Nebraska’s Top Model

Anyone watch America’s Next Top Model?

Anyone?

C’mon..I know SOMEONE out there used to DVR it every week like me. Legendary Supermodel Tyra Banks chooses several dozen potential models from casting calls across the country. These young women must then take part in photo shoots, commercials and experiences to best prepare them (and test them) for the high-pressure world of professional modelling. Aside from the cat fights, gossip and inevitable tears during makeovers (‘Tyra cut my hair!!!! My life is OVER!!!’), there was a time I. LOVED. THIS. SHOW!! ANTM was my binge TV–I’d watch marathons while doing laundry all Saturday or on a rainy day off from work.

Over the seasons, Tyra revealed details about a tough adolescence. She told ABCNews: “I was thin, I was 98 pounds, I was 5 foot 9, I was an inch shorter than I am now. So that is not just supermodel thin, that’s just, like, what’s-wrong-with-her thin, and I had very low self-esteem because nothing I could do would make me gain weight.”

Hard to believe now, looking one of the world’s most beautiful, successful women..

tyra_banks

..but Tyra Banks will NEVER forget those years. Now worth an estimated $90 million as a model, host, producer, author, etc.. Banks donates time and money to numerous causes devoted to young women, including her own TZONE program, aimed at leadership and life skills development, and the Tyra Banks Scholarship, a scholarship fund for African American girls.

They say life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react.

Cue Nebraska’s Top Model.

MISS ALLIANCE’S OUTSTANDING TEEN 2015 SHANIAH FREESEMAN

(Photo courtesy Just Shoot Me Photographics)

“I can describe myself in three words: I’M A FIGHTER,” Shaniah told me recently. “I was insecure about myself when I was younger and I didn’t feel like I fit in. I was the girl with the glasses, I looked like a string bean with long legs (given the nickname daddy long legs), and I had crooked teeth. What I didn’t realize until later is that God created me unique.”

Shaniah, a high school student from Gordon, Nebraska moved from Nebraska, to Colorado, back to Nebraska when she was younger. Making new friends compounded the feelings she already had about not fitting in, but Shaniah says she was determined to keep her chin up.

“My faith and my family are what really helped me through this change,” said Shaniah. “Family means so much to me, and I love being able to say that God has blessed me with these amazing people.”

Shaniah is determined to share her story, both her challenges and what empowered her, to others who need a boost.

“I know what it’s like to be in their shoes,” said Shaniah. “I use what I’ve had to go through to make me a stronger person that helps motivate others to overcome their challenges as well.”

That message is now part of Shaniah’s personal platform as Miss Alliance’s OT, ‘Overcoming Adversity’. Shaniah recently visited Gordon Elementary to read to students and just to talk to them about never giving up when there’s a bump in the road.

“I have always loved kids and making kids smile always brightens my day!” said Shaniah. “Not only is it amazing for me to tell my stories, but I am all ears to people who have things they’d like to share with me. I am striving to be a leader in my community and a role model to others. Everyone has their own difficulties, but I am here to show people that it is possible to get through them.”

Shaniah is also busy with her own activities, including her church’s worship team, multiple youth group/bible studies groups, and singing opportunities through church as well as through Miss Alliance’s OT events.

“I have [performed] the National Anthem at multiple events such as basketball games, a wrestling tournament, and the NWTF (National Wild Turkey Federation) banquet. I have also shared my love for Christ through music, by singing solos at church, talent shows, at the Sandhills Alive music festival, as well as just kicking back and singing with my family and friends,” said Shaniah. “When I think of pageants, I think of an opportunity to share my love for Jesus through music and show people that beauty is what’s on the inside.”

Shaniah adds that the Miss America Organization reinforces her belief that everyone is beautiful in their own way, and has helped her build poise, public speaking skills, determination and confidence. That girl who was once self-conscious, embarking on a scary, new adventure just days before school began in a new town, now holds her crowned head high.

“Even though I have long legs, now I’m a starting varsity volleyball player,” said Shaniah, who also plays basketball, competes in track and is a member of her school’s color guard. “My teeth have straightened out and I have learned to accept myself for who I am. No matter what people might tell me, I’m beautiful in my own way and I keep telling myself that. I don’t let the difficulties tear me down, I let them build me up. I can’t wait to continue sharing my platform, and inspiring others, all while being associated with the Miss Nebraska Organization!”

Tyra, if you’re reading this.. feel free to contact Shaniah but just hold off for a few weeks; this Top Role Model’s already booked through June, ready to compete for Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen.

(Photo courtesy Just Shoot Me Photographics)

Follow Miss Alliance’s Outstanding Teen 2015 Shaniah Freeseman

on Facebook, Instagram and on Twitter.

Click here for a special feature on Shaniah on the Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen Facebook page!

To contact Shaniah for appearances and events, click here to visit the Miss Alliance’s Outstanding Teen pageant on Facebook.

For more information about the Miss Alliance’s Outstanding Teen pageant, including how to become a contestant, contact Director Melinda Cullan at 308-710-5593 or by email at maot.alliance@gmail.com.

***

The Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen Pageant will take place June 5, 2015 in North Platte. Click here to visit the organization’s website or the Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen Pageant on Facebook and on Twitter.

***

PREVIOUS.. Miss Gering 2015 Kaylee Carlberg

NEXT.. Miss Western Nebraska 2015 Chrissy Townsend

To read more about the Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen Class of 2014, click on the ‘There She Is’ link at the top of the page.

Party Like A Journalist

Apr26

There’s a twitter account I ADORE right now: @JournalistsLike. The account administrator (I’m not even sure who he/she is!) shares tweets from around the country from journalists, using #PartyLikeAJournalist as our connecting thread.

@SunGriwkowskyC: Wonder if the fact that the election is on Cinco de Mayo will mean newsroom burritos instead of the traditional pizza? #partylikeajournalist

@MissyRileyNews: I probably won’t sleep until Sweeps is over. #LifeOfAJournalist #partylikeajournalist

@jlivi2: Waiting for calls back like……. #partylikeajournalist

Speaking for my fellow reporters here at KETV.. it is AMAZING how representative this is!! We ALWAYS have pizza on election night! Ratings periods, dubbed ‘sweeps’ in TV news, are arguably the most stressful times of our year when we put in extra hours for more in-depth stories. And waiting for calls.. on deadline.. often FEELS like FOR.EV.ER.

No matter what market you’re working in, where you are at in your career, or what type of beat you cover in news every day, there are things that bind us all together as journalists. I saw that firsthand Friday night at the Omaha Press Club, honored to present closing remarks at the 2015 OPC Scholarship Awards Dinner, which also recognized this year’s Career Achievement and Journalism Educator Award winners.

I was also at this dinner 12 years ago… as a scholarship recipient.

The recipients of the Mark O. Gautier, Jr. Intern Award. SIX of us either work or have worked at KETV.

When I applied for this scholarship, I had interned at KETV THREE SEPARATE TIMES; twice in news and once in sports. I was a senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and mentioned to my mentor, the man who hired me and guided me through each of my internships, KETV Assignment Editor Joe Kasmir, that I was applying for the Gautier Award. Joe suggested I ask KETV News Director Rose Ann Shannon to write me a letter of recommendation. Thankfully she did, and with her much appreciated support I was honored with this scholarship. It was the first of many ways Rose Ann offered me a hand when I was a green, wannabe broadcaster, opening a door for me to get into this business with a little extra oomph to push me along.

