Every year, Nelnet holds a United Way campaign to empower our associates to support their communities.

Giving back to the communities in which we live and work is one of Nelnet’s core values. This year, we’re emphasizing how much of an impact we can make with Nelnet “magically” matching every donation, doubling the positive impact (or tripling it, for first-time donors).

United Way advances the common good in communities across the world, with a focus on health, education, and financial stability – the building blocks for a good quality of life.

The Nelnet campaign kicked off on July 18 and will run for a few weeks, encouraging leaders and associates to spread the word and give what they can and help out their communities.

Last year, Nelnet raised over $1 million for the United Way partners in our communities. While we don’t have a specific fundraising goal for this year, we are hoping to raise as much as possible to help out those in need throughout our communities.

We’re encouraging associates to simply give whatever they’re able to. Even if it’s $2 per paycheck, the Magic of the Match will double the positive impact. Associates who donate will also earn electronic raffle tickets for free prizes like gas cards and airline tickets. Together we can make magic happen in our communities.

Want to see how else Nelnet supports the communities we serve? Check out the other ways our associates are giving back.

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Nelnet is dedicated to serving others, and we like to think that’s a major reason why so many associates have stuck around. Whether it’s customers, associates, or communities, Nelnet strives to support anyone we can. We stay committed to service by living out Nelnet’s core values every day. Here’s a few of our values and examples of how we embrace each one.

Create an awesome work environment.

We want our associates to succeed, just like we want our customers to. In Lincoln, that means state-of-the-art facilities, a casual dress code, and competitive benefits packages. Nelnet associates enjoy benefits like earned time off and free health premiums, with many of these perks starting on day one. We’ve also established a hybrid work environment since the pandemic, to give associates the ability to work where they feel the most comfortable to get things done.

Communicate openly and honestly.

Any successful organization must be based on open and honest communication. We show our transparency to the public by answering any questions via phone, email, or social media. Within the company, we build honest communication by holding annual associate culture surveys for feedback on ways to improve as an organization. We also host a monthly event series called Nelnet Spark, where innovators across Nelnet share and discuss new trends, concepts, and developments.

Give back to the communities in which we live and work.

We’re not just here to serve customers and associates – Nelnet has always been dedicated to giving back to our communities. We want to see our neighbors and fellow humans thrive, so we strive to reach that goal by donating time and money to causes that make a positive impact on society.

In 2021, Nelnet’s annual United Way fundraising campaign raised over $1.2 million with the help of generous associates across the organization. Nelnet is here to provide opportunities for people, so it’s wonderful to see so many associates lending a hand to assist those in need.

These are a few of the values that have attracted so many to work, grow, and build a future at Nelnet. If you like what you see and are interested in a career at Nelnet, check out our open positions and find one that’s right for you.

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With all this in mind, the marketing team wanted runners to remember the 2022 Lincoln Marathon and Half Marathon as the best marathon that they had ever run, and to make plans to come back again. The branding that came out of this project showcased the race as Lincoln’s Marathon, since it’s a race for the runners, as well as the neighborhoods and citizens. The new look shows that the race isn’t just a tour of the city’s landmarks, but a celebration of the communities and people that make Lincoln special.

The vibrant colors and streaking ribbons help bring to life that idea the Lincoln Marathon is an annual opportunity to open our homes, businesses, and streets to others, and show­ing our civic pride. Take a look at how the new branding is brought to life.

Learn more at https://www.lincolnmarathon.org/

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Nelnet’s Coding Academy is an online, immersive course that grants associates the opportunity to learn technologies such as TypeScript, Angular, C# and more in a fast-paced educational setting. Nebraska Dev Lab is a partnership between Doane University and Don’t Panic Labs that aims to address the shortage of qualified IT and technical talent with a program that provides instruction to better equip both new and experienced developers.

The second group participating in Nelnet’s 12-week Coding Academy is led by Galvanize. Galvanize is a “technology ecosystem for learners, entrepreneurs, startups, and established companies” that helps close the gap in the rapidly changing digital world by providing an educational course designed to foster innovation and technical growth.

