June 24, 2026
When signing up for Rural Prosperity Nebraska’s Rural Fellows program, Brandon didn’t really know what to expect. He just knew he'd be spending his summer making a difference in a small-town community like the one he grew up in.
“I just thought this was a really unique opportunity,” he says. “Coming from Filley, Nebraska, small towns aren’t a new thing to me, so I was really interested in what I could do as a UNL student to help out. Plus, I felt like it might be a cool chance to build a little more independence and see what I’m made of in a totally new place.”
Even though he’s arriving in Knox County a stranger, Brandon will be getting to know folks from the area pretty quickly. His primary role will be supporting the county’s emergency manager to improve emergency communications.
“Essentially, a big part of my summer is going to be spent meeting with all sorts of people from Knox County — farmers, workers, businesspeople and others — to get their thoughts on the emergency management system and see ways it could be adapted to fit everyone's needs.”
The Rural Fellows program also asks students to develop their own research components to help support the communities they serve. Building on his interviewing skills he’s gained in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications, Jurgens decided to go out and interview people without access to modern communication technology to try and understand how to warn them in an emergency.
He’ll also look into emergency comms systems in other parts of the country to see new strategies Knox County could adopt.
“It’s funny, because even though I don’t have a background in this specific field, I’m still able to take a lot of what I’m learning in my sports media classes about interviewing, doing research and being thorough to help on this huge project that will last way longer than my internship,” Brandon explains.
“I’m just hoping it can make a little bit of a difference in reaching people when it matters.”
Brandon Jurgens is a junior sports media and communication major from Filley, NE.