This is all part of what I shared in my speech Friday night, and I’m sharing it all here on my blog as well with a few hopes; first, that it encourages anyone reading this to consider a donation the Omaha Press Club Scholarship fund, and second, that maybe it connects–that we connect–with aspiring journalists just like I once was. These awards not only provide a nice financial bonus for students who are often trying to take on unpaid journalism internships in addition to classwork, but it shows them someone out there believes in them. Someone wants them to succeed. Someone thinks they’ve got what it takes to be a journalist; to tell good stories, to tell their community what’s going on in the world, and to be trusted that what we are telling them is FACT. I didn’t think Rose Ann Shannon even knew my name back then; I won that scholarship and thought, ‘hey, maybe she does know who I am.. and maybe she thinks I’m doing a good job.’

Three of this year’s scholarship recipients, one from each university represented, briefly spoke at Friday night’s ceremony. Mara Klecker has already spent time in Australia and Ecuador, chronicling current events and interning with major outlets like National Geographic. Scott Prewitt is the editor-in-chief of the Creightonian, even filming, editing and narrating a mini-documentary which debuted at the Omaha Film Festival. Matthew Barros has been an active contributor to UNO sports radio and spoke with so much enthusiasm and professionalism Friday night, he made US excited to be in the same field as him. I daresay I speak for many people in that audience as to how excited we are that these students are the future of our business.

Broadcasting is constantly evolving and changing, never more than now. The world can turn to Twitter, to Facebook, to cable, to text messages and Google searches, but in the end, journalists can provide something no one else can: FACT. True information. We are the microphone for the child’s voice who isn’t heard. We are the siren for the scandal under the radar. We are clarity when people are confused and need answers. And we are passing the torch on to people like the 18 students in that room Friday night. It’s an awesome responsibility, and it’s one hell of a ride.

Photo courtesy Dailykos.com

December 5, 2007 was a day that arguably, no Omaha journalist will ever forget. We all started very early that day because President Bush was in the city. By early afternoon, most of us were back in our buildings, formulating presidential visit coverage for our newscasts, websites and papers. 1:00, I was sitting at my desk when the scanners in our newsroom started going crazy; there had been a shooting. Rose Ann came out of her office and we all heard ‘man down at the bottom of the escalator.’ I will never forget Rose Ann’s reaction in that moment, saying ‘we’ve got to put everything we’ve got on this.’ In those short seconds, I hadn’t even had time to process what dispatchers were saing, yet Rose Ann just KNEW this event was unprecedented. Her instinct told her this was very, very bad.

Inside Westroads Mall, a teenager had shot and killed nine people, including himself, and wounded four others. That cold, overcast day right before Christmas became one of the darkest days in Omaha history.

But that’s the thing. That day was history. As unthinkable, as tragic, and as terrible as that day was, Omaha journalists chronicled that history. It’s our job to tell people what is going on. Thankfully we also cover INCREDIBLE moments; reunions, joyous events that bring us to tears, things that literally seem to be miracles before our eyes. I’ll never forget covering my first Nebraska football game, standing on the field at Memorial Stadium and literally feeling the adrenaline rise within me as 85,000 fans surrounding me screamed for the Huskers. Who else, in what job, gets to witness history like journalists?

The other reason I brought this up Friday was because of what Rose Ann showed me that day: instinct. Sheer listening, feeling, knowing what was a story before anyone else did. Rose Ann has been in broadcast journalism now for 40 years, and that day, it was like she was still a beat reporter out in the field everyday. SHE JUST KNEW.

THAT is something within all journalists, something that drives us to want to tell stories, and to tell the rest of the world what is going on. It’s the common thread that links all of us, from the college student just starting out, to the news veteran with decades under his or her belt.

And all of us were in one room together Friday. Ironically, as I spoke to these 18 scholarship recipients and their families, I also spoke to Rose Ann, still my News Director, Larry Walklin, my college professor, and arguably the best of the best in Nebraska news. Rose Ann and Dr. Walklin were honored Friday night for their dedication and accomplishments in journalism.

KETV News Director Rose Ann Shannon, receiving the 2015 Omaha Press Club Career Achievement Award

To Rose Ann and Dr. Walklin, THANK YOU for believing in me and helping me believe in myself a little more. Thank you to all of the parents, teachers, mentors and friends who encourage and support aspiring journalists; the hours are long, the timing is terrible and the stress is high. Most of all, to the 18 men and women who are joining us in this crazy world, and reigniting our passion all over again, CONGRATULATIONS, and good luck.

***

CONGRATULATIONS to the following 2015 OPC Scholarship recipients!

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA – LINCOLN

Joseph Hoile, Vanessa Daves, Jane Ngo, Madison Wurtele, Brent BonFleur, Mara Klecker, Christopher Heady, Natasha Rausch

UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA – OMAHA

Angela Eastep, Matthew Barros, Nick Beaulieu, Maria Brown, Marin Krause

CREIGHTON UNIVERSITY

Anthony Robinson, Catherine Adams, Michael Holdsworth, Krysta Larson, Scott Prewitt

***

Click here for more information about the Omaha Press Club and how to become a member. (You DO NOT need to be a working media member to join!)

Click here for more information about the Omaha Press Club Foundation and scholarships for future journalists.

Special Feature, Miss Iowa 2014 Aly Olson

Apr23

It’s human nature, picking favorites. We naturally gravitate towards a choice flower, a soda we’ll always buy at the grocery store, the character you follow on that great show (coughcough, Grey’s Anatomy.. Alex Karev..coughcough). For decades now as I’ve watched from home, I’ve chosen favorites on the Miss America stage, too. This year, when the Top 15 names and states were called, this young lady quickly became my FAV.

MISS IOWA 2014 ALY OLSON

(Photo courtesy the Miss Iowa Pageant)

There was just something GLOWING about Miss Iowa on that stage. Her sheer excitement, how genuinely elated she was to represent her state and be chosen in the Top 15, and just simply how stunning she was; that red hair and gorgeous smile just RADIATED into my living room.

(Photos courtesy the Miss America Pageant)

I don’t think I was alone; during preliminary competition, the Twitterverse was all ‘atweet’ about Aly’s vocal performance during talent and she quickly emerged as a social media favorite. Pageant Junkies predicted Aly would be among the Top 5 contestants who could be crowned Miss America. And in the end, when the Top 10 were named and Aly’s name was not among them, pretty sure my moan was echoed by several others watching at my house.

For Aly, the Miss America experience was more than she ever expected.

“I was called 14th of 15 on Sunday night’s broadcast of Miss America. I was shocked when at last I heard ‘Iowa’,” Aly told me recently. “My fellow contestants (I prefer to think of them as sisters) are so intelligent, kind, funny, NORMAL, beautiful and driven. Support from my sisters is an enduring highlight from my Miss America experience, although making it into the Top 12 at Miss America was also more insane than I could have imagined!”

So what next?? Often, I think people (and sometimes titleholders themselves) forget that these young women hold their crowns for a full year, whether they win that next level or not. Aly Olson came home and figured out who she was as Miss Iowa AFTER Miss America.

“I began to say yes to as many opportunities as possible, which blossomed into a remarkable year as Miss Iowa,” said Aly. “I have traveled over 30,000 miles, spoken with thirty schools about my platform of Do One Thing: Diversity Everyday, and performed for hundreds of thousands of Iowans.”

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF IOWANS. Let that sink in for a moment. Hundreds of thousands of Iowans now know there’s a Miss Iowa, who she is, and what she stands for. On November 1 alone, Aly sang the national anthem at the Iowa vs Northwestern football game in front of 67,000 people.

Aly’s been interviewed by television, radio and print reporters across the state and beyond. (Including me! Click here to watch my interview with Aly before she left for Miss America!) She’s been recognized by Iowa’s elected officials as well as businesses, institutions and organizations. All of these things make our program RELEVANT; it shows people why the Miss America Organization MATTERS. It drives publicity not just for Aly and what matters to her, but for every Miss Iowa and local titleholder who follows in her footsteps.

