t an option, he encouraged her to bring her pigs—and in that moment, Vickie realized she had the “okay” to be an entrepreneur.

“There’s so many other things you can’t control, but you can control your routine, what you’re doing, and what your plan is every day.” - John Cook

At this year’s Sunny Side Up breakfast event, our community had the privilege of hearing from Husker Volleyball Coach John Cook as he shared insights on giving back, being a great teammate, and embracing servant leadership.

Big Gumdrop Outdoors is a non-profit born out of Elijah Riley’s personal passion for bridging urban youth with nature. Through partnerships with local after-school programs, summer camps, and community centers, Big Gumdrop Outdoors brings adventures, environmental lessons, and career insights directly to urban youth.

Seth Wright’s entrepreneurial journey began with one idea: instead of purchasing a cornhole board, he decided he wanted to build one. Though he has yet to make a set of cornhole boards, this moment ignited a spark of creativity that formed a deep passion for woodworking, leading to the creation of his own business, Scrappy Woodworks.

In this project, I had the opportunity to work with Eric Cowling, CEO of Helena Agri-Enterprises, as he introduced the ONE Helena initiative—a strategic mission aimed at unifying the company from within.

InfoFilm is an agricultural communications business that focuses on growing consumer and producer relationships in the agriculture industry. Madison creates videos showcasing the story behind agricultural operations with the purpose of increasing business transparency and consumer trust.

Glow Big Red is a 24-hour giving event at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln that raises money for the university. I had the privilege to create a promotional video to highlight the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Alyssa Walsh shared her entrepreneurial journey, from overcoming challenges in earning her clients’ trust and demonstrating the value of her work, to embracing her own path and achieving the success she has today.

On Day 2 of the Evolve Innovation Expo, I captured a powerful connection between Helena Agri-Enterprises and the growers we serve. With growers joining us at Helena Products Group, this video highlights the day’s engaging demonstrations and product showcases, giving our guests a firsthand look at Helena’s innovative solutions and commitment to agricultural excellence.

At our first Ascential 40 of the semester, we had the opportunity to hear from Todd Drake, Grant Rathje, and Tiana McKee from the company, Balance4ward. They are a cattle-feeding management company working to create opportunities for mid-market cattlemen who want to get more out of their businesses and allow producers to get more profit out of a steak.

I had the chance to capture Day 1 of the Evolve Innovation Expo at Helena Products Group, where employees from across Helena Agri-Enterprises came together to see our work in action. This video showcases the energy and engagement as team members explored what makes Helena unique—from our innovative products to our commitment to quality and growth.

In this project, I worked with Ward Bloodworth, VP of Helena Agri-Enterprises, to launch the ONE Helena initiative—a mission aimed at bringing the entire team together with a clear, united mission.

Abby Miller, senior Animal Science major from Mead, Nebraska, talks about her experience in this CASNR Senior Spotlight!

This video introduces Helena Agri-Enterprises' Evolve initiative, an event aimed at fostering adaptability and growth across the company.