Grateful volunteers in Leigh see a 23-year-old veterinary student’s incredible gift—an entire summer’s salary—as an affirmation of a culture consciously crafted to empower young residents into co-ownership of their community.
Across Nebraska, community leaders are searching for avenues to involve youth in local decision making. If Leigh’s Kaegan Held is any indication, the northeast Nebraska community is among those setting the pace in the Nebraska Community Foundation (NCF) network.
Near the end of her summer as an intern for the Leigh Legacy Fund (LLF), Held approached LLF Chair Justine Fischer about donating. Fischer told her to consider a small gift because the gesture matters most. Held’s ultimate decision—which she had already made months ago—was at once humbling and inspiring.
“I was floored, but I can’t say I was totally surprised,” Fischer said. “This is just a testament to how hard-working, generous, and selfless Kaegan is. Her donation speaks volumes about her character, and I also think it says a lot about youth engagement in Leigh in general.”
Contemporary youth engagement work in Leigh (pop. 439) predates LLF, the local NCF affiliated fund, by at least five years. In 2015, high school students at Leigh Community Schools founded the Leigh Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) with the mission to help students foster pride in their community through civic responsibility and leadership. After the formation of LLF in 2020, the YAC assumed the role of the group’s youth component.
Kaegan was in junior high when the youth committee formed, and she eagerly participated once she reached high school. During that time, she and her classmates attended local government meetings, fundraised for park improvements, and completed beautification projects. They cultivated a shared sense of responsibility, knowing older generations were relying on them to help keep the town maintained and updated.
“The committee did a good job of getting us kids involved,” Held said.
After graduating high school, Held attended Briar Cliff University in Sioux City, Iowa – not far from home. There she studied biology and competed with the women’s basketball team. Now, Held is enrolled in the 2+2 Professional Program in Veterinary Medicine jointly offered by UNL and Iowa State University. She is spending the first two years of the program in Lincoln before finishing her studies in Ames, Iowa. Throughout her post-secondary years, Leigh has remained a significant influence and source of comfort.
“Returning to my hometown for the summer is always a breath of fresh air,” she said at the start of this most recent summer, when she joined the 2024 group of NCF Hometown Interns. “Catching up with the people of the community, being involved in summer activities through the community, and just being able to live in my community again for a few short months is exactly what I need after the school year.”
During her internship, Held helmed a handful of projects. The largest of which was the creation of a community garden open to all residents that will also be used as an outdoor classroom for elementary students. Held took the lead in managing funds, finding materials, and sourcing labor for the garden. Altogether, the project brought 12 raised garden beds to the community, along with a shed full of tools and the installation of a new hydrant.
Leigh residents are grateful for that work, but Hometown Internships go beyond single projects. These young Nebraskans are given license to holistically explore community strengths through asset mapping, contemplation, and speaking with their neighbors. Conventional wisdom has defined traditional internships as entry-level roles often shaped by simple tasks or to-do lists. The Hometown Internship experience exists to help welcome young adults back to their community to work alongside their local affiliated fund in collaboration.
“I didn’t notice how many good things we have in Leigh,” she said. “At the surface level you look at things right in front of you. After doing the internship I realized it’s really the people that make Leigh special.”
The experience reinforced and deepened Held’s admiration for Leigh, an admiration forged through those formative years with the youth committee. Held’s connection with the community is so strong, in fact, that she had already decided before starting the internship that she would be donating her salary.
“I had a feeling I was going to do it in the first place,” she said. “I wanted to show how young people could make an impact in the community.”
Fischer, also LLF’s intern supervisor, sees a growing trend in generosity among the community’s young population. Current YAC members donated to LLF’s ongoing Distinguished Alumni Challenge, as have many young couples in Leigh.
“Our young people have such pride in their school and community, and many of them are choosing to move back because they believe in Leigh’s future and they want to raise their families here,” Fischer said. “It’s so inspiring, and former Leigh graduates like Kaegan are a huge part of Leigh’s success and the success of our fund.”
Kaegan imagines a future for herself in Leigh or Greater Nebraska once she completes veterinary school. In a love letter she wrote to the community at the culmination of her internship, she made clear her intent to support Leigh indefinitely.
“I know my veterinary career is a few long years away yet, but I can’t wait to make a difference for you and better you as you have bettered me,” she wrote. “You deserve the world and more, and I will work hard every day to try and give you this.”
Does that future include volunteering with Leigh Legacy Fund?
“If they ask me,” she said.
She’s probably already decided.
NCF’s “Inspiring Generosity” storytelling series is lifting up the extraordinary kindness of Nebraskans who love their hometowns. As 2024 comes to a close, we ask you to consider a gift through Nebraska Community Foundation to benefit the community or cause nearest to your heart.
Visit www.nebcommfound.org/give to make your year-end contribution today. Remember, non-cash assets such as charitable IRA rollovers, appreciated securities, ag commodities, and real estate are a great (and often tax-wise) option to make an even greater impact. Contact Todd Mekelburg at 402.323.7343 or tmekelburg@nebcommfound.org to learn more.
