Japhet, Benoit and Esther
Integrated Science · Kigali, Rwanda
Huskers Japhet, Benoit (Ben) and Esther are accustomed to making their band Live Lyve adaptable. The trio from Kigali, Rwanda formed Live Lyve in early 2020, leveraging the success of their first show at UNL’s Rwandan Night before pivoting to sharing music remotely.
The three friends and bandmates now have to be flexible for different reasons: balancing the band’s rising success with school.
“It’s been a critical time not only for our music careers, but also for our degrees,” says Esther.
This balancing act was especially tricky this past summer as the three held internships while playing Live Lyve gigs around the country. The trio performed in AZ, CO, SD, and WA over summer, requiring a lot of travel amidst their different positions.
Esther spent the summer in Seattle interning for Boeing, Japhet interned with the UNL Rural Fellows Program, and Ben worked for the City of Chadron through the Rural Prosperity Nebraska Program.
And while their musical influences span the globe, Japhet says playing for Rwandan audiences has led to tons of new gigs around the country.
“We wanted to get plugged into communities of the Rwandan diaspora. The most prominent events are weddings, which are huge audiences — 200 people or above. We would play at one wedding, and there we’d meet another client who wanted us to perform in a different state.”
Getting connected in Rwandan communities has also helped the band meet collaborators.
“That’s how we meet new clients, but that’s also how we meet producers and people who want to work on other projects,” explains Ben.
After such a busy summer, the band is focusing on playing local events, making new music, and finishing their degrees. But the band isn’t going anywhere, promises Ben, even as college comes to an end.
“We’re getting ready for the next step, the next transition.”
“Music will always be a part of me,” says Esther, “no matter what life throws at me. But, we want to make the most out of this time with each other.”
Kevin
Associate Professor of Practice · Dayton, Ohio
Dr. Kevin Wesley of the College of Business is not one to shy away from an opportunity to stretch his strengths and grow as a leader and team member. It’s something he talks about in his Business Honors Academy course and an ethos he acquired as a US Navy veteran with 24 years of service.
It’s also what led him to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest freestanding mountain in the world, last summer.
“I just really enjoy adventure. I wanted to go to Africa, I wanted to see the wildlife and the Serengeti and all those things,” says Kevin. “And I do like to push myself.”
It was an adventure a long time in the making for Kevin, who was slowly persuaded by his friend Robert Kay — an avid climber and regular guest speaker in Kevin’s classes — to take up the challenge. Kevin brings Robert to speak to his classes as part of an exercise that examines the 1996 Mount Everest disaster and a subsequent case study from Harvard Business.
The segment culminates in lessons on leadership.
“Robert was slowly pushing me to make a climb like this over the years, and eventually I thought, ’Well, I’m not getting any younger.’”
Kevin trained for months ahead of his 9-day excursion, climbing multiple 14,000-foot mountains in Colorado to adjust his body to the extreme elevations. Then, late in July, Kevin set out with 7 others to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro.
“It was a bit tougher than I’d anticipated,” he admits. “We spent over 3 days between 16,000 and 18,000 ft. just to give your body a chance to acclimate, even though it really doesn’t.”
That adjustment period is necessary when it comes time to ascend to the peak, or “varsity day,” as Kevin calls it.
“You wake up at 3am on summit day and get back to camp at 8pm. So, it’s a no-kidding rough day — it’s definitely earned my respect,” he joked.
When he did finally summit the mountain, Kevin found himself reflecting on the same values he shares in his classes — being a team player.
“It reinforces that in high-stress situations, you really come to rely on your team members. Everything starts and ends with relationships.”
Mikki
Assistant Director of Professional & Life Skills
As a mother who can’t help but put herself in others’ shoes, Mikki is a passionate—and impactful—advisor, mentor and friend to international students at UNL.
“Thinking about sending my own kids to another country for four years—to study, live and engage with another culture and language without having family nearby—I put myself in the shoes of the students and their parents and think, ’How in the world could you navigate all this?’”
This empathy has led Mikki to be an advisor to the Rwandan Student Association and Business International Student Association, affirming and addressing the issues they face while also helping them make connections around campus and in the community.
“I really want to be there to support international students and am honored when they talk to me about their experiences,” says Mikki.
Going further, Mikki developed a seminar in the College of Business for international students that offers language support, one-on-one tutoring, academic guidance and networking opportunities.
“Language barriers can affect many things in your day-to-day life: your education, your ability to interact in the classroom, comprehend the material, and study,” Mikki explains. “It’s very layered.”
They also result in another common challenge for international students: connecting with their American classmates.
“A lot of students have high hopes about making American friends; many people are very friendly here, but it can be hard to cross those cultural divides and really find things in common.”
Mikki challenges domestic students to be more intentional about including international students across campus.
“As students come into your classes and dorms, make the effort to sit and listen to them, ask questions, and be curious—it makes a huge difference,” she says.
“It takes work to develop a friendship no matter where you’re from. My role is advocating for international students to have the strength and courage to keep trying.”
Sean
Mechanical Engineering · Lincoln, Nebraska
How, exactly, do you ship a robot to space? As Sean learned first-hand last summer, you do it very, very carefully.
Interning for Nebraska Engineering faculty Shane Farritor’s Virtual Incision lab last summer, Sean suddenly found himself preparing one of Virtual Incision’s surgical robots for its maiden voyage to the International Space Station. Launched into space for its 250-mile journey on Tuesday, the hope is that these robots can one day be used to perform surgery remotely from Earth.
For any of that to be possible, the first test robot needs to arrive at the station intact.
“I mostly worked on the hardware to get it up to the station and perform the experiment where the robot cuts rubber bands in its workspace, simulating surgery,” Sean explains. “I basically helped with the equipment that supports the robot.”
While a “locker” sounds simple enough, the process of ensuring the robot makes the journey safely — and is safe for astronauts to unpack once it gets there — requires a staggering amount of detail.
“We created an early version just for simulating vibrations that the robot will experience during launch,” says Sean. “We also used lots of protective measures, working with NASA to prevent safety hazards like electrical fires or structural failures causing injury.”
Sean, who graduated in December and now works full-time at Virtual Incision, will be anxiously awaiting the results of the robot’s journey.
“It's definitely a little nerve-wracking; it’ll be a week or two later until we know for sure, but I'm really excited.”
And for someone who’s worked on a project soaring so high, Sean stays grounded about the experience.
"It’s a privilege, right?” Sean says. “It’s just an honor, so you have to just keep your head down, try your best and work hard on what needs to get done.”