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Nebraska Ag News Headlines |
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Grateful for Our Campus and Community
By: Larry Gossen, Ph.D., NCTA - 11/24/2021
With this week of Thanksgiving, I reflect on the many blessings of the past year for family, our Aggie family at NCTA, and this small, rural community of Curtis that has been my home for the past year and a half.
We are so very fortunate to be a part of this close-knit community in Frontier County.
I am thankful for the blessing of Curtis, the community of people who give, time and time again, in support of our students and faculty.
We are fortunate in our ability to rely on community partners for places for our students to work, places for our students to volunteer, and the blessing of many wonderful individuals who help them learn, not just a skill or responsibility, but to experience life, humor, gratitude, service, dedication and friendship.
People like Kelly and Jo Popp, who spent countless hours at their farm with our Aggie students on the stock dog team. With Kelly always ready to help these young people learn as much about themselves as they learned about their pup or young dog during training in the arena to be a companion, worker, faithful friend. Kelly will be sorely missed by us all.
I am thankful for a small community that is safe, open, and welcoming to visitors and to our students.
A community which welcomed Fay and I with open arms when we arrived here a year ago, in June.
As we hire new faculty and staff at NCTA, it's been invaluable that they feel welcome coming to Curtis and to the surrounding community. Thank you, friends.
The things that we are probably most grateful for are the small things that we often take for granted on a day-to-day basis. The little things that we don't think about.
The fact that we do have an active chamber of commerce in Curtis and the Medicine Valley, that we've got businesses in town that are supportive, and are available for anything that somebody would need.
From the flower shop, to groceries, to insurance, to lawyers, to plumbing supplies, places to eat, you name it. We have all the necessities of life in our small community.
Curtis has a city administrator and city council that is aggressive in looking for and trying to bring new businesses to town. These leaders are making a difference as they work to improve our community.
We have a beautiful city park that we can all be proud of. A variety of churches and people who meet all the needs of our community from a spiritual standpoint. Plus, our movie theater is run by volunteers!
We have so many things to be thankful for in a time when there is a lot of unrest and uncertainty in the world. For these individuals and organizations, I am grateful.
There are so many friends in a community who will chip in and help when needed. Whether it's the recent fire here in town which destroyed the home of a young family, the loss of loved ones or those in need of support and assistance, people step in immediately to help others.
That service of love and compassion from neighbors, friends and sometimes even, strangers, does not go unnoticed. We are surrounded by helpers. When a person is sick, others will step up to the plate to help. People here genuinely care about each other.
We share a definite feeling of connectedness in town. It is seen by people who visit. It is realized by newcomers. And, for all of us, it is something to be proud of.
There may things that we might "want" but there is nothing that we "need" in our small town. For all of these things, big or little, I am grateful and blessed.
From NCTA to all of you, may you have a Thanksgiving filled with faith, family and friends.
NCTA campus events include:
Nov. 24: NCTA Student Holiday, Offices are Open
Nov. 25-26: NCTA Campus Closed for Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 30: NCTA Ag Business Club Soup Supper & Cornhole Tournament, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Curtis Community Center
Dec. 2: FFA District 11 Leadership Development Events, NCTA campus
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