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Elkhorn High School sweethearts Jace (1991) and Teresa (Todd, 1992) Swartzendruber
Interview conducted by Ann Huddleston, Alumni Relations
High school sweathearts Jace and Teresa (Todd) Swartzendruber have been together 34 years together and counting! Jace Swartzenruber works at Conagra Brands as a supply chain manager. Locally, he serves as a TeamMates mentor and a high school youth leader at Relevant Community Church. He is also part of the EPS Alumni Scholarship selection committee. Teresa works at Fat Brain Toys as a warehouse coordinator. They have three children who all graduated from Elkhorn High School as well: Kyle, class of 2016, Emily, class of 2018, and Sophie, class of 2021. Kyle is married (also married his high school sweetheart from Elkhorn (Holly Poehlman), Emily is also married, and Sophie is finishing her senior year of college at the University of Nebraska.
Jace shared the answers to the following questions:
Give us a brief history of when you started dating and how long you’ve been married.
We started dating at the end of my senior year (Class of ’91) and the end of Teresa’s junior year (Class of ’92). We have been married 29 years and will be celebrating our 30 year anniversary this July.
What’s your favorite memory together?
My favorite high school memory is Teresa waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs of the senior balcony to say goodbye before she headed out to soccer practice. Every day I would look forward to it 🙂
When you were in high school, did you picture your lives together the way things are now?
Yes, very similar to our current lives. We dated for 4 years after high school but we both knew well before that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together. We stayed in the Omaha area but always wanted to get back to the Elkhorn school district before our children started high school.
Do you have any relationship advice?
Prioritize and invest in your relationship with your spouse over your kid’s activities. Time spent with your kids is short compared to the lifetime you will spend with your spouse.
NEW ACHIEVE Career & Technical Education (CTE) Scholarship
A new scholarship pathway that parallels the successful ACHIEVE Advanced Placement (AP) Scholarship
Nebraska is no different than many other states who are facing employee shortages, especially in the skilled & technical trades. School administrators across the state are taking notice of these shortages and coming up with different solutions. The Elkhorn Public Schools and the Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation decided to incentivize exploring more Career & Technical Education (CTE) and career exploration opportunities by creating the new ACHIEVE Career & Technical Education (CTE) Scholarship.
In 2009, the Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation teamed up with the Elkhorn Public School District and launched the ACHIEVE Program. The goal was to recognize and award students who challenged themselves by taking numerous advanced placement classes, participating in school extracurricular activities, and volunteering in their community. The program was unique in that all students who met the requirements would be awarded a scholarship.
The ACHIEVE Scholarship Program has been extremely successful. In 2009, there were 19 recipients, and the number has steadily grown from 80 in 2015 to averaging over 200 in recent years. The dollar commitment from the Foundation funding this program has also grown from $40,000 in 2014 to averaging $240,000/year.
Dr. Bary Habrock, EPS Superintendent, saw the impact of the Foundation’s ACHIEVE Scholarship Program on student achievement and wanted to replicate it to highlight careers. This parallel pathway rewards students who take a progression of CTE courses and complete a multitude of career exploration experiences with the goal of incentivizing more students to pursue a skilled & technical trade as a career. In an ambitious effort, they soft-launched the scholarship during the 2023-2024 school year. Administrators worked with their high school counseling teams to develop an application to identify seniors who were eligible to receive an ACHIEVE CTE Scholarship.
The results from the Class of 2024 were promising. Last April, the Foundation recognized 32 ACHIEVE CTE Scholarship recipients at its annual Scholarship Recognition Ceremonies! For the Class of 2025, the applications have been incorporated into the Foundation’s online scholarship platform, and we expect the number of recipients to steadily grow like the original pathway, which has been renamed the ACHIEVE Advanced Placement (AP) Scholarship. EPS administrators and the Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation board members are asking Nebraska businesses and Elkhorn families to consider donating to the ACHIEVE Scholarship Program to ensure the sustainability of the program for future generations of Elkhorn students!
Class of 2024 ACHIEVE CTE Recipients
Partnership & Alignment Committee (PAC)
2024 PAC Projects:
The Foundation’s Partnership & Alignment Committee (PAC) reviews, approves, and funds projects that align with the Elkhorn Public School District Strategic Plan and Goals.
