Giving Thanks for a Community Built on Service
This month began with our nation honoring Veterans Day, and I found myself reflecting on what service truly means and appreciated seeing all the ways it was honored in our communities, schools, and here on campus. As the month progressed toward Thanksgiving, it has become even more evident how deeply the spirit of service is woven into the fabric of both our country and our agricultural communities.
Here at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) in Curtis, we take pride in teaching students the technical and professional skills needed for success in agriculture. But beyond that, we work to instill a mindset of service—of showing up, persevering, and giving back. Those qualities we celebrate in our veterans are also the foundation of strong leadership in agriculture.
Service as a Shared Value
Whether in uniform or on the farm, service is about a larger purpose. It’s about responsibility—to people, animals, and the land. Many of our students come from families who have served in the military or who serve daily through agriculture. Both experiences build character and resilience.
Every morning, I see our students demonstrate those same traits—feeding livestock before dawn, helping one another in the shop or the lab, and representing NCTA across the state. They are learning that leadership means serving others, even when conditions are challenging.
Resilience in Uncertain Times
This fall, our students and farmers have experienced firsthand that agriculture will always face unpredictability: weather, markets, and policy. That’s why our teaching emphasizes problem-solving, adaptability, and grit. We don’t just prepare students to manage livestock or crops—we prepare them to lead through change.
Resilience isn’t just a skill; it’s a mindset. It’s cultivated every time a student steps into the arena, the feedlot, the field, or the classroom. It’s built through experience and guided by mentors who model calm, confident leadership under pressure.
Turning Potential Into Purpose
At NCTA, our mission is not only to educate but to empower. We give students opportunities to grow in skill and in spirit—to understand that their work in agriculture directly serves others: feeding families, protecting resources, and strengthening communities.
When our graduates leave Curtis, they don’t just enter a career. They join a calling.
A Spirit of Gratitude and Service
This Thanksgiving, I am reminded that the same values that make great soldiers—discipline, honor, teamwork, perseverance—also make great agricultural leaders. We are grateful for the men and women who have served our nation and continue to serve in our fields, ranches, and rural communities every day.
To our students, alumni, and partners: thank you for choosing to make an impact through agriculture. Your service matters. Your resilience matters. And your leadership ensures that Nebraska’s greatest industry—and its people—will continue to thrive.
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Dr. Kelly Bruns serves as Interim Executive Director of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture (NCTA) in Curtis. NCTA, part of the University of Nebraska, offers hands-on agriculture-related degrees and certificates, including veterinary technology, agribusiness, agronomy, ag mechanics, animal science, equine industry management, and more.
Online link>>
https://ncta.unl.edu/news/giving-thanks-community-built-service/