By Hayden Hudson
A $4 million gift is supporting student workers at the UNL College of Journalism and Mass Communications. As a college ambassador, one student shares how the job has deepened his connection to the university.
For nearly three years, Hamilton Reinbold, a senior broadcasting major, has offered a smiling face and a helpful hand in the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Andersen Hall.
Hailing from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Reinbold applied to be a student worker in the equipment checkout room of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. As his connection to the college grew, he transitioned to working as an ambassador for the college. Now, he helps incoming students find their path to the place he calls home.
Reinbold is just one of the student workers at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications to be positively impacted by a $4 million gift from alumna Cindy McCaffrey and her husband, Mick, who established a permanent endowment to support student workers at the college. “When I was a student at Nebraska, working on campus was essential in helping me afford my education. Student employment kept me grounded, connected, focused and gave me hands-on experience that directly shaped my career,” McCaffrey said.
Q&A WITH HAMILTON REINBOLD
What made you want to start working in the equipment checkout room?
At first, I really just needed a job, but when I started working there, I found out it was more than just a job. Being able to help students with their projects and help them get the right gear they needed really made me want to come back every single semester.
What drew you to the College of Journalism and Mass Communications?
You can build personal connections with every single student. For the students I’ve known since freshman year, they feel like family.
What do you do as an ambassador?
Our main job is to recruit people to come to our university by showing them all the cool stuff we have here in Andersen Hall. We do tours, and we do workshops for incoming students. We’re really just here to help them make a decision to attend UNL.
How has working for the college impacted your time there?
It helps me to be more passionate about the CoJMC. I still cared about my work before becoming an ambassador, but I’m more invested now.
What are your plans for after college?
I’m still undecided. I plan to work at a university, either in the communication department or the athletic department, focusing on social media work. I also might work in the sports field, primarily in soccer or Formula One.
Hayden Hudson is a broadcasting and journalism student at UNL and an intern at the University of Nebraska Foundation.