Helper Helper App
The Elkhorn Public Schools does a great job incentivizing students to participate in school activities, strive for high academic achievement, and volunteer in the community through the Foundation-funded ACHIEVE Scholarship Program. To assist students with tracking their volunteer hours, PAC provided funding for the Helper Helper app. Currently, Helper Helper is being piloted by the freshmen classes at the high schools with the goal of expanding it to more students next year.
Meg Starman, ENHS Counselor, describes Helper Helper as a “platform that allows students to track and verify their service hours throughout high school.” Another benefit according to Megan Scobie, EHS Counselor, is that through this platform “they have an app at their fingertips to track their hours instead of the old paper copy that they were expected to keep track of for 4 years.” Additionally, she is “excited to see the response from students on the ease of use and effectiveness.”
Helper Helper has the additional functionality to browse volunteer opportunities. In the future, Jess Hoskins and her fellow ESHS Counselors “hope to have service opportunities posted on the app for students to attend (blood drives, school clean ups, etc.).”
Meg said, “It is very generous of the Foundation to help with the funding, and we are hopeful that the students love the service.”
Social Media Speaker
In alignment with the district-wide goal to focus on mental health, the Elkhorn Public Schools with the financial support of the Foundation welcomed Dr. Jean Twenge, professor of psychology at San Diego State University, in the spring for her presentation: “Parenting and Guiding the Smartphone Generation.” Following her presentation, there was a panel discussion composed of Dr. Twenge, Creighton Volleyball coach and EPS parent Kirsten Bernthal Booth, ENHS Counselor Martha Dowd, and several EPS students.
Dr. Twenge’s presentation highlighted the similarities and differences between the various generations. In an effort to guide parents of teens, she encouraged parents to prioritize sleep, enforce rules that keep kids safe, and reframe the smartphone, which means: “The smartphone needs to be a tool we use, not a tool that uses us.”
Cohort Pathways Program
The Cohort Pathways Program is an opportunity for Elkhorn Public Schools’ teachers to begin pursuing their master’s degrees through a cohort coordinated by the Elkhorn Public Schools, the Foundation, and the University of Nebraska Omaha. The cohort features three courses taught by EPS administrators and is taken with fellow EPS educators. The second cohort started during summer 2024 and has 10 participants. After completing the three courses, participants can complete their UNO master’s degree at their own pace. Due to the rising cost of higher education, the benefit of this program is that the Foundation pays for the participants’ tuition up front, with a stipulation that it will be paid back upon completion of the coursework, which is offset by the participants’ coinciding pay increase earned by completing those three courses.
District-Wide Safety Initiatives
The Elkhorn Public Schools is dedicated to keeping our students and staff safe. Steps the district has taken to increase safety include hiring a Director of Safety & Security, adding doors to previously open concept school buildings, and more. Additionally, the district partnered with PAC to purchase safety-alert software that will be used district wide.
West Point Educator Visit
EPSF’s Genice Chochon had the opportunity in April 2024 to attend an educator visit at West Point! Genice reflects on her time at West Point.
Last year I was honored to be nominated by Commander Russell Quimby, American Legion Post 211 Scholarship, for a free visit to West Point in the spring. Imagine my surprise on March 1st when I received an email from the United States Military Academy inviting me for their Spring “Educator Visit” in early April!
A few days before I left on my trip, I attended the Chuck Hagel Forum in Global Leadership at University Nebraska Omaha (UNO). The theme was “The Role of U.S. Leadership in a Changing World”. The guest speaker was the 82nd U.S. Attorney General, Eric Holder Jr., who worked closely with Senator Hagel when he was Secretary of Defense in President Obama’s cabinet. This moderated discussion was a great precursor to my trip to West Point.
Filled with gratitude and excitement, I began my journey boarding an early morning flight on April 7th from Omaha to New Jersey, meeting up with a group of educators from across the country for the 50-mile bus ride to the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York.
