Delano Herald Journal

Serving the communities of Delano, Loretto, Montrose, MN, and the surrounding area

Jenni Sebora Column – 02/23/15



This past Presidents Day and Valentine’s Day weekend, my entire family took a trip to Omaha, NE, where we had never been before. The destination: college visit and interview at Creighton, which is right in the heart of Omaha.

I have been through Nebraska on another trip, but I believe I was sleeping, so I was pleasantly surprised by the rolling hills of Omaha. It is a very nice city – much different than Minneapolis, and much more expansive in terms of land.

Omaha has about 800,000 in population, and Creighton sits in what is probably the older part of Omaha.

We thought this was a good opportunity for family bonding time, and that it was. Not to mention, it was the first time we used our DVR player in our newer vehicle – “Harry Potter” it was. I forgot how good those movies are.

Our middle daughter, a freshman in high school, was forced to miss her club volleyball tournament, and our youngest daughter could not play in her last community education basketball game of the year – all sacrifices for their brother and family, and so worth it.

My son was accepted into Creighton, and applied for a dean’s/honors program, which requires interviews with professors, as well as current Creighton students who are in the program.

Of course, we also had a campus tour, heard professors talk about what Creighton has to offer, and listened to a student panel discuss their experiences at Creighton – all good.

Every college is unique, and each college thinks so. It is about finding the right fit, as well as being able to afford it.

For me, college was really more than just about getting a degree. I know there are plenty of people out there with degrees and lots of college debt who are not working in their degree field. I am not one of them. I went for teaching, and that is what I am still doing, 25 years later.

However, even if I wasn’t teaching, I would still be forever grateful for my college – or I should say, life – experience.

There is so much one learns at college – so many life lessons: doing laundry; living with someone you did not know before, and learning to get along in a room the size of a walk-in closet; time management; organization; and money management. The meal plan only allows so many Starbuck’s coffees before there is no money left in the meal plan account.

Learning about different cultures and viewpoints were probably the top lessons I learned in college. I took a class on world studies, and not mainstream media. They were two of my favorite classes that also really helped me grow as a person.

These are invaluable lessons for anyone – a very important part of a college experience.

My favorite aspect of Creighton is the Jesuit philosophy. It is a Jesuit university. I am not Catholic, but I am Christian – a Lutheran.

The Jesuit philosophy is about helping the student as a whole, developing their value systems and helping them realize that they are part of their world and their community, and that each person can contribute to the community and be a leader through service to others.

How can a parent not want that for their child?

Students are encouraged to volunteer and get involved in different organizations. This is as much a part of the education and learning as the classes they take.

And, of course, students are to remember to take time to refuel and have fun, as well, which is what our family did on our trip to Creighton.

We attended a girls’ basketball game. Creighton took on Providence, and defeated them soundly. Attending a college event is so much fun; there is lots of spirit and energy.

To top it off, we were able to speak with Creighton junior point guard Marissa Janning, a Watertown native, after the game. She was the high-scorer of the game. She is the top-scorer and has the most assists on the team. We talked basketball and college in general.

It was a fantastic trip in so many ways. To end this wonderful excursion, we stopped off in Iowa for a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts. Now, you can’t beat that.








Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.