Husker graduates encouraged to lead with purpose, uplift others

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln is conferring a record 3,885 degrees during commencement exercises this weekend. The 3,762 graduates — also a record — are from 61 countries; 45 U.S. states and the District of Columbia; and 230-plus Nebraska communities.

Full list of graduates | Program

“This is a time when the world needs Huskers more than ever,” Interim Chancellor Katherine S. Ankerson said during the morning undergraduate ceremony May 9. “You are the newest addition to our university’s living legacy of inspiring and equipping learners, leaders and scholars who change the world. Our people lead with purpose — purpose beyond themselves.

“That might sound like a daunting challenge, but Huskers like you affect change every day, in industries, in communities and in your families. That is both the promise and the responsibility of higher education.”

DeMoine Adams — CEO of The Game Plan: Ready, Set, Perform; former CEO of TeamMates Mentoring; and a former Husker football student-athlete — delivered the keynote address, “The Power of People,” during the morning undergraduate ceremony.

A first-generation college student who holds two degrees from Nebraska, Adams emphasized that the best things in life are not things, but people.

“People are the reason you are sitting here today — a professor who challenged you, an adviser who coached you, a friend who supported you, a mentor who pushed you and saw something you didn’t see in yourself — your potential,” he said.

Jordan Opp | University Communication and Marketing

A standout defensive end who helped lead Nebraska to a Big 12 championship and a national championship appearance before going pro, Adams also excelled in the classroom — earning Academic All-American and All-Big 12 honors. He said he has learned that hope is the greatest indicator of success and that it is created through people.

“Every time you encourage someone, every time you lift someone up, every time you choose to lead with integrity, kindness and positivity, you are giving someone hope,” he said. “And when we have people who have hope, they grow, they achieve, they overcome. And that’s the power you carry with you, starting today.”

Adams told the graduates that commencement marks a “transformational shift” from personal responsibility — getting to class, studying, meeting deadlines — to social responsibility.

“It’s no longer just about what you achieve,” he said. “It about how you use what you have achieved to impact others."

Adams challenged the graduates to think about how they will keep improving in a way that benefits and positively influences others.

“Because whether you realize it or not, someone is always watching you,” he said. “Someone is becoming better — or worse — based on your example. And as a leader myself, let me remind you: Leaders don’t create followers; leaders create leaders.”

Adams urged the graduates not to let the world define their values or character, or distract them from their purpose, but to transform the world with their talents, positivity and kindness, as well as the skills and leadership they have developed at Nebraska.

“Because one person — one committed, purpose-driven individual — can change everything for someone else,” he said. “And when enough people choose to live this way, we don’t just change lives, we transform lives."

Equestrian Team helps Velinsky gallop into career

Among the graduates May 9 is Izzy Velinsky, who earned a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science from the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.

Velinsky came to Nebraska with a veterinary medicine career in mind, but her time with the Equestrian Team shifted her focus. 

Though she grew up in Lincoln with limited access to horses, Velinsky found ample opportunities to work with the animals through the team. She also found a community and mentors.

“Honestly, I am very faithful, and so I just kind of let God direct me where I needed to go,” she said. “Doors were opening for me through my mentor and the team, and I was trying different things, volunteering at a therapeutic riding center, working at a vet clinic, taking all the horse classes offered and buying my own horse to train.”

Velinsky spent countless hours at the Animal Science Complex. Her dedication led to hands-on experience in horse care, competition operations and riding, and she eventually qualified for national competitions. Through the Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program, she also gained insight into the business side of horse training.

Now she is preparing to follow her lifelong love of horses toward a career in equine training and moving to Oklahoma to start a job as a training assistant.

“I don’t know where my career will take me, but I definitely feel like this is the direction I’m supposed to be going,” she said. “When I was trying to figure out what I was doing in college, the Equestrian Team and all of these opportunities gave me purpose and pushed me to finish.” Read more.

Jordan Opp | University Communication and Marketing

Knight’s experience with Nebraska Athletics sets future path

Also graduating May 9 is Jordyn Knight, who earned a Bachelor of Journalism.

Knight’s work as a marketing and fan experience intern for Husker Athletics was so rewarding that it set her on a path to her future career.

Knight parlayed the experience into her first job, a guest experience coordinator with the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. She said her internship and the hands-on classes of her major built both her skills and her confidence.

“The more games I worked and the more times I was tested, it pushed me to realize I am capable of being a leader and being someone people can go to for help,” she said. “I feel like I have a lot more confidence speaking my mind and putting myself out there.”

Knight, who grew up in Omaha, quickly learned the importance of collaboration through her courses. In one of her favorite classes, Copy and Concept, students worked in rotating groups to build a campaign. Courses that taught Knight about photography, videography, web design and other skills demanded that she commit to going all in and putting her best foot forward, she said.

“I’m being challenged to exercise my creativity in ways that I feel like taking a test or learning out of a textbook can’t do,” she said.

In her internship, Knight and other members of the team coordinated things like halftime programming, the national anthem, giveaways and game themes. Over the course of the two years she worked the internship, she worked with just about every team across the department, but she was at various times the lead intern for track and field, swimming and diving, and women’s and men’s basketball.

“It’s why I love working in sports,” she said. “It’s just people all coming together to watch something they love and they’re so passionate about … It’s something so small, but those little things do add up. I like being that person to do things that make people feel special, and this job gives you endless opportunities to be able to do that.”

In her position with the Panthers, she will continue to manage in-game fan experiences and guest services and oversee elements like event staff and part-time parking and ticketing staff — including for concerts and other events at Amerant Bank Arena.

“It’s putting out all the little fires that come with fans and the chaos of game day, and I personally love that,” she said. Read more.

Jordan Opp | University Communication and Marketing

Also graduating in May:

> Luke McDermott, Bachelor of Arts with highest distinction, who made the most of experiential learning opportunities that shaped both his education and his future.

> Lena Lankas, Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with highest distinction, who excelled across disciplines and landed a job at Hudl.

> Aidan Kauth-Fisher, Bachelor of Science in Education and Human Sciences, who performed as Lil’ Red and will continue his education at the University of Nebraska Medical Center with the goal of becoming a physician assistant.

> Adam Algahimi, Bachelor of Science (College of Arts and Sciences) and Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, whose experiences in the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science and Management shifted his approach to engineering.

> Annalee Starr, Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communication with high distinction, who turned her Sandhills roots into a future in agricultural communication.

The May graduating class earned 132 new Juris Doctor degrees, 604 other new graduate and professional degrees and 3,149 new baccalaureate degrees. The university has awarded 332,652 degrees since it was founded in 1869.