Our group of 45 stayed at The Thayer Hotel, a beautiful historic building on a river just outside the gate to the academy. The grounds of West Point are expansive and beautiful; built on the bank of the Hudson River. Overlooking the campus sits a large gothic stone church with a pipe organ and beautiful stained-glass windows. We toured Michie Stadium and wandered through the stadium’s Hall of Fame.
We started our whirlwind tour with a briefing on campus at the Jefferson Hall Library learning about the school’s history, their admission process, course offerings (majors & minors), and the life of a cadet at West Point. We watched 4,400 cadets descending from buildings in response to a bugle call and lining up in formation with their company before swarming into the massive mess hall for lunch. Following lunch, we observed an upper-level leadership class that had 12 students. I was incredibly impressed by the small class size, and the way the instructor challenged and interacted with his students in an engaging and thought-provoking manner.
On our last night, we attended a formal dinner where we met current cadets and listened to a speech by Major General Lori Robinson, Commandant of the U.S. Corps of Cadets. Major Robinson’s 1994 graduation from West Point and army career were very impressive, but I was most struck by how she got to West Point. As a high school student, Lori noticed a glossy brochure in her school’s counseling center. She asked her counselor about West Point, and her counselor responded, “Students from our school don’t go to West Point.” She disregarded the counselor’s comment and was the first student from her school to attend the U.S. Military Academy! In her closing remarks she requested that we make sure that students know that they too can attend the U.S. Military Academy in West Point.
Between my time at West Point and attending the Chuck Hagel Forum, I realized how important it is for the United States to have smart, strong leaders who have integrity, especially men and women in leadership positions in our armed forces. We need future leaders who can inspire others to protect our country and its citizens, who are strategic and can respond to stressful situations calmly and effectively. That is exactly what an education at West Point accomplishes. The school fosters incredible leaders who act as the ultimate demonstration of “We before Me” as they protect our country and free society.
While I was at West Point, I had the privilege to meet Cadet Emilio Haynes. He is from Omaha, Nebraska and attended Omaha Central High School. Emilio told me his story of how he got to West Point and his journey at the academy. Afterwards, based on what I had observed from my time at West Point, I said to him, “I think to go to West Point you have a big ‘why.’” He responded, “You don’t have to have your ‘why’ to come here. You have to find your ‘why’ when you are here.”
Before visiting West Point, my assumption was that students choosing to attend a military academy somehow had a tie to the military. As I spoke to cadets about their journey becoming a West Point cadet, I learned that my assumption was incorrect. Most of the cadets and officers that I spoke to were high school athletes who were approached with an opportunity to attend a world class educational institution for free. I don’t think all of them knew what challenges they would experience during their journey, but all of them found their “why.” The application process is rigorous, and the college experience is unique, but for those students who have the desire to become a leader with integrity, it’s an amazing opportunity.
Alumni Spotlight: Carla (Cloninger) Ketner
Q&A with 1984 EHS grad on being a Presidential Scholar, former bookstore owner, and author
Interview Conducted By Ann Huddleston, Alumni Relations
In 1984, Carla (Cloninger) Ketner, EHS class of 1984, became Elkhorn’s first and only Presidential Scholar Award winner. Carla attended Nebraska Wesleyan University for undergrad and then received her Master’s degree in Early Education from UNO and Ph.D. from UNL. Afterwards, she taught elementary students and then a college-level children’s literature course before deciding to stay at home with her two sons. However, that didn’t last long. From 2004 to 2024, she owned Chapters Books & Gifts in Seward, Nebraska. Her sweet dog, Fabio, greeted and provided a special charm to customers. Carla recently wrote the book Ted Kooser: More Than a Local Wonder about the former U.S. Poet Laureate. Ted lives near Seward and visited her bookstore where they connected and became friends. The book won a 2024 Nebraska Book Award in October. Carla recently sold Chapters Books & Gifts to a former high school English teacher. She is now transitioning to other projects such as promoting her children’s book through school and library visits and possibly writing more books.
Q: When did you become interested in books?
A: I’ve been a reader and book lover for as long as I can remember. Some of my favorite books as a child were books passed down from my mother. As a child, I loved them mostly because they were good stories. I value them now as a connection to my mother’s childhood, though I am reluctant to re-read my favorites, afraid they might not stand the test of time!
