I Attended College in Kearney, and Stayed for My Career

Kipp Petersen

Kale Gideon grew up in Burwell, Nebraska, a small town with about 1,200 people, and was the recipient of the Nebraska College Opportunity Scholarship, which awarded him a full scholarship to either the Omaha, Lincoln or Kearney locations of the University of Nebraska. Gideon chose the University of Nebraska at Kearney (UNK) for its small-town vibe. Gideon graduated at the college in Kearney with a bachelor’s degree in business in 2019. After working in supply chain management, he landed at Bluestone Wealth Advisors, where he has worked as financial adviser since 2021.

“I love what I do and see myself staying in this profession for the rest of my career,” he says. “There are a lot of opportunities in Kearney for people professionally and to be involved in the community.”

Gideon is an active member of Leadership Kearney and Young Professionals Network, both programs of the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce. Gideon views Kearney as a place where people can find community, opportunity and a great quality of life.

What made you want to stay in Kearney after graduation?
Kearney is very centrally located. It’s not far from Burwell where my family is or West Point where my brother lives, and I’m a big Nebraska Cornhuskers fan, so it’s not hard for me to get over to see a game in Lincoln. You can get anywhere in a two-hour span.

There are a lot of opportunities for people after they graduate college to be part of groups that help you get out of your comfort zone, get your name out there and develop professional relationships with other people in Kearney. It’s also a great place to be for business opportunities. There is always something new being added here.

What sorts of activities do you enjoy here?
I’m a big outdoorsman, and Kearney has a lot of great local places to get outdoors. Yanney Heritage Park has a great lake that I fish in; it’s a large recreation area with boat rentals. Cottonmill Lake has a disc golf course and is a good place to fish. There’s rafting in the Kearney Canal, where you can rent an inner tube or a kayak and float, and the city has a 13-mile trail that runs through it for walking or biking. It connects Cottonmill Park to Fort Kearny State Recreation Area.

Kearney has a lot of live music and local events. We have the Buffalo County Fair in July and a huge event called Cruise Night, where everyone brings out their fancy vehicles and drives them. If you’re not outdoorsy, we have an arcade, we have Big Apple Fun Center, and we have The World Theatre that’s been there for almost 100 years where you can see a movie.

How would you advise newcomers to get involved in the community?
There are endless opportunities of things going on here. There are lots of opportunities for people to volunteer, whether that’s at an event and they want to get out and meet people or they want to work with a community organization. There’s something going on every single month if you’re trying to get out there.

What ways can someone who is about to graduate get connected professionally?
UNK holds career fairs every year, and whether you’re a freshman or about to graduate, there are probably about 100 booths set up by companies looking to hire young people. You can bring your resume and get professional headshots taken.

I have found that being a part of Leadership Kearney and Young Professionals Network is very helpful for networking and learning about what people are doing in Kearney.

Kearney is a very prosperous location for business opportunities and for young professionals because we have agriculture, health care, manufacturing, education, retail, and tourism as working industries. Being involved in Leadership Kearney is one of the greatest experiences I have ever been a part of. I’ve learned more about myself and have learned how to get out of my shell, even at times when it may feel uncomfortable. By hearing from other incredible and talented individuals throughout the year, this has helped me develop a greater understanding of what Kearney is all about.