Twenty-four young Nebraskans from every corner of the state recently gathered in Norfolk to kick off a summer of uncovering the unseen assets that make their communities unique and working with local leaders to make an impact on the places they love.
As they floated down the North Fork of the Elkhorn River to end their opening retreat, Nebraska Community Foundation’s (NCF) 2025 class of Hometown Interns pondered the months of discovery that lay ahead of them. This year’s group of interns – the seventh class since the initiative began – are working with NCF affiliated funds in Arnold, Perkins County, Hebron, Deshler, Byron, Bertrand, Callaway, Diller, Friend, Holt County, Howells, Leigh, McCook, Red Cloud, Shickley, Spencer and Verdigre. This year, six affiliated funds will be working with two or more interns.
A Hometown Intern is a current high school graduate who has spent at least six months away and lives at home for the summer. All have displayed curiosity, open-mindedness, flexibility, a desire to see their hometown through fresh eyes and a drive to contribute to the future of their community. Interns are compensated for their work through a generous gift from an anonymous donor to NCF, which is matched by their affiliated fund.
Interns also participate in Operation Discovery – a course designed to help them unleash their vision, creativity, and passion while they build relationships within their hometowns. The course is split into four sections. In the first, interns are tasked to identify and share three overlooked assets in their places. Next, they hold one-on-one asset mapping conversations with a friend, a member of their local fund advisory committee (FAC) and a new acquaintance. Their penultimate task is to co-host with their FAC an informal discovery conversation with a group of residents. Finally, their internship ends with writing and sharing a love letter to their hometown, reflecting on the insights gained from a summer of learning.
“Operation Discovery ignites joy, curiosity, and belonging,” said NCF Director of Asset-Based Community Development Becky Boesen. “It empowers Hometown Interns to hold up a mirror to their community, reflecting its abundance and unleashing local goodness.”
While the specific projects will vary from one internship to another, NCF will provide numerous opportunities for interns to connect throughout the summer to give them space to learn from each other, share ideas and foster appreciation for their hometowns while contributing to community development efforts at the local and statewide level.
Past Hometown Interns have worked on a wide variety of projects, including:
- Documenting local history and storytelling
- Creating a youth serviceship camp for elementary students
- Facilitating local arts and cultural activities
- Conducting and sharing video interviews that highlight the talents and stories of residents
- Developing branding, graphic design or web-building projects
- Leading community planning conversations
“Nebraska Community Foundation has declared 2025 the ‘Year of Invitation,’ and Hometown Internships are one of the most powerful invitations Nebraska communities can extend to their young people,” said NCF CEO and President Jeff Yost. “By offering freedom to uncover, innovate and co-create, this experience is unique in its ability to empower the next generation of Nebraska leaders while strengthening the bonds that energize the communities we love.”
The 2025 NCF Hometown Interns are (asterisks indicate a student returning for another internship):
Landon Dobbins, Howells Community Fund
Avery Eitzmann, Byron Community Foundation Fund
Johanna Ford, Bertrand Area Community Fund*
Lucas Gomez-Wilson, McCook Community Foundation Fund
Amelia Hakl, Spencer Community Foundation Fund and Holt County Economic Development
Kiera Hennerberg, Diller Community Foundation Fund
Heidi Hollmann, Verdigre Community Foundation Fund
Hannah Miller, Shickley Community Foundation Fund*
Jordan Mireles, Perkins County Community Foundation Fund*
Caitlyn Mitchell, Hebron Community Foundation Fund
Gracie Neth, Arnold Community Fund
Jordan Noonan, Leigh Legacy Fund
Ava Pandorf, Callaway Community Fund
David Parde, Diller Community Foundation Fund
Avery Rasser, Red Cloud Community Fund
Delaney Rogers, Arnold Community Fund
Natalie Roberts, McCook Community Foundation Fund
Jadyn Schultis, Diller Community Foundation Fund*
Bryn Schwarz, Arnold Community Fund
Tierra Shardt, Deshler Community Fund
Ally Sedlacek, Holt County Economic Development*
Mariah Sliva, Shickley Community Foundation Fund*
Shelby Steyer, Friend Area Fund*
Natalie Tietjen, Byron Community Foundation Fund