Now, my house is filled with books, but we didn’t own a lot of books when I was a child. Because we didn’t have large collections of books at home, we went to the library often. I still remember strolling through the bookshelves, choosing picture books to take home and read together. When I was a little older, I was allowed to walk or ride my bike to the library in Elkhorn—the old library, which was a room in the same building as the police station, if I remember correctly—with a friend or my sister. We could choose four books to check out at a time. I think I read nearly every book in that library, including Harlequin romances, V C Andrews books, and others that weren’t necessarily written for children. Taking a children’s literature course at Nebraska Wesleyan University as an undergraduate rekindled my love of children’s books, and as a parent, teacher, bookseller, and writer, I’ve been savoring them ever since. I also read and enjoy an occasional book that was written for adults.
Q: What are some memorable moments while receiving the Presidential Scholar Award?
A: It was an honor to be the first student from Elkhorn recognized as a Presidential Scholar. When I completed the application, I didn’t expect to be chosen. I still remember receiving the letter in the mail, ripping it open right there at the mailbox, and feeling thrilled that I’d been chosen. The response from my classmates was very gratifying when it was announced at graduation.
Before 2020 changed so many things, Presidential Scholars from all over the country spent a “recognition week” in Washington D.C. together, attending seminars, meeting with politicians, sightseeing, and getting to know one another. Attending the program for the Scholars in the Arts at the Kennedy Center was a highlight of that week. Recognition week was a fantastic experience, and I still keep in touch with other Scholars I met that week. I also attended the 50th anniversary celebration of the Presidential Scholars program and was a member of the board of the Presidential Scholars Academy.
“The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964, by executive order of the President, to recognize and honor some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating high school seniors. In 1979, the program was extended to recognize students who demonstrate exceptional talent in the visual, creative and performing arts. In 2015, the program was again extended to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical education fields. Each year, up to 161 students are named as Presidential Scholars, one of the nation’s highest honors for high school students.”
Department of Education
Q: What are some of your best high school memories?
A: I have fond memories of marching band and pep band and having fun at football and basketball games. I was on the yearbook staff and remember learning to develop film in the dark room, typing our stories on electric typewriters, and laying out pages on the light table. I also remember a group of us doing Jane Fonda’s exercise videos after school in an empty classroom.
Q: Did you have a teacher that inspired you?
A: Of course — Ms. McCoy! Ms. McCoy even came to my book signing at the Bookworm in Omaha last winter. I had many excellent teachers at Elkhorn High School — Ms. McCoy, Mr. Bacus, Ms. Bock, Mr. Baker to name a few, all of whom inspired me in one way or another. I moved to Elkhorn in 5th grade, and I remember our teacher (Mrs. Olsen, I think) reading aloud to us The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and other books. I looked forward to that part of the day, though at the time I didn’t realize how valuable reading aloud to kids is. I just knew I loved listening to the stories she read us. She also had us write our own stories throughout that year. As I look back on that, I realize that developing our reading and writing skills must have been priorities for her.
Q: What is the subject of your PhD?
A: I have a BS in Elementary Education, MA in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on Early Education, and a PhD. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis on literacy development. My dissertation was a study of my son’s early reading, writing, listening, and speaking development.
Q: How did you end up in Seward?
A: My husband is a family physician. When he was finishing his residency and looking for a place to work, we wanted to stay in a smaller community near a relatively big city. I was from Elkhorn, and my husband from Wahoo, so eastern Nebraska was appealing. We visited Seward and really liked the feel of the community and the people we met. The medical community was a good fit for him, and we’ve been here ever since.
Q: Is the size of Seward similar to what Elkhorn was when you were growing up?
A: I think Seward is somewhat bigger than Elkhorn was. In the 1970s and 1980s, I think Elkhorn’s population was about 2,500. Seward has a population of about 8,000 now, though my graduating class from Elkhorn High School was 132, just about the same as the classes at Seward High are now. The Seward community feels a lot like Elkhorn did back then — we have a local grocery store, small downtown, a bowling alley, swimming pool, one high school. One difference is that Seward has a movie theater, the Rivoli, which is one of my favorite places in town, and Elkhorn didn’t. We also have a bookstore.