Still, Aly says her proudest accomplishments are more than numbers.

“I have been able to connect with people in special moments, such as visiting a child in a hospital, eating a meal with a family that is hosting me in their community, being welcomed into a variety of cultural organizations, and listening to the incredible stories of life,” said Aly. “The resulting relationships are more inspiring and beautiful than I could have ever expected. I feel lucky to have been touched by so many people in my year as Miss Iowa.”

That time will soon come to a close for Aly as she ends not just one year but a legacy with the Miss Iowa program. Aly also spent a year as Miss Iowa’s Outstanding Teen. That’s at least five years of her life as a teenager and woman devoted to serving others and bettering herself.

“Being Miss Iowa had been a dream of mine for a long time, so it is definitely more sad than I had anticipated to see it nearing the end,” said Aly. “However, I know that there will be many more exciting chapters in my life. I will return to the University of Iowa in the fall to finish my Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance and then graduate in December 2015.”

As Aly told me last fall, she’ll do that debt free thanks to all of the scholarships she’s received competing in the Miss Iowa Program. DEBT FREE. Just one of the lifelong benefits she’ll take with her when she passes on her title.

“[My fellow Miss America contestants] continue to support each other as well as find ways to connect across the country. Our class truly is an example of sisterhood,” said Aly. “I want every girl from the Midwest to know that her state and background do prepare her for success in life; that is one of the main sentiments I took home from Miss America.”

And Aly herself will continue to mentor those future titleholders; she wants to be a Miss Iowa volunteer.

“I can help other women discover how much grace, poise, compassion and love they have within themselves through the Miss America Organization,” said Aly.

(Photo courtesy Miss Iowa Pageant and Say Uncle! Photography)

Was it what she expected? When she imagined this moment for so many years, did Aly Olson every think this year of her life would be HER favorite?

“This year has been so much more than what I had expected; more exhilarating, more beautiful, more tiring, more demanding, and more important.” IMPORTANT. That one word from Aly is MY favorite part of our interview. Aly Olson MADE her reign matter, for both herself and for her state. Iowa’s never had a Miss America, but Aly put her state BACK on the Miss America map, showing the country what Hawkeyes are made up, and laying the groundwork for those who follow in her footsteps.

A warning to whomever that young lady may be in 2015; Aly Olson is leaving you with VERY big shoes to fill.

To learn more about Miss Iowa 2014 Aly Olson,

follow her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Tumblr. To book Aly for appearances and events, email businessmanager@missiowa.com. Aly was also recently profiled by Pageant Junkies; click here to listen to the podcast interview with Aly!

The next MISS IOWA will be crowned June 13, 2015 in Davenport, Iowa. For more information about the pageant, the Class of 2015 contestants, and how to compete in the Miss Iowa Scholarship Program, click here to visit the organization’s website, and click here to follow the organization on Facebook.

***

PREVIOUS.. Miss Sandhills 2015 Kate Lynne Duncan

NEXT.. Miss Northwest 2015 LaRissa McKean

To read more about the Miss Nebraska Class of 2014 and more special features, click on the ‘There She Is’ link at the top of the page.

Special Feature: The Future of Miss Nebraska

Mar30

For 90 years, one young woman in our state has annually been crowned Miss Nebraska.

90 YEARS.

This tradition, recognizing one of the most talented, intelligent, striking women in the state and sending that representative to the Miss America Pageant, has taken place through six wars, through national crises, through times of celebration and times of despair. Behind every state pageant, and behind every Miss Nebraska who joins the sisterhood, there have been state directors, a person or two who help guide that young woman through deadlines, paperwork, wardrobe needs, appearances and more.. all without much, if any, time in the spotlight.

For the past seven years, Jay and Amy Engel, have held that role. They announced this weekend this year’s Miss Nebraska pageant will be their last as Executive Directors.

“We started out as a host family for the pageant {in 1995}. We realized the amazing things this program was doing for young women and wanted to become involved,” said Jay Engel via a press release issued Monday. “Between the two of us we had many jobs over the last 20 years-from writing the script to being Executive Directors.”

On the Engels’ watch, Miss Nebraska winners have taken home tens of thousands of dollars in scholarship money. Donors have stepped forward to support these women during their years of service financially, with vehicles, wardrobes, and services. The Engels’ Miss Nebraska’s have also soared to the top at Miss America; Brittany Jeffers-Hannema was Nebraska’s first Top 10 finalist since 1983. Kayla Batt-Jacox won preliminary talent and Miss Congeniality awards. And of course, the Engels also crowned, and mentored, Nebraska’s first and only Miss America, Teresa Scanlan.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to meet the variety of people across the state & across the nation because of our involvement with the pageant,” said Amy Engel. “We are thankful for the support of our board, volunteers and the community of North Platte.”

Jay and Amy Engel are leaving some VERY big shoes to fill. The two women, named as new Executive Directors, are READY to step up in their Manolos and continue this trajectory making Miss Nebraska and this pageant viable, relevant and successful.

KAYLA JACOX and RACHEL DALY, newly named Miss Nebraska Pageant Executive Directors

(Photo courtesy Jenn Cady Photography)

“Having both been former competitors in the Miss Nebraska Pageant, we both hold a certain relationship with the program and only want to see it succeed,” Kayla and Rachel told me recently. “We think we have the potential to bring fresh ideas to the organization. We obviously strive to continue to grow and strengthen the program by implementing and supporting more local pageants, creating relationships with new and potential sponsors, and maintaining connections with our longtime sponsors.”

Currently this ‘dynamic duo’ works together as Co-Executive Directors of the Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, a partnership that bloomed from friendship while both women competed in the Miss America system.

2008, Kayla had just been crowned Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen and Rachel finished 1st Runner Up to Miss Nebraska.

“We’ve both been through the ringer,” said Kayla and Rachel. “We have been the ones competing, working our butts off for swimsuit, participating in mock interviews, focusing on platform work and community service. How cool would it be to have directors, who just years ago were in your shoes?”

Now in their third year leading the Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen program, Kayla and Rachel say they both bring strengths to their partnership that have helped to build an organization only in it’s 10th year nationally.

“Rachel has been the paperwork, parental and contestant contact, keeper of the budget planning, etc, while I prep things for state pageant on the producer side of things, contacting formers, etc,” said Kayla. “Together we’ve had three teen titleholders go through this process with us and we’ve learned an incredible amount from both the teens and their families and have also developed a well functioning system of running this pageant.”

These two have ALSO had success at the helm; they crowned and coached Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen 2014 Morgan Holen, who finished in the Top 5 at the Miss America’s Outstanding Teen Pageant, a FIRST for Nebraska. They consider their move to the Miss Nebraska Pageant as a way to continue their work on a larger scale.

The task at hand is not an easy one; as I’ve touched on previously contestant participation across the state seems to be decreasing in recent years. Kayla and Rachel confirm that nationally these numbers have dropped, as well as lower ratings numbers for Miss America. They call these stats motivation.

“We have watched many competitions and competition shows adapt to audience appeal and attraction, and we think that’s important. People need to get excited about the program again, excited about the opportunities it can provide to our members of society and {to be} proud to have women like this in our state,” said Kayla and Rachel. “What makes it challenging is doing so while maintaining the culture and history of the Miss America Organization. Miss America is viewed as an American tradition, and it sometimes feels as though the traditional things aren’t always the exciting things anymore.”

One of the ways these women intend to build that excitement is to embrace social media. They’ve already drawn more than 1,000 likes to the Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen organization’s Facebook page and hundreds more followers on Twitter.

