Proud to Be an Aggie: Two NCTA Students Awarded AKSARBEN Foundation Scholarships

Curtis, Neb. — At the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, mornings come early, and lessons are lived, not just learned. It’s a place where students turn ambition into action and dreams into careers that feed and serve their communities. For Luke Vandergriend of Adams, Nebraska, and Samantha Durre of Elgin, Nebraska, that dedication has earned them statewide recognition as recipients of the AKSARBEN Foundation Scholarship, an honor that celebrates not just academic success but the spirit of perseverance that defines every Aggie.

Back in August, both students received $2,500 scholarships through the AKSARBEN Scholars program, which supports Nebraska students who demonstrate leadership, perseverance, and a passion for strengthening their communities through higher education.

For Luke Vandergriend, a Veterinary Technology student, receiving the scholarship was a moment he’ll never forget.

“I was immediately shocked when I found out,” Luke said. “Des Moines Adams personally called me, and I was a little lost for words. I think I thanked him about 50 times.”

Luke first heard about NCTA from Kody Daily, a veterinary technician in Beatrice, who encouraged him to explore the college. “I’m really enjoying the hands-on learning here,” he shared. “It’s helping me build the real-world skills I’ll need in the field.”

Luke’s long-term goal is to become a licensed veterinarian and open his own clinic, a dream he’s now one step closer to achieving. “This scholarship means so much because it’s helping me stay on the path toward my future,” he said.

For Samantha Durre, an Animal Science major with minors in Equine Production and Livestock Production, the scholarship brings both opportunity and confidence.

“I felt relieved when I found out,” she said. “This scholarship is helping me take the classes I need to reach my goals and even explore electives like business, so I can better understand the management side of the livestock industry.”

Encouraged by her grandfather to attend NCTA, Samantha says she found more than a college. She found a community and a home.

“The staff are so kind and always willing to help, and the students here share the same interests and goals,” she said. “I’m proud to be part of a place that feels like home.”

After graduation, Samantha plans to gain hands-on experience working on a ranch before starting her own operation raising seedstock and club calves.

Dr. Kelly Bruns, interim director of NCTA, said both students represent the very best of the college’s mission.

“Luke and Samantha embody what it means to be an Aggie. Driven, hard-working, and ready to make a difference in agriculture,” Bruns said. “They’re proof that when students find a place where learning happens by doing, great things grow from it.”

At NCTA, opportunity isn’t something students wait for; it’s something they build. With small classes, supportive faculty, and learning that happens in the barn, the lab, and the field, students find both purpose and pride in what they do every day.

Because at NCTA, this isn’t about someday. It’s about right now.
This is where careers begin.
This is where community is built.
This is where students become Aggies.