Q: Walk us through day-to-day life owning a bookstore.
A: There is no typical day for a small business owner! I did a little bit of everything. Some days, I spent all day placing orders with vendors. Other days I concentrated on marketing, fulfilling online orders, getting ready for school book fairs, hosting story time with Miss Nebraska or a construction worker or a giant costumed cat character named Pete, paying bills and taxes, hiring or training a new staff member or rearranging displays in the store. Most days involved unpacking and shelving merchandise. All of that had to fit into the spaces between customers, because every day is about customer service, helping our customers fill whatever need had brought them to the store that day. When they were little, my kids thought I had the best job in the world because I got to read all day. Actually, I was surrounded by books all day with very little time to read them.
Q: How long did it take you to write your book and then publish it?
The idea for the book took root in 2019, when my son suggested that I write a book about Ted Kooser, who had become a friend of the family and a supporter of my bookstore. I spent about two years writing and revising and receiving feedback on the text. In the summer of 2021, I sent the manuscript to a few publishers I thought might be interested in a biography of a Nebraska poet. About six months later, I met with Tom Swanson, an editor at University of Nebraska Press. He was interested in publishing the book, though the Press doesn’t ordinarily publish children’s picture books, but had to work out the logistics. After several more months, we worked out a contract, found an illustrator, and moved forward with the project. By late 2022, the illustrations were done and the designers were working on putting the book together. That was completed in spring 2023, and the book came back from the printers in time for release on November 1, 2023. The book just celebrated its first birthday by winning a 2024 Nebraska Book Award in October. It also won a MIPA Midwest Book Award and a Paterson Prize for Books for Young People.
Q: Do you have any advice for young students now?
Middle school and high school are hard, emotionally, socially and in other ways. They may not actually be the best days of your life, as kids are told they should be. Hang in there, and you’ll find your true friends and your purpose in life. Some of those friends will be your high school friends (shout out to mine!), but you’ll find your people in other spaces as well. Don’t be afraid to be yourself, to stand out from the crowd, to do what you’re passionate about. Don’t be afraid of failure. Though it’s never too late, don’t wait until you’re middle aged to do what you’ve always wanted to do.
Learn more about Carla on her website!
Retired EPS Teachers Reflect
Elkhorn Public Schools teachers and staff have always helped to make EPS great. They have also seen the most change during their tenure in the district. We asked attendees of the annual Retired Teachers’ Luncheon and other retired teachers to reflect on what has stayed the same in the district and what has changed.
What has stayed the same since you started teaching in Elkhorn?
What changed in the district during your time teaching and since retiring?
Watch the slideshow or scroll below to see the reflections!
If you are a retired teacher and would like provide a response/photo for the slideshow, please email our alumni team at alumni@elkhornfoundation.org!
Alumni Spotlight: Morgan Holen
Written By Ann Huddleston, Alumni Relations
It’s not often a young person, or rather anyone, is so incredibly well spoken. Morgan Holen, ESHS Class of 2016, grew up in a family where they might get questioned about current events at the dinner table and be expected to share their thoughts. This resulted in being aware of the happenings around the world and the knowledge it takes to be able to communicate clearly, on the spot. Why? Morgan’s mom was Miss Nebraska 1988 and an active volunteer in the organization. Morgan and her sister grew up going to the events, observed behind the scenes, and Morgan eventually decided to compete. In 2014, she competed and won Miss Nebraska Teen. She also went on to Miss Omaha and then to compete in the Miss Nebraska pageant where she was crowned, then served as Miss Nebraska in 2021. Those dinner conversations helped train her to constantly stay informed and to be able to think on the spot with well thought-out answers.
Morgan graduated from Elkhorn South High School in 2016 where she participated on the dance team, varsity show choir, and student council. During that time, the dance team wasn’t competing on a national level yet. ESHS now has competitive dance and Morgan even grew up dancing at Kitty Lee with one of the current ESHS dance coaches Amanda Pyle! Some memorable teachers who stood out to her during her time at Elkhorn were her 4th grade Spring Ridge teacher, Miss Connell, who she saw while attending the Spring Ridge Carnival during her time as Miss Nebraska. Mr. Adam Lambert (not to be confused with the singer), the ESHS show choir director at the time, was also very pivotal in her education. He encouraged his show choir students to be involved in multiple interests rather than focus all of their attention on one activity. Because of this, the show choir had students of all backgrounds participating.
