By Tyler Dahlgren Laurie Smith will talk about her 2021 National Rural Teacher of the Year Award, but there are two things all inquirers should take note of before slipping off I-80 somewhere west of Kearney and heading north to Sumner. First, and for the sake of perspective, foremost, Smith doesn’t necessarily view the award as hers , per se. She doesn’t see much use for such a prestigious honor...Read More

By Tyler Dahlgren Downtime is a rare commodity in the course of Qua’Niquia Damper’s typical day. The 2016 Omaha North graduate is a medical assistant in the Hematology-Oncology Department at Children’s Hospital, where she puts in a full eight hours before heading to Maple Crest Health Center for another shift. Damper is a talented hair stylist, too, and books appointments on the side. Damper, you...Read More

By Tyler Dahlgren Marquita Lambert remembers the first time she met Billiana Mekoum. It was last school year, Lambert’s first as an Avenue Scholars career coach at Millard South, and Mekoum, a junior at the time, was quiet. Shy, even. Her potential, however, was quite pronounced. “I saw that Billiana had the drive,” said Lambert, herself an owner of multiple businesses. “She wanted to make a...Read More