Both programs require students to dedicate 40 hours or more a week to lectures, projects, tutorials, and overall learning. Expert guidance and the open, honest communication that has been established between the students and the Coding Academy leadership were critical to the program’s success.

Ramesh Janipalli is a student in the Nebraska Dev Lab group with experience in legacy development practices, but he strived to learn as much as possible in the distributed world of development. He’s had a positive and exciting learning experience through the Coding Academy, and he loved the opportunity.

“One of the things that I haven’t seen before is that we are not responsible for our other job functions. We are dedicated to this program. Nelnet is dedicated to this program. That kind of support is unheard of,” said Ramesh.

Coding Academy student Deb Halvorson explained that this program has shown her how much there still is to learn and how influential working with others can be.

“It’s interesting to be around so many smart people,” she said in regards to her classmates. “We are peer programming, which I’ve never done before, and ultimately just helping each other out when we need it. I think I like that part the best.”

These programs highlight Nelnet’s core value to pursue opportunities for diversification and growth and emphasize the importance for building talents on an individual level within our company. By acquiring new skills, Nelnet participants not only improved Nelnet’s overall competitiveness as it relates to technology and servicing, but they also became savvier technical professionals as the newly acquired skills are more relevant and in-demand for software developers.

Nelnet also strives to develop associates in many other ways. Women Engaged in Computing at Nelnet (We Can) was created for women in IT to thrive at Nelnet and enable belonging, empowerment, affirmation of value, and advocacy for work life balance. We also have a Mentorship Program which allows any associate to pair up with an experienced team member to receive career guidance and explore new opportunities for growth.

Teamwork has driven the Coding Academy program since the very first day. The students worked together to increase their technical knowledge – just as Nelnet works with our associates to support and foster a positive educational experience. At Nelnet, we’re dedicated to developing our associates – and we’ll continue to find new opportunities, such as the Coding Academy, to prove it.

The post Investing in Associates’ Development – Nelnet’s Coding Academy appeared first on Nelnet Inc.

Tell us about your history with the show.

I have wanted to be on Jeopardy! for a long time. The first time I tried out was in the late 1980s, when my wife and I were out in California. Back then there was no online test, you had to go to the studio to take a written test and they would manually grade them. If you did well enough they would have you do a sort of try-out Jeopardy! game right there. I wasn’t selected then, but I have been doing their online tests over the last 10 years. When I was actually selected, they had me do a try-out game via zoom because of COVID, so it was a little different from the traditional Jeopardy! game you’ll see, but that’s when it finally worked out for me.

What did you do to prepare?

There’s a really cool website, J! Archive that has an archive of every question and answer from each episode of the show. You can go through every question from a game in a few minutes, so I would study on that site several times a day in preparation. It also helped me find which categories pop up across different games like geography and presidents. I used J! Archive probably more than anything else to get ready for my games.

What did it feel like when you stepped foot on the Jeopardy! set?

I was excited, but not super nervous. I was mainly just trying to remember all the strategies I studied, like how to properly wager on Final Jeopardy! and when to press your buzzer. There were times when I buzzed in and had to guess an answer, but most of the time I tried to buzz in when I had retrieved the answer completely.

What would your dream Jeopardy! category be?

I would do pretty well on a Monty Python category, I’m a huge fan of that group. I find that my knowledge is pretty shallow but broad, and I think that’s how a lot of Jeopardy! contestants are as well. A lot of them probably have deep knowledge in a few areas of expertise, but also a little bit of knowledge in a ton of different subjects.

What advice would you give to aspiring Jeopardy! contestants?

Keep trying, because sometimes it just takes a while for you to get your shot. Sooner or later, you might just have whatever magical recipe that the show is looking for.

Were you surprised to win on your first day?

My first goal was to not be so far in the hole that I didn’t make it to Final Jeopardy!, and then my second goal was to get a few answers right. I was really pleased with how I did given my initial goals.

What was your favorite moment from this experience?