During her time as Miss Nebraska, Morgan toured the state and visited Washington, D.C., many times. She traveled about 30,000 miles over the course of the year! Mr. Lambert, her former ESHS show choir director, had since moved to Imperial, where he became the Superintendent of the district. Morgan visited Imperial, where she presented to the Chase County School District about the importance of mentorship and becoming a mentor, in this case, the mentorship program is with the TeamMates organization. The small town of Bertrand is another notable visit for Morgan. Her dad grew up there, and during the county fair, she was able to be in the parade, enjoy the energy of the town, see family members, and speak in many classrooms. As for her time in DC, Morgan was able to lay a wreath at The tomb of The Unknown Soldier and go under the bunker for a behind the scenes look. For her, it was meaningful being there and being able to honor all of the individuals that had served in the military and were buried there.
Morgan attended the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and while there, in addition to spending a year as Miss Nebraska, she participated in the Husker Dance Team, the Scarlets. Being a Scarlet meant being involved in every aspect of every game from football to softball, basketball to baseball. They started the day weightlifting in the mornings, practicing later in the day and maybe performing at a game later. On some days, they’d represent the athletic department in the community at locations such as nursing homes or fundraising events. Of course, the Husker football game day tunnel walk sticks out in her memory with some unforgettable moments.
While at UNL, Morgan continued mentoring students with TeamMates and spoke often about her experience at events for Miss Omaha/Miss Nebraska. Covid came into the picture during her senior year of college, so she used that time and leftover money from Miss Omaha to invest in becoming a certified Gallup Strengths Coach. She was able to use that skill to help other Miss America contestants learn their strengths. Morgan traveled across the country volunteering at a national level speaking with young women at different chapters of her sorority about the importance of their strengths and how to leverage them.
Currently, Morgan is a director of a local nonprofit organization called Women Investing in Nebraska (WIN), part of the University of Nebraska Foundation. In 2022, a week after she handed her crown to the next Miss Nebraska, she began working with this group of women to help award grants to the University of Nebraska system (Kearney, Lincoln, Omaha, UNMC) and other Nebraska nonprofit projects. The group has flourished with more than 300 women across the state and continues to grow. The winners of these grants span the whole state, not limited to larger metropolitan areas like Lincoln and Omaha. Morgan is still mentoring for TeamMates and traveling for her sorority, Chi Omega, on a leadership committee that travels the country giving workshops to collegiate students. In her spare time, Morgan enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling and dancing and choreography. Morgan recently became engaged to be married.
Morgan regards her time in Elkhorn with fondness. She thinks of it as a community that bands together in tough times. Elkhorn encourages an environment where you strive for excellence and being involved. In fact, Morgan was on the University of Nebraska at Lincoln’s homecoming court with three other Elkhorn alumni. Four out of twenty were from Elkhorn, which is telling of the culture. She advises current students to invest back in the community and ask to be involved with the things they love. She advises, “Find something you love and spend a lot of time there. To lead a lot of different people you’ve got to be around different types of people and make them your community.”
EPS Retired Teachers’ Luncheon 2024
Thank you to all the retired teachers who attended!
The Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation welcomed approximately 40 retired Elkhorn Public Schools’ teachers at our annual Retired Teachers’ Luncheon on Wednesday, November 13th at 11:30 am!
A catered lunch was provided with time to socialize and network with other retired Elkhorn Public Schools teachers. During the luncheon, there were three speakers: Anne Doerr, Executive Director of Student Services; Dr. Bary Habrock, EPS Superintendent; and Mark Wortman, former EPS teacher and current EPS School Board member.
Anne encouraged attendees to become a TeamMates mentor. Currently, there are over 100 TeamMates mentors in Elkhorn, and they are always looking for more with many students on the waitlist. Visit this link if you are interested in becoming a TeamMates mentor.
