After decades making graduation day special for others, Nebraska’s Corrie Svehla finally had his turn. On May 17, he joined more than 2,900 fellow graduates, crossing the stage at Pinnacle Bank Arena to receive his bachelor’s degree in hospitality, restaurant and tourism management.
Svehla has worked for the university since 1996, and has been on the commencement committee since 2005, helping with any technical production or IT issues that arise during students’ big day. He started his university career in IT services, but as time went by, he started helping with commencement and special events, before taking on administrative duties. Svehla always wanted to get his degree, but work came first.
“I mean, I've always wanted to, but for the first several years here, I just got engrossed in my work and didn't plan enough time to take classes more regularly,” Svehla, now assistant director of special event technology and executive support, said. “But I think just the excitement of actually completing this degree, it'll be a huge weight off my shoulders too, because it's something I've always wanted to get done.”
This achievement was also sidelined by Svehla's health. A viral complication more than a decade ago destroyed his kidney function. Svehla spent nearly five years on dialysis, waiting for a kidney transplant, while continuing to work full-time, doing logistics for many of the special events on campus, including the famous Volleyball Day at Memorial Stadium. Luck struck when he finally found a donor in July 2023, giving him a new lease on life.
"I was on dialysis for almost four and a half years before I got a transplant... I just kept pushing through and pushing through… I think that gave me a renewed kind of vigor after my transplant," Svehla said. "Let's get this done, you know. And so these last couple of years, I've been trying to make sure to plan that that could happen."
While working full-time in an administrative position and attending classes may seem like a heavy workload, Svehla is used to it. His position in event staff requires him to work long weeks, and he was only taking a few credit hours per semester. Still, Svehla received plenty of support before taking his first class.
“I think I've gotten great support from everybody. But, you know, the close ones are Karen (my mom), my partner, Daniel, and Annette Wetzel. That's kind of probably my core,” Svehla said.
He also talked about his battle before getting a kidney transplant.
“A lot of people probably didn't realize I was on dialysis for many years," Svehla said. "Close people knew, and my friends on Facebook, who are colleagues, also knew, but there are people that I worked with day in and day out who didn't realize that I did dialysis every night for almost four-and-a-half years before I got a transplant.”
Being at the university for two decades, Svehla has gotten to know almost every corner of campus, but what keeps him here is the variety he gets to experience every day — whether celebrating the opening of a brand-new building or working through the logistics of special events like Admitted Students Day.
“I think that just having the different projects all the time, because every event is a little bit different,” he said.
Additionally, as technology progresses, so does the university, and so does he. For Svehla, it's also about showing the university in a good light, whether that’s through the celebrations of graduation or the networking that donor events facilitate.
“We had this huge capital campaign celebration for UNL a few years back [maybe 10] but you know, it was just the smiles on people's faces and the excitement that made it such a great memory,” he said. “Some of the most memorable commencements are when we're celebrating this sheer amount of accomplishment in the size of classes we have.”
This is a big milestone for Svehla, and while he’s proud of this great achievement, he isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. He hopes that what he learned through his hospitality degree will affirm the work he’s already been doing for nearly three decades at the university, and looks forward to making many more memorable events for students.
It’s always a very personal experience to make the decision to return for a degree, or get one for the first time. Svehla said for those that find themselves in such a dilemma, make sure the decision is one you make for yourself, but once you do, Nebraska is the perfect place to make your dreams a reality.
“There are a lot of great opportunities that the university offers for non-traditional students to get their degrees," Svehla said. "You don't have to become full-time, and you just have to start somewhere, right?
"Once you get started, just take it a little bit at a time, and then if you can do more, take a couple more classes. It's really about the passion and drive.”
