CASNR really put in the effort to make me feel like I belonged from my very first visit. I’m an out-of-state student which is different from a lot of people I have met. I have had nothing but good experience as an out-of-state student, from scholarships to carpooling groups on Facebook. I didn’t come to UNL as a die-hard Husker Football fan like the majority of people I met when I first got here, but it only took me one game to get hooked. I’m also a part of the Cornhusker Marching Band, which has been so much fun and full of great memories! I love music and participated in a lot of musical activities in high school, so I was super excited when I found out I could continue playing without having to be a music major!

CASNR is a great place to call home because it truly feels like one. Whether you live on East Campus or not you’ll always feel like you belong when you go there for classes or just some ice cream at the dairy store. When I first came to UNL I was really worried that I wouldn’t find a place where I would feel comfortable and have things in common with people. East Campus and my peers at CASNR have proven to be that place and those people. I’m ALWAYS on East Campus, even though I live on City Campus, because I love the atmosphere and I love the people. CASNR is the only place I visited that I truly felt like I belonged and that I would be allowed great opportunities, and I have never regretted my decision!

The atmosphere that CASNR has created, especially on East Campus, is so awesome. All of the faculty, staff and students are incredibly friendly. Dean Waller walks around campus and starts up conversations with students and is always open to listening. When I was a freshman my mom sent me a bag of cookies that said ‘for Dean Waller’ on them. Apparently at orientation he had told the parents to send their students cookies specifically for him so that we would have a reason to come and meet him. That openness and friendliness is present in all of the people I have met at CASNR, and that’s really what I have enjoyed the most about CASNR. Also, the food on East Campus is delicious. Some nights I drive to East Campus for supper specifically for the desserts or to get a BLT.

All of the professors I’ve worked with in CASNR are very knowledgeable about their area of study and about how their knowledge can be applied to your future field of study. Almost all of the professors I’ve had in CASNR choose to teach beyond industry knowledge and teach about what it means to be a good employee and a valued member of a community. I’ve been challenged and encouraged to question the status quo to improve what is ‘normal’ and more positively influence the environment around me.

The fall of my sophomore year I went to the career fair that was held on East Campus. I went to get some experience talking to people in the industry, but also because Julie Obermeyer (Career Services) had been sending out emails encouraging all students to go, not just juniors and seniors. Two days after the career fair I got an offer from ConAgra Foods for an internship the following summer! The amount of effort the University of Nebraska – Lincoln, and especially CASNR, puts into giving students opportunities to succeed is incredible and something I’ve really started to fully appreciate as I’ve started looking for industry experience. I am consistently getting emails with job opportunities and workshops.

I’m involved in quite a few activities outside of the classroom. I participate in the Cornhusker Marching Band, Scarlet Guard, which is the UNL student branch of the alumni association, Food Science & Technology Club and I have a job at a lab on campus. I also volunteer as an usher at the Lied Center for Performing Arts in downtown Lincoln. I’ve met a huge array of people in these clubs, both within and outside of CASNR. This past fall I went on a trip with Food Science & Technology club to Minnesota where we toured different companies in the industry!