Dr. Habrock presented the new ACHIEVE Career & Technical Education (CTE) Scholarship to the retired teachers. During his presentation, he discussed the history of the ACHIEVE Advanced Placement (AP) Scholarship. “This was the right step, but we weren’t finished,” he said. The new ACHIEVE CTE Scholarship is similar to ACHIEVE AP Scholarship in that students are aiming for clear targets including being involved in activities, volunteering, and completing certain class requirements. However, the ACHIEVE CTE Scholarship differs in that students must also complete courses in a program of focus and complete multiple career exploration experiences. The overall goal of the ACHIEVE program is to “celebrate kids,” said Dr. Habrock.
Mark Wortman finished the presentation by discussing his photography project. He is working to create a photography book that catalogues the history of the Elkhorn Public Schools. He challenged the teachers to send him pictures that they may have from their teaching careers. Mark and the audience also had a good time recognizing familiar faces and names in some of the old photos he displayed. If you would like to contribute photos, click this link to be taken the webpage explaining Mark’s project.
View pictures from the event!
Retired Teachers’ Luncheon 2024
The Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation will host our annual luncheon for retired Elkhorn Public Schools’ teachers on Wednesday, November 13th at 11:30 am at the Elkhorn Public Schools Foundation Alumni Center!
Free to attend! RSVP required!
We are excited to host the annual Retired Teachers’ Luncheon for former Elkhorn Public Schools’ teachers. Teachers give so much during their careers, and this is one way we want to show our appreciation. It is a wonderful way to learn more about the district from our event speakers and connect with other former EPS educators. The event is free to attend, but we ask that you to RSVP using the button above. We look forward to seeing you on November 13th!
If you know other retired teachers that may want to attend in the future, please tell them to email alumni@elkhornfoundation.org or call (402)289-1727 to be added to the list.
Alumni Spotlight: Cass Thielen
Dr. Cass Thielen is a 2012 graduate of Elkhorn South High School. She grew up riding and showing horses. Initially, Dr. Cass planned to become a veterinarian until her horse needed chiropractic care and she saw the benefits it could provide. Dr. Cass began seeing a chiropractor herself shortly after and found relief from daily headaches. She also noticed when she and her horse were well-adjusted, they performed better and placed higher. She realized the benefit of chiropractic care for all spines and began her chiropractic career.
Dr. Cass received her Bachelors in Animal Science from Iowa State University and graduated top of her class with her Doctorate of Chiropractic from Northwestern Health Sciences University. She received her animal chiropractic certification from Options for Animals. Dr. Cass is certified in animal chiropractic through the International Veterinary Chiropractic Association (IVCA) and is a licensed chiropractor and animal therapist in Nebraska.
She is trained in caring for all the spines from kids to grandparents to animals. She believes every body deserves to be adjusted whether they have four legs, two legs, or no legs.
In her free time, Dr. Cass enjoys reading, hiking, cooking, hanging out with her husband and their daughter, and riding and showing her horses.
Q: What were some of your best memories at ESHS?
A: Playing basketball was probably my favorite part. I loved the competitiveness and being with the team, traveling on the bus to and from games. The classes I TA’d for were with friends, and I loved getting to hang out with friends (while getting work done) and getting to know the teachers better and hearing their life stories.
Q: What are some activities you were involved in?
A: I played basketball all four years (two at EHS, two at ESHS), was in the National Honors Society and FBLA, and worked as an office aide and TA for various teachers. I think there were more throughout the years, but those were the ones I remember being involved with all four years.
Q: Did any classes in high school lead you to choose your career path?
A: No classes specifically led me to my career, but some reinforced my passion for science. AP Chemistry was one of my favorite classes. I learned during that class I really am a huge science nerd and actually enjoyed figuring out chemical reactions and formulas. Mr. Specht made the class entertaining and I still remember some of the experiments we did. Anatomy class was another favorite. Understanding how the body works together and how form affects function is fascinating.