“These, among other social media tools, are the stomping ground of our country’s youth,” said Kayla and Rachel. “We plan on continuing to use these tools to reach people, attract interest from a competition standpoint by showing what our contestants are doing and accomplishing, and turn around and promote those who support us.”

But if you don’t know these contestants.. if you didn’t know Kayla and Rachel back when they dazzled the audience with their talent and beauty, WHY should you care about Miss Nebraska?

Here are two reasons why, within the answers from these young women, working and married (Rachel with her second baby on the way!), about why they want to take on this new role.

“Simply put, I love helping people,” said Kayla. “It’s part of my nature to serve as a mentor and give to people. I love the idea that I will be a person for the new Miss Nebraskas to look to for support, opinions and knowledge.”

“My husband and I have always agreed that everyone should do something, other than your income-drive job, to give back and help build your community and/or state,” said Rachel. “Being a volunteer for the Miss Nebraska Organization is my ‘something’. Miss Nebraska is all about spotlighting, nourishing and helping to grow the exact type of people we want more of in our society; successful, driven, educated role models who focus on volunteering and helping those who need it.”

Evidence of the character, and drive for service the young women who compete in this program exhibit, people who are helped along the way by volunteers like Jay and Amy Engel. This couple has given countless hours helping young women with varied backgrounds and interests pay their way through college, improve life and career skills, and blossom into incredible people.

This June, everything will come full circle. After 20 years of devotion to this program, the Engels will pass on the torch to two of the young women they once helped. Kayla and Rachel will take that, hoping to light the way for another generation of Miss Nebraska contestants and winners.

On behalf of former contestants everywhere who have participated in this program, THANK YOU, Jay and Amy, for taking Miss Nebraska to the next level and building this strong foundation for future success. To Kayla and Rachel, CONGRATULATIONS and GOOD LUCK; the sky is the limit.

***

The Miss Nebraska Pageant will take place June 3-6, 2015 in North Platte. Click here to visit the organization’s website, to visit the pageant on Facebook, to follow the pageant on Twitter, and to follow the pageant on Instagram.

The Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen Pageant will take place June 5, 2015 in North Platte. For more information, click here to visit the organization’s website or the Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen Pageant on Facebook and on Twitter.

***

PREVIOUS.. Miss Western Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen 2015 Allison Baird

NEXT.. Miss Scotts Bluff County’s Outstanding Teen 2015 Grace Heggem

To read more about the Miss Nebraska & Miss Nebraska’s Outstanding Teen Classes of 2014, click on the ‘There She Is’ link at the top of the page.

2014: Year In Review

Dec29

I mean, really, what’s the point of having a blog if you can’t hand out imaginary awards that are voted on by only YOU?

I’m a big believer in recognizing the POSITIVE things going on in our world. In news, we certainly see the bad. A lot of it. Day in and day out. But I think KETV does a great job of also highlighting the GOOD. The students who vote for a special needs friend for Homecoming King. The community rallying around a family in their darkest hour. A business finding incredible success through simple hard work and dedication to their craft.

As we close out on 2014, here are my Year In Review Local News awards.

(Thank you for continuing to read though you are probably doing so while laughing.. not with me, just AT me..)

2014 KETV REPORTER OF THE YEAR

KRISTYNA ENGDAHL

This lady is just FANTASTIC. I don’t have enough adjectives for her. Beautiful. HILARIOUS. Sharp. Well spoken. Fearless. Respected. Kristyna’s stories are well written and solid; if she tells you something, you know it to be true and researched. Kristyna’s live presence is just AWESOME. She’s articulate, she gets to the point at a scene, she shares what viewers want and need to know. When Kristyna’s in our newsroom, our coverage is GREAT. We have so many incredible journalists on our team here at KETV, but for me, Kristyna is our 2014 reporter of the year. Now, as a person.. SHE. IS. AWESOME. My day is truly brighter when I come in to work and see that beautiful smile, then hear her joking at her desk. (Then I usually snort coffee up my nose laughing, because she is HANDS DOWN the funniest person in our newsroom!) Like I said, I don’t have enough adjectives for Kristyna. I do have a message to her: THANK YOU for being you!

Kristyna’s work in 2014:

First interview with Nebraska Governor-Elect Pete Ricketts

$100 Reward offered for return of Baby Jesus

Survivor recalls Sunday morning crash

Follow Kristyna on Facebook and on Twitter!

***

2014 KETV PHOTOJOURNALIST OF THE YEAR

DAVE HYNEK (photo courtesy Jodi Hoatson, CHI Health)

Again, we have so many, SO MANY, incredibly talented photojournalists here at KETV. Still, for me, Dave Hynek is THE BEST OF THE BEST. Not just at KETV, but arguably, one of the best in the country. Dave FEELS what he shoots–he captures moments with his eyes, his ears, and all of his senses. I’ve been honored to share some INCREDIBLE stories this year and in 3/4 of those stories or more, Dave was the man behind the camera and in the edit bay, trying to piece together a vision I had written down on paper. A brave, young woman speaking for the first time about the night her ex-boyfriend shot her in the face; Dave put the story together. Our chronicle about Baby Lawrence, multiple stories spanning several months; Dave put the stories together. Cassidy Collier, a teenager facing lifelong challenges after a terrible car crash; Dave put her story together. The paralyzed bride who walked down the aisle, the Plattsmouth teenager who died from a mysterious illness, our one-on-one interview with former Nebraska football coach Bo Pelini–DAVE HYNEK was the man behind the scenes in each and everyone of these stories. When we aren’t fighting over Dave in news, he’s also part of our sports team, often traveling with Andy to Nebraska football road games to shoot on the sidelines; AND he has his own production business, shooting weddings and special events. Dave helped me put together my audition tape for the College World Series this year (singing, not playing baseball), asking nothing in return. Dave may be one hell of a photographer, but he’s an even better FRIEND. Dave listens, works hard, he is KIND. Hands down, he is THE BEST. (And a SUPERSTAR shortstop on the Team Paparazzi softball team!)

Dave’s work in 2014:

Cassi’s message

Saving Baby Lawrence

New mother battling terminal cancer

***

2014 PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, ANDREW BEIN

No picture of Andrew, our Executive Producer in charge of our 10pm newscasts.. and that’s the way he likes it. Andrew is always behind the scenes, plugging away at his computer or up in our master control booth, and the DUDE IS A MACHINE. Andrew could hands down be working in any big market or network outlet in the country; his writing in concise, accurate, and entertaining. The numbers show it–with Andrew in control, KETV has not only the #1 10pm newscast in Omaha.. but one of the most popular newscasts in the country. Rob and I TRUST him. We know his scripts don’t have typos that could trip us up. We know he’ll guide us through breaking news, weather coverage and an ever-changing environment where situations turn in a heartbeat. Producers don’t often get the credit they deserve in our business–they don’t get their faces and names on our stories and coverage when things go great. Andrew deserves it–he’s one of the best, and we are VERY lucky to have him on the KETV team!

***

2014 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

ALEXANDRA STONE

By ‘Rookie’, I mean new to us here at KETV, but certainly not new to this thing we call journalism. This young woman is POISED, professional and quickly building a reputation in Omaha and beyond as a trusted journalist you can turn to for the story. I recently put together a story with an interview Alexandra had conducted; she spoke with the mother of a young man who had been shot and killed. These interviews are SO incredibly difficult. What can you ask? What can you say? Alexandra was compassionate, caring, she asked the questions that we and our viewers wanted to know, but with tact and professionalism. It was a lesson in how to conduct yourself in such a tough situation, to remember you are a fellow human being. It was also Alexandra who, after 13 years in TV news, led me to CRY on air for the first time I can remember after seeing one of her stories. Alexandra and photojournalist Matthew Lathan showed a young man with cerebral palsy, surprised on the field when his coach put him into the game for the first time all season. It was just BEAUTIFUL story telling, and perhaps, a small glimpse of what incredible things this girl is capable of.

Alexandra’s work in 2014:

Bellevue football player receives sidelines surprise

Omaha native makes dream job reality

Women’s center helps immigrants escape domestic violence

Follow Alexandra on Facebook and on Twitter

***

I wish I had an ‘in’ with a trophy maker so I could hand out a few more awards. To photojournalist Tyler White for editing not one, not two, but nearly ALL of my Throwback Thursday Huskers stories (some of which required deep digging into the KETV archives, converting countless forms of video, and piecing it all together with my less-than-stellar knowledge of football). To KETV’s official EVERYTHING Josh Gear, who produces, shoots, edits.. OK, the guy just does anything and EVERYTHING asked of him, literally, working every shift we have at KETV, with no complaint. To legendary directors Tom Rock and Ruth Behrens, who are not only PHENOMENAL at what they do, but are always putting on a pot of coffee or bringing in made-from-scratch chili, because they are just KIND, WONDERFUL people. We’ve just got a really, REALLY great team here at KETV.

***

2014 STORY OF THE YEAR

For this one, I am completely, entirely, TOTALLY biased. Because this one is very personal for me. The story I will remember most from 2014..

THE PARALYZED BRIDE WHO WALKED DOWN THE AISLE

Gina Giaffoliogne-Springhower stunned her wedding guests and 1.65 MILLION viewers by doing what so many brides take for granted, walking down the aisle on her father’s arm. The KETV team (myself, photojournalists Dave Hynek, Ashley Nodgaard and Tyler White, and Assistant News Director Vonn Jones), along with the Giaffoliogne family and CHI Health’s Jodi Hoatson, spent weeks planning and working to share Gina’s story. Gina spent YEARS preparing for this one moment, an instant that brought me to tears and inspired millions of people around the globe. Gina’s story was shared by E! Online, People Magazine, Dr. Oz, CNN, ABC World News and World News Now, Good Housekeeping, Huffington Post, Courier Daily, and the NY Daily News, among others. Gina–THANK YOU for sharing your story. Your message, smile and spirit have no doubt changed lives, showing anyone facing a challenge that ANYTHING is possible. You have given people hope. To have any role in sharing your story is a blessing I can never say thank you enough for. The world is at your fingertips, Gina–you are simple incredible.

My blog post previewing Gina’s piece: A Cinderella Story

KETV, Paralyzed bride walks down the aisle

KETV, Millions share paralyzed bride’s story

KETV, Paralyzed bride invited to Dr. Oz

Gina hopes to continue to speak across the Midwest and the country sharing her story and her inspiring message. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION!

***

I have many goals for 2015. I want to finish (and in some cases, START!) my boys’ Shutterfly books for each year of their lives. I want to pick up again on one of my favorite hobbies, scrapbooking. I want to FINALLY get back to XXX and lose all of my baby weight. I want to be a GREAT wife, mother and friend.

Here at KETV, I just want to tell good stories. Stories that inspire. Stories that matter. Stories that make us think.

It’s been a great ride, 2014. Happy New Year.

The (Shocking) Season Finale

Dec4

All season during this Husker Throwback series, I’ve tried to post these blogs the day or two before the story has aired on KETV. There have been a few exceptions.. Monte Anthony had an ‘encore’ post thanks to Pearl Jam in Lincoln, and in our final week, legendary coach Milt Tenopir took a backseat to a terrible head cold. (No one puts Coach in the corner!) I fully intended to sit down at my desk Sunday and give Coach Tenopir the write-up his storied career at Nebraska deserved.

Then we all got the email that changed everything.

‘University of Nebraska Director of Athletics Shawn Eichorst has dismissed Head Football Coach Bo Pelini effective immediately.’

I’ve been sitting here, contemplating what to type next. The truth is, as I’ve written before, I don’t KNOW sports. There are journalists, commentators and analysts who make a living sharing the whys, the what ifs and the could bes. They research and study programs and team histories; they KNOW the game. One of the things Pelini told me himself in our interview last April was that there were sure a lot of people outside of his program who THOUGHT they knew everything.

Yes, that’s part of the job, and Pelini was the first to say that in our interview. Yes, he got paid a good salary, a GREAT salary, for that job. Still, quite an unenviable position to have tens of thousands of people criticize your EVERY. MOVE.

I KNOW I don’t know. Does ANYONE have all the answers for the success of Husker football?

From 1974 to 2003, Offensive Line Coach Milt Tenopir sure knew a lot.

“Here’s an example, the offensive line had zero, ZERO penalties,” said Tenopir of his 1995 team.

ZERO PENALTIES. ALL SEASON.

Milt Tenopir was the man behind that original Pipeline of sheer, impenetrable muscle. The coach who was often off camera, calling plays upstairs, looking down at the field inside Memorial Stadium. The role model who turned out hundreds of young men he says became beloved friends.

The 1994 Pipeline, an unbreakable Husker offensive line. 4 of the 5 starters that year went on to play pro ball. (Photo Courtesy Brenden Stai Golf Classic)

“I never demanded respect. I felt you had to earn respect whether you were a coach or whomever,” Tenopir told me last week. “If the kids believe in you and you believe in them, you’re going to develop a friendship. And we had a friendship, you know. There’s not many that would come through that door today that we wouldn’t hug, maybe shed a tear, because there was just a bond set up there.”

Tenopir was a players’ coach (“I beat ’em up if they didn’t say that,” he joked), but it wasn’t because he went easy on them. Tenopir says today’s players run 50-70 snaps, MAX, at practice. His players ran 110. ALL of his players, starting or not. THAT, he says, is how his Huskers dominated their opponents on the field.

“The reason for that success was we didn’t shoot ourselves in the foot. We didn’t have a bunch of jumps offsides, we didn’t have a bunch of chop blocks. We didn’t have a lot of holding stuff,” said Tenopir. “We beat everybody we should’ve beaten and a lot of times we beat people maybe we shouldn’t have beaten. We never lost a game that we were supposed to win.”

There were losses, of course, but not many. Tenopir credits his longtime head coach, Tom Osborne, who suffered two of those losses back to back at the start of his head coaching career.

“Coach Osborne was in our locker room before you could even get your clothes off to shower, he was not a happy camper,” remembers Tenopir. “He wanted change, and he got change. We ended up winning nine that year. The following game we played Colorado and we thumped ’em pretty good.”

That is one of the things Tenopir says bothers him about so many programs today; the inability to make adjustments, especially during a game. He says in 95% of Coach Osborne’s games, he brought a team back after halftime that performed better than in the first two quarters.

“When you look back at coaching 25 years, 255 wins, that’s an average of ten games a year. That says something,” said Tenopir. “Being in Coach’s presence made you all better people. He was just that type of a guy.”

There are other things Tenopir would like to see done differently at Nebraska. He’d like to see the Big Red get back to a run-first mentality. He says his coaching strategies, practice and consistency were not perfect but were proven.

“If they have repetition and the ability to make it second nature to them, then they’re going to be better. I see that as an area of change that needs to be done,” said Tenopir. “You’ve got a red N on your hat and that means something. It means you don’t ever give up. It means you try to be a perfectionist in everything you do.”

That red N might as well be tattooed onto Tenopir’s heart; though the 74-year old’s coaching days are over, he is still living by that Husker motto to keep fighting. Tenopir battled cancer and won, twice. (He is currently in remission, hoping he’ll be able to continue therapy at home in January.) This latest bout with leukemia, diagnosed in May, and the treatments that followed, drained Tenopir of his strength. When the 1994 National Championship team was honored during this season’s Nebraska vs Miami game, his fellow coaches pushed Tenopir onto the field in a wheelchair. On his lap, he held the ’94 trophy.