That whole first game was so much fun. The second game was too, but the competition was great and the people were all very nice. The contestants were kind of like me, we were all trivia nuts and Jeopardy! fans who tried out for years, and it was finally our big chance together.

Congratulations on your achievement, Scott! If you want to put your brains to the test, take the online Jeopardy! quiz today.

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The Panthers are sponsored by the Clyde Malone Center, which has been a valued part of the community since 1955. The center serves families, youth, and seniors with inclusive, social, cultural, educational, employment, and welfare services. The Malone Center has been a longtime partner of Nelnet, so we wanted to provide these kids with a surprise-and-delight event.

Since the NCAA recently granted college athletes the right to monetize their name, image, and likeness, we thought this would be a great opportunity to get some local sports celebrities involved in the community to inspire and educate the youth.

We worked with the leadership at the Malone Center to arrange this visit from Nebraska student athletes; Bryce and Trey McGowens, Alonzo Verge Jr., Kobe Webster, and Derrick Walker.

To assist practice, the players served as coaches running through drills, then joined in for an extra competitive game of knockout. Afterward, they all came together and the players spoke to the kids about the importance of school, and shared life advice about how athletics are important, but there’s more to life than sports.

“Anything can happen in sports, it can get taken away with the snap of a finger,” said Kobe Webster. “Once you get to our age you want to be thinking about building something without sports. So lock in on school, because we’re all about to graduate college. And for you all to do that, it brings your opportunities up to another level.”

After speaking and then displaying some dunks in their arsenal, they ran a 5-on-5 scrimmage with the Nebraska players against flights of the Panthers kids. Finally, the players signed autographs and took pictures with the kids before saying their goodbyes. Needless to say, this was an extra special practice for the Panthers kids and coaches alike.

“It was great to have these college players here to work with the kids and show how important their education is,” said Coach Marcel Killsenemy. “We’re supporting the next generation of this community, so the better we can serve our kids, the better the future will look all around us.”

You can support the Malone Center by volunteering your time or making a donation. For more information, visit malonecenter.org.

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The American Marketing Association – Lincoln Chapter and Lincoln Young Professionals Group announced the final results of ReFlag Lincoln, a contest to redesign the City of Lincoln flag.

The winning flag, “All Roads Lead to Lincoln,” was created by Nelnet’s own creative director, Ed Mejia. His design was selected by a committee with over 190 submissions from the public. Many other Nelnet submissions also made it into the final selection process.

“I began the process of designing a submission for Lincoln’s next city flag by reflecting on the emotions I felt when I drove into town the first time”, Ed said. “Lincoln rises up out of the horizon, beaming with a sense of hope and optimism that is shared by both lifelong residents and recent refugees.”

The teal, navy, and gold flag includes art-deco style design, inspired by architecture and Native artwork displayed inside the Nebraska State Capitol. The intersecting lines capture the interconnection of technology, agriculture, and commerce that have drawn people to Lincoln. The beacon in the center symbolizes hope and optimism, as well as Lincoln’s reputation as a safe harbor for those seeking to make our community their home.

Keep an eye out for the new flag design around Lincoln, and congratulations, Ed Mejia, for providing excellent design work and making your mark on the City of Lincoln!

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Associates are the lifeblood of Nelnet. They transform service from an idea into an experience. It’s vital to us that our people are supported – personally, professionally, financially, and physically. We must impact their lives just as they impact the lives of our customers. Serving isn’t just our purpose – it’s a promise.

One way we recognize our amazing associates is through the SERVE Awards. These Awards are a way to recognize associates who go above and beyond to serve others. Those who take the ideals of service to the next level and live for their neighbors, not themselves. Nelnet associates can nominate other associates who fit that description throughout the year. SERVE Awards are awarded quarterly based on an associate or team’s service to others in the following areas:

Provide superior customer experiences.

Putting smiles on faces and making engagements with Nelnet as warm and pleasant as possible. Going above and beyond to make sure customers have enjoyable experiences.

Create an awesome work environment.

Going out of one’s way to cultivate relationships with other associates and creating a fun, collaborative environment while making things happen.

Pursue opportunities for