My other favorite classes (that had nothing to do with my field of study) were AP Lit with Mrs. Simons and AP US History with Mr. Bahe. I’ve always been a passionate reader, and Mrs. Simons selection of books for the class introduced me to new authors and genres I never would have tried otherwise. Two of the books we read in her class are in my top five favorite books of all time and ones I recommend to anyone looking for a good book to read. Mr. Bahe taught the most entertaining history class I have ever taken and the first time I enjoyed US history more than world history.
Q: What were those favorite books?
A: My all time favorite is The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien, followed closely by Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay. Pride and Prejudice and The Power of One were the two I read in Mrs. Simons class, and I reread Pride and Prejudice every year. I would reread The Power of One more often but my copy has been lent out more than it has been in my possession the last 10 years.
Q: How did you get started on the path of animal chiropractic?
A: My horse started getting adjusted when I was in high school. He always had issues collecting to the left, and after getting adjusted he would collect and bend well in both directions. I learned from our equine chiropractor that horses and riders tend to mirror the same issues. I started seeing a chiropractor and discovered I had a transitional lumbar vertebrae, meaning my last vertebrae forms a pseudojoint with my sacrum on the left, affecting my biomechanics and how my spine and pelvis move. My altered biomechanics affect my horse’s, which is why he never collected as well to the left. Once we both started getting adjusted regularly, he performed better consistently and we placed higher at shows. I knew from that moment I was going to be an animal chiropractor (who also worked on people).
Q: What is the certification process like for the IVCA (International Veterinary Chiropractic Association)?
A: You first have to be a licensed doctor of chiropractic (DC) or doctor of veterinary medicine (DVM), then graduate from an accredited animal chiropractic program. After graduation, you must pass the certification exam for the IVCA. There are continuing education requirements to maintain the certification, along with maintaining an active license.
Q: How long does it take to get results from animal patients vs human patients? Is it the same?
A: Animals actually tend to respond more quickly to chiropractic care than people do for a couple reasons. Because people have a higher consciousness and more developed brain, we tend to become our diagnosis and develop what I call a conscious block to recovering. Animals don’t have that, so they tend to respond pretty quickly to chiropractic. Babies and children actually respond more quickly than adults in most cases for the same reason. Another reason animals respond more quickly is people tend to wait until pain becomes unbearable before they seek treatment, and pet parents usually seek treatment as soon as their pet starts exhibiting signs of pain or disease. The earlier you start treatment, the quicker you see results.
Typical treatment plans for people are 10-20 visits and for animals 4-8 visits. Obviously each patient is different and how they respond to care depends on a variety of factors, so each patient may take more or less visits to get results and meet their goals.
Q: Some animals have health insurance- does animal insurance cover chiropractic care?
A: Most pet insurance companies do cover chiropractic. I recommend checking with your plan as to what the coverage is and who can perform the care. Unfortunately, some insurance companies only cover care done by a veterinarian. There are chiropractors actively working to change this though so any care your pet receives from a licensed provider is covered by insurance.
Q: What does a typical day look like for you, is there even a typical day?
A: I wouldn’t say there’s really a typical work day. On days I work with people, I work with a variety of conditions, from neck and back pain and headaches to plantar fasciitis, tennis elbow, and TMJ dysfunction, among others. My patients range from a few weeks old to their mid-90s.
On days I work with animals, my clinic is mobile so I drive most of the day seeing dogs, horses, cats, and some cattle. Common conditions I work with are IVDD/spondylosis (arthritis) in dogs, general back or neck pain, performance concerns, behavior issues, and nervous system disorders or deficits. I also see a lot of general wellness patients as chiropractic is a great tool to help improve overall health and well-being. I can work on any animal with a spine, so I’m hoping to add more exotics to my patient base through the years!
Q: Since you work with animals and people, is there a split or percentage you feel you work with people and animals?
A: Currently, my animal/people split is about 50/50. I’m working toward doing mostly animal chiropractic though!
Q: What advice do you have for current high school students thinking about what to do with their future?
A: Whatever you may be interested in, explore it! Don’t limit yourself or think you have to have it all figured out in high school. Keep your options open. You have so much time left to figure out what you really want to do. Shadow as many professions as you think you may be interested in, and shadow multiple professionals in each field. Everyone works a little differently and will have a different perspective on their job. Definitely find what you are passionate about because going to work stays enjoyable.
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