Photo Courtesy Huskers Illustrated

“It was heavy,” said Tenopir, smiling. “It was a thrill to me to be with those kids and the fact so many of them showed up. Rob Zatechka, Brenden Stai, Aaron Graham, Joel Wilks, Zach Wiegert, those were some pretty special kids.”

As for Tenopir’s favorite?

“Can’t tell you that, I coached so doggone many,” said Tenopir. “There’s not a kid I coached that I didn’t fall in love with.”

And from all accounts, the feeling is mutual. Even during our interview, Coach Tenopir stopped to wave back at people passing by, even hugging a woman working in the athletic department. 11 years out from his retirement from coaching and he’s still beloved in Husker Nation.

Something has been verified for me time and time again putting together these Throwback Thursday stories. To be a Husker is something very, very special, both to the players and to the fans. It’s not just a game in Nebraska. It’s tradition, it’s prominence, it’s a dynasty. It’s hard work, it’s adrenaline, it’s victory. It’s something we collectively look forward to and join together for. It’s more than the games, yet it IS the games, the players, the coaches that make all of this happen.

Will we ever have another coach like Milt Tenopir, like Tom Osborne, like Bob Devaney? Will Nebraska ever win another national title? Will ANY program see another team become a legacy like the 70-71 Huskers, or the 90’s powerhouse Nebraska teams?

Less than a week before Coach Bo Pelini would be dismissed, Coach Tenopir told me every head coach will take the blame for what goes wrong with his team. He added, you can’t put it all on one guy. In my interview with Coach Pelini, he was honest, down-to-earth, and seemed grounded by the things that are truly important; his family, and helping young men develop as players and people. KETV Sports Director Andy Kendeigh said it best tonight during our 10pm newscast: “He’s truly a good man.” Coach, I wish you the best.

For all of you who have followed this new Throwback Thursday Husker series, THANK YOU–I’ve really enjoyed following up with these players and coaches and sharing their stories. Ironically, as I close the door on this blog post and on the 2014 season, we are pursuing another developing story. Tomorrow, Husker Nation will welcome in new Head Football coach Mike Riley.

A new era of Nebraska Football is about to begin.

Paging Dr. Husker

Nov19

A few years ago, photojournalist Dave Hynek and I chronicled an AMAZING story about a father, donating a kidney to his young son. We followed their journey from start to finish, including in the moments leading up to the transplant. We interviewed a very brave Dad as his anesthesiologist inserted his IVs to prepare him for sedation.

You’d think I would’ve learned…

I don’t handle needles well. Like, I pass out when I see one. (Really. It’s not embarrassing AT ALL.)

So here I am, in the surgery preparation area of the Nebraska Medical Center, getting more and more lightheaded, trying to conduct an interview.

Right at the moment I feared I was going to lose my breakfast or crash head first into the floor, I STOOD UP AND LEFT THE ROOM MID-INTERVIEW. Dave finished it for me. Apparently, it was pretty obvious I was having ‘problems’. Dave came out of the area laughing, and noted that the anesthesiologist had noticed, too.

‘You know who that was, right?’ Dave asked me.

DR. ROB ZATECHKA. As in Husker legend turned doctor Rob Zatechka.

REALLY. Not embarrassing AT ALL.

Clearly, I was not destined for a career in medicine, but a lot of Huskers have been. ‘Dr. Rob’, Judd Davies, Sean Fisher… and now..

Dr. Mike Stuntz, Nebraska Free Safety (photo courtesy Nebraska Athletics!)

#16 permanently sealed his place in Nebraska Football history as a freshman, taking part in one of the most memorable plays in recent years. Nebraska versus Oklahoma in 2001, a key game in Nebraska’s journey to the national title game and Eric Crouch’s to the Heisman trophy. Out of nowhere in the 4th quarter, Crouch tosses the ball to Thunder Collins, who tosses the ball to Stuntz. Stuntz, just 18, delivers a rocket to Crouch downfield, who runs for a 63-yard touchdown. Nebraska beats the #2 team in the country, 20-10.

“I can’t think of one [play] that meant more to our team that I contributed to. I can’t think of one that people talk about with me more often than that one,” Stuntz told me in a recent interview. “We started practicing it early in the week. I knew about it, even starting that Monday, I think. We ran it throughout the week and it never really worked that well in practice. During the game, they told me even in the first half they were think about running it. Whey they finally called it, I was a little surprised, it was so late in the game and the game was so close.”

During what many might consider a nerve-rattling moment, Stuntz just ‘played the way he’d always played’.

“It’s almost one of those ‘ignorance is bliss’ things,” said Stuntz. “I didn’t really realize just how much people cared about Nebraska football, college football in general, how big of a game it was. You’re just kind of oblivious to all that when you’re 18 years old.”

You want to talk nerves, imagine this: HOLDING YOUR NEWBORN DAUGHTER FOR THE FIRST TIME.

Dads, do you remember that moment? Mike Stuntz does; it just happened a month ago when he and wife Natalie welcomed their first child, Blakely Autumn.

“I knew what I was doing on that play, I played football all the time. I’d never been a dad before,” said Stuntz. “So that was, definitely, without a question, more nerve wracking, the first time I saw Blakely.”

“He did use the football hold, though!” added Natalie with a smile.

Stuntz doesn’t just know football, he was pretty darn good at it. An incredibly versatile player, Stuntz saw time at free safety, split end, and reserve quarterback at Nebraska. Off the field, Stuntz also excelled in the classroom, a 9-time Academic Honor Roll member in the Big 12 and a 2005 First-Team Academic All-Big 12 student. His college major also attracted attention; Stuntz earned his degree in professional golf management.

This photo shows Stuntz golfing Lilongwe Golf Club in Malawi in 2011, his former career colliding with new. See, Stuntz told me he loved golf, but didn’t know if he had passion to pursue it for 40+ years. He discovered a new passion: medicine.

Natalie Stuntz is also a doctor, a pediatrician with CHI Health. Mike is in his first year of residency at the Nebraska Medical Center, specializing in ophthalmology. The two didn’t meet in medical circles, but certainly have A LOT in common professionally now, including the summer they spent together in Africa working at a Pediatric AIDS hospital.

They even found a Husker fan, thousands of miles away!

THAT is pretty normal for Dr. Mike Stuntz, still recognized nine years after hanging up his cleats, 13 years after that legendary play.

“I’ll be in the hospital or in the clinic or something like that, and it’ll be a patient and they’ll just say ‘aren’t you that guy?'” said Stuntz. “It happens much more often than I thought it would. I always enjoy talking about it.”

ESPECIALLY with his biggest fan. Miss Blakey is also his smallest.

“I come downstairs, and whether she’s awake or not she comes with me. We sit on the couch right here, we turn on the TV and we don’t move for the next 12 hours or so,” said Stuntz. “I’m pretty sure she’s very engrossed in the games, and then afterwards we have a nice group discussion about it. Her input is limited, but it’s growing.”

Stuntz’s message for today’s players is about the bigger world outside of football. Even when he bumps into his former teammates Dr. Judd Davies or Dr. Kyle Ringenberg, they talk about research and their goals in the hospital now, not what they used to be on the field.

And when Dr. Stuntz, Dr. Stuntz, and Lil Stuntz are at home, the focus is on family.

“I want to be Mom and Dad,” said Natalie. “When we’re at home, we leave work. We’re Mom and Dad, Mike and Natalie, and I want that for her.”

