On Wednesday, September 2, 2026, four University of Nebraska-Lincoln alumni who graduated from the University Honors Program returned to campus to speak with new students. Over 250 first-year Honors students took advantage of this opportunity, asking questions ranging from tips for securing internships to the alums’ favorite dining halls when they were students.
“The alumni panel is a special event,” said Leah Bates, a senior environmental and sustainability studies major, who moderated the panel in her role as the president of the Honors Peer Mentoring Program. Bates explained the value of the annual panel was evident “when I saw the first-years light up with questions and when they got to talk to people who had once been in their shoes.”
The alumni panelists included Anne Madison, ’94, a music performance major who now teaches at the Omaha Conservatory of Music; Erica Lewis, ’18, an agribusiness and food science and technology major who now works for Union Pacific in their real estate division; Zach Wendling, ‘23, a journalism and political science major who is a reporter for the Nebraska Examiner; and Drake Hermanson, ’26, a software engineering major who works in software development for Mutual of Omaha.
The panel’s advice to the first years focused on taking advantage of the opportunities, utilizing campus resources, and not being afraid to try new things. Chief among the opportunities the panel emphasized were the value of internships, education aboard experiences, and completing an undergraduate Honors thesis.
“The University wants to set you up for success,” said Wendling, who is also a professional-in-residence in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. “Take advantage of those opportunities!”
In terms of most memorable college experiences, Madison recalled fondly an Honors seminar with the late Professor Susan Rosowski, a leading Willa Cather scholar. “She gave us a project researching in the archives,” explained Madison, recalling the experience of reading notes the famous author took during a student club meeting when she was a student in the 1890s – a full century before Madison herself was an undergraduate.
Hermanson identified his internship experience as a first-year student as especially significant. His internship was part of the Intern Foundry program, a partnership between the Honors Program and The Foundry, a local nonprofit hub. “It gave me a sense of purpose to create an app for a local nonprofit,” he said. “Then later, as a senior, I was able to migrate the app to a web-based format. Doing that allowed me to look back on what I had originally done and see how I had grown as a programmer over time.”
For Wendling, his fondest memory came from working on his Honors senior project. “I was able to interview all 49 Nebraska state senators for my thesis,” he said. Wendling recalled driving across the state to interview one senator in Western Nebraska during the winter break and sitting down with another in Omaha for a barbecue. His thesis on Nebraska politics directly prepared him for his current career path as a reporter who covers political content for a local newspaper.
Lewis emphasized her college internship and the lessons she learned about the importance of being willing to take risks and try new things. “You never know where your path is going to lead. You never know when a past experience is going to help you,” she said. She offered the example of how her current career isn’t directly tied to her major in college.
“I don’t know if I ever knew I had the right major,” Madison confided. “After three degrees in music, I still don’t know.” However, she explained that this kind of uncertainty is nothing to be feared. She took opportunities as they arose, from interesting classes to a year abroad. In doing so, she found her path waiting for her.
“Do not dismiss something that might seem small because it can open doors later on,” Wendling agreed.” For a lot of job opportunities, experience is the defining factor.” He urged students to pursue all the experiences they can.
Ej Soh, a first-year broadcasting and media production major, said his biggest take way from the panel was the importance of this time in his life and that he gained “clarity about how I, as an Honors student, should approach internships and career development opportunities.”
As part of their discussion, the panel also emphasized the importance of being willing to try new things, even if at first you don’t succeed.
“Making a mistake is not fatal,” Madison emphasized.
“Your worth does not boil down to your grades,” Hermanson agreed. “There are so many facets to life.”
Perhaps the most powerful piece of advice was Madison’s about gratitude. “It’s easy for the bad to crowd out the good and you miss 99% of the beauty around you,” she cautioned. Madison urged the first-year students to appreciate the opportunities ahead of them in college, saying “You are living the dearest dreams of some people. See that with beautiful eyes.”
