Name: Rachel Orth
Hometown: Ogallala/Brule
Affiliated Fund: Keith County Foundation Fund
School: University of Nebraska-Lincoln
What projects are you working on this summer with your affiliated fund?
My main project is to create a “playbook” of sorts for Keith County’s Big Give. We held our first one in June this year, and I helped with the setup, social media marketing, and planning for that, but now the goal is to make an instruction guide for future committee members so they don’t have to keep reinventing the wheel.
I’m also working on getting to know people who live out at Lake McConaughy and getting their feedback on how they could feel more included in the happenings in town or how we could be more involved with things happening at the lake.
Why did you want to take this opportunity to participate in this internship?
I was looking for a job opportunity that would be a little bit more creative than a typical minimum wage job. I was planning on coming back to Ogallala to work at the Crystal Palace Revue at Front Street for one more year but knew I would need another job to be able to cover college expenses. I was very glad to find out there was an opportunity that would allow me to be creative that wouldn’t require me to live in a different town and that was flexible enough that I would still have no problem working at Front Street for another year.
How would you describe the experience so far?
My experience has been good so far. We’ve hit a couple snags with the projects we’ve been working on, and it was a little difficult for a while to pinpoint what my responsibilities should be. Now we’ve identified goals and the steps to move forward. All in all, it’s been a great opportunity to talk to some of the most influential people in the community and talk to them about my perspective.
What do you appreciate most about your community?
I appreciate how diligent the community is. I have met with a lot of people with full schedules who are working hard with everything they’ve got going on. I also like the connectedness that I see when talking with others in the community. I like how everyone knows each other and can see what they bring to the table and are ready to invite them to help out.
What excites you the most when you think about the future of your community?
Our community has a good amount of older people, but there are also a good number of youth. I would like to see the youth being more involved in volunteering and being excited to help. I want Keith County to be a place where they feel a connection no matter if they move away or end up coming back.
What are you looking for in a place to call home?
I am looking for a place that is bustling, but not exactly high intensity. I want a place where there is always something to do and people there to get it done. I would appreciate a place full of people who are driven and motivated to follow through, not just talk about their dreams and complain when they aren’t coming true.