And when that little beauty opens up her gorgeous blue eyes to gaze up at her mom and dad, it’s easy to see why.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH KETV’S THROWBACK THURSDAY FEATURE ON MIKE STUNTZ!

For more on #16 Mike Stuntz check out his bio with Nebraska Athletics.

***

Click here to Throwback to the Class of 2003, Brett Lindstrom!

Next week, A SPECIAL FINALE of the 2014 Throwback Thursday Series, Coach Milt Tenopir!

Saving Baby Lawrence

Nov16

There are few things more innocent, more perfect, more beautiful, than watching a baby turn because they recognize the sound of their parent’s voice. Thinking back on those moments with my own boys brings me to tears. I remember seeing their first smiles, and knowing they were smiling at me, their momma.

The first time I met Baby Lawrence, that’s what I remember most. He only had eyes for his mom.

Shalina and Lawrence

We get Facebook messages, tweets, and emails everyday from viewers asking us to do stories. THANK YOU for that! YOU are the eyes and ears of our community, YOU are who help us tell stories. I wish we could tell them all.

I don’t know how many messages I got that day last March, but there was SOMETHING about Shalina Bolden’s message to me that pulled at my heart. A mother, writing to me from her son’s room at Children’s, where he had been for MONTHS. Her son was very sick with a very rare disease; she needed help.

#CantStopWontStop

She had that phrase EVERYWHERE across her Facebook page.

#CantStopWontStop

Shalina Bolden would not quit fighting until her son was living a healthy, happy life.

#CantStopWontStop

***

Lawrence and my son, Evan, are less than two months apart in age. As any mom does, I couldn’t help but compare the two. First, BABY LAWRENCE IS A BIG BOY!! I think during that first visit, Shalina told me she was buying 2T t-shirts for Lawrence’s 1st birthday outfit. He was also popping four teeth at the time and was a drooling machine! But while my little Evan was scooting around and playing with toys (mostly his brother’s), Baby Lawrence was stuck in his hospital bed. The same hospital bed he had been in for FIVE MONTHS. Lawrence was born with complete Di’George Syndrome, possibly the first child in Nebraska to have it. Lawrence had lung issues, a heart defect and NO IMMUNE SYSTEM. To even see him, my photographer Dave Hynek and I, as well as Children’s Media Relations Director Cherie Lytle, had to scrub our hands and gown up top to bottom, (including our faces, hair and shoes), before entering Lawrence’s room. A simple cold that our bodies could fight off, could’ve killed Lawrence.

FIVE MONTHS. He’d been in that bed FOR FIVE MONTHS. That’s all I kept thinking about. He hadn’t been to a park. He hadn’t been in a stroller. He couldn’t just crawl around his living room floor playing with blocks and Hot Wheels. He’d been in a hospital room for five months.

That got to me, and what almost brought me to tears was thinking about the time he spent in that room alone. Shalina worked full time at a nursing home. She often went straight to Lawrence’s bedside after her shift, and her young daughters knew Children’s like a second home. Still, I kept thinking of those hours she couldn’t be there, and of Lawrence, alone in his hospital bed.

“I just want Lawrence to have a chance at life,” Shalina told me that day, through tears. “To understand what it’s like to not be in a hospital bed.”

Shalina got word of a procedure that offered hope; a thymus transplant only being performed by one doctor at Duke University, and it was not federally approved. At the time Shalina contacted me, the state of Nebraska had denied the family’s request, twice, to cover a thymus transplant. Doctors told Shalina Bolden that Lawrence might live to see his second birthday.

#CantStopWontStop

***

Our first story aired March 30, 2014.

Baby Lawrence, wearing a onesie reading ‘Bananas for Mommy’, stole viewers’ hearts around the country (ABC News also picked up his story.) Changes were already in the works; after our interview with Shalina we learned the state set aside earlier coverage denials. Advocates with the state of Nebraska, Duke University Medical Center including Dr. Louise Markert, and Lawrence’s team at Children’s, all joined forces to figure out a solution.

#CantStopWontStop

***

April 14, 2014, I was sitting at my desk in the Newsplex and took a phone call.

It was Shalina Bolden, in tears. Nebraska Medicaid approved Lawrence’s transplant. Photographer John Matya and I were there as Shalina told her family, friends and the nurses who had cared for her baby for so many months, that Baby Lawrence was finally getting his surgery. He had just turned 1 year old a few days earlier.

baby lawrence birthday

“It took a couple of minutes for it to digest and then tears just fell down my face,” Shalina told me.

At that point, Lawrence was third on the transplant list. He had to be healthy enough to fly to Duke; he had to be healthy enough for surgery.

Shalina had to leave her job.. and her two daughters. She had to find someone to take care of her little girls, while she took care of her little boy in a strange place far from home.

What Shalina thought would be eight weeks turned into nearly four months, waiting for that bittersweet moment when she’d leave her children to give her baby boy a chance at life.

baby lawrence july

#CantStopWontStop

***

August 19, 2014, Baby Lawrence, at just 16-months old, took his first jet ride.

“We landed and Lawrence slept through the whole flight and everything,” Shalina messaged me.

More waiting. Lawrence stood for the first time on September 18th..

He started to learn how to crawl in his new hospital room..

lawrence crawling

His mom rarely left his side..

..heartbreaking for this mother of not one, but three children. While Shalina and Lawrence waited in North Carolina through August and then September, her sister cared for her daughters, Ja’Era and Ja’Lesia, 20 hours away in Omaha.

“I miss my girls like crazy. It is very hard to be away,” Shalina told me. “My oldest daughter just had a birthday, that was super hard, but I’ve explained it to them so they understand why I’m away.”

#CantStopWontStop

***

September 26, 2014.
“A pray has been answered today!” Shalina posted on Facebook. “I got confirmation that Lawrence will be getting his transplant October 9th!!! If everyone can keep him in your prayers.”

On the morning of October 9, 2014, ‘Baby Lawrence’ Bolden finally received the transplant his mom fought so hard for.

Later that same day, Shalina sent me a message.

“Everything went good, it only took an hour,” she said. “He is already back to being busy Lawrence.”

See for yourself; click here to watch KETV’s follow up featuring Baby Lawrence’s story and transplant

I cannot get ENOUGH of this little man. So many surgeries, so many needle pokes and painful procedures and long waits. And yet, he is SO SWEET! Always smiling, always big, open eyes checking out his world, and still, always looking at his momma.

shalina shirt

Author Elizabeth Stone once wrote: “Making the decision to have a child – it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ”

As a mother, you would do anything for your child. You would take on their pain so they wouldn’t feel it. You stay awake all night holding them if it gives them comfort. You would die in an instant for them.

Shalina Bolden NEVER took no for an answer to save her little boy.

#CantStopWontStop

God willing, she’ll have her little boy home and healthy, with his sisters, for the first time in a year.. just in time for Christmas.

Representing Nebraska

Nov12

We are now in Week 12 of Husker football season, and Week 12 of our Huskers Throwback Thursday series on KETV. This has been one of my favorite assignments in recent memory, strolling down memory lane with different players representing different eras of Nebraska Football. With each player, I tailor my questions to who they are and what they’re doing now, but I also have a handful of questions I ask in every interview.

What was your favorite moment as a Husker?

Do you have any advice for today’s players?

Who is your favorite Husker on this year’s team?

The vote has been nearly unanimous; Husker alumni LOVE Ameer Abdullah. Their reasons are also similar; not only is he a tremendous player (many hope a Heisman contender!), he’s a great role model and representative for the University and the Nebraska football program.

This week’s Throwback Thursday Husker echoes those sentiments, and also hopes to be thought of as a terrific representative.. in a different way.

Class of 2003, Quarterback Brett Lindstrom

Lindstrom had an unenviable job at Nebraska, playing backup to first Eric Crouch and then to Jammal Lord. You may not have seen him much on the field, but he was always ready when his Huskers needed him, including helping the team get to the title game in 2001.

“Just the experience of going to the national championship game, the Rose Bowl in 2001, was probably one of the greatest experiences I had down there,” Lindstrom told me last week in a brief interview. There’s a reason why it was relatively quick; Lindstrom’s got a jam-packed schedule as Senator-Elect, just voted into the Nebraska Legislature November 4th to represent Northwest Omaha.

Lindstrom still laughs when called ‘Senator’.

“I’m not used to that quite yet,” said Lindstrom. “Got jokes from some of my friends, laying it on pretty thick. I still just like to be called Brett.”

2014-10-24 09.35.02

It probably feels good to laugh after several tough years of campaigning. Prior to his run for the District 18 seat, Lindstrom ran for the Republican nomination for Congress in District 2, going up against incumbent Lee Terry in 2012. He lost in the primary. Less than a year later (his son, just 2-weeks old at the time!) Lindstrom announced his bid for the Legislature. In 2012, Lindstrom told me it was his daughter that compelled him to run for public office. He was concerned for her future.

Lindstrom feeding 7-month old Barron while making campaign calls (pic from the Vote Lindstrom Facebook page)

Campaigning also brought Lindstrom back to his Husker roots.

“What’s interesting about the campaign trail, going door to door, I’ve actually run into some old players,” said Lindstrom. “I don’t know who I’ll meet when I go to the door. Lornell McPherson, I played with, he came to the door. Damon Benning, he came to a door. Probably half the doors I went to had a Husker rock, a Husker flag. Obviously it doesn’t hurt when you can go up there and say, ‘I played for the Cornhuskers.’ It at least gives you a shot, people give you an extra second to listen.”

It appears voters heard Lindstrom’s message about his goals for Nebraska. (Listen for yourself in Alex Hoffman’s profile of the District 18 race, or by checking out the KETV ‘In Their Own Words’ section featuring Lindstrom.) He won the election and a ticket to Lincoln in January, one of 17 incoming freshman senators. Lindstrom will represent an estimated 37,000 people from his district.

“There’s a huge responsibility that we have moving forward,” said Lindstrom. “It’s an exciting time. It’s a new start for a lot of us and a new start for the state.”

Lindstrom follows a handful of other Huskers who have entered the political arena. Coach Tom Osborne became a Congressman, Pat Ricketts (Lindstrom’s teammate) just won re-election to the Millard School Board, and Jim Pillen became a University of Nebraska Regent. Lindstrom says he’s surprised more Huskers haven’t become elected representatives.

“I think there’s a lot of correlation between athletics and politics,” said Lindstrom. “The competitiveness of it, the perseverance it takes to go through it, getting knocked down, getting back up.”

Lindstrom’s advice for todays players: staying committed to the team will pay dividends later in life. He hopes that still holds true as a Husker alumni planning to be in Lincoln a lot more for the next four years.

“I thought maybe I could give the University a call and see if I could go use the weight room if I have a little down time at the Capitol, to go workout,” said Lindstrom. “I don’t know if the Capitol has a workout area, I doubt they do! See if I can drop my 40 and get my vertical back up!”

Maybe Lindstrom will be running sprints alongside his favorite Husker representatives, Ameer Abdullah and Kenny Bell. Maybe they’ll call him ‘Senator Lindstrom’ in the weight room. As this Nebraska representative prepares for a busy four years as a husband, dad, financial advisor and now Senator-Elect, he puts this victory in sports terms.

“It was just nice to come home with a W.”

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT KETV’S THROWBACK THURSDAY FEATURE ON BRETT LINDSTROM!

For more information about #15 Brett Lindstrom, check out his bio via Nebraska Athletics, his professional profile with UBS Financial Services or his campaign website.

***

Click here to Throwback to the Class of 1987, John McCormick!

Next week’s Throwback Thursday Husker.. the Class of 2005, Mike Stuntz!

Hail To The Chief

Nov6

One of the coolest things about this Throwback Thursday Husker series we’ve been sharing this football season is seeing how many different paths these former players have taken since leaving Lincoln. I’m not sure why I’m so surprised. Think of the people in your graduating classes from high school and college and ask yourself, where are they now? Of the 100+ players on the roster every season at Nebraska, there are bound to be any number of careers and futures these young men pursue.

Today’s featured Husker didn’t dream of or plan for the career he ended up in, but he calls it ‘great’, and has risen to one of the highest ranks in his department.

Assistant Fire Chief John McCormick (thanks to Nebraska Athletics for the photo!)

By our guess, there are seven or eight men on the Omaha Fire Department who played football at Nebraska. Ironically, the highest ranking member of that small club has kept his time as ‘Captain’ a secret at work.

“Most don’t know,” McCormick told me in a recent interview. “Most of the guys on the fire department weren’t even a twinkle in their dads’ eye when I played.”

CLICK HERE TO WATCH KETV’S THROWBACK THURSDAY SPECIAL ON JOHN MCCORMICK!

1987, John McCormick was in his senior season, his third year starting as Nebraska’s right guard. That year, he was named Team Co-Captain, First Team All-American, First Team All-Big 8 and an Academic All-Big 8 player. McCormick’s Huskers earned respect by playing some of the biggest names in football that season.

“Arizona State, UCLA, South Carolina, big power teams,” said McCormick. “But all the hype was usually around Oklahoma. That was always a big rivalry back then.”

Screen grab from our friend Jake Jacobsen at HuskerTapes.com; watch his clips of the 1987 NU vs OK game here!

McCormick, an Omaha native and graduate of Gross High School, is still passionate about today’s Huskers. His favorite: Nebraska’s star running back Ameer Abdullah.

“I think he’s a quality person, he has good character,” said McCormick. “And he’s a very good running back. I think he’s going to do well in his life.”

So has McCormick, who is now saving lives as an Omaha firefighter. A quick search of the KETV archives shows McCormick was one of the first responders at Molotov cocktail fires, at 2-alarm house fires, at scenes where firefighters risked their own lives to save strangers.

January 20, 2014 was no exception.

Then Battalion Chief John McCormick was one of the first firefighters to arrive at the International Nutrition plant minutes after the building collapsed, trapping workers inside.

“We had to rely on training and on our experience throughout our career to do the best we could,” said McCormick. “We were able to get a few people out. Sad that we couldn’t get everybody out.”

Two men died that day. Firefighters rescued at least nine others who were hurt, but survived. I remember anchoring our coverage that day while reporters Kyle Gravlin and Amanda Crawford reported from the field, and none of us knew how many were trapped or lost inside. We did know firefighters were inside, trying to find them, NOT knowing how stable the plant was or what could happen around them at any moment.

Just last month, seven of those firefighters were given Medals of Courage and/or Lifesaving Medals for their heroic efforts that day. At the same ceremony, Battalion Chief John McCormick was promoted to Assistant Chief.

“I consider it to be a lot like football in that it’s a team sport,” said McCormick. “It’s a team job. You need to accomplish a lot by using other people. The old cliché, you’re only as strong as your weakest link.”

And as the Huskers are hopefully gaining strength during this bye week, preparing for new Nebraska rival Wisconsin, McCormick offers this advice.

“This is such an important part of their life, but it’s only a short part of their life,” said McCormick, now a married father of eight in addition to his duties with the fire department. “Play hard, practice hard, prepare well and leave everything out on the field.”

***

Click here to Throwback to the Class of 2003, Jammal Lord!

Next week’s Throwback Thursday Husker.. the Class of 2003, Brett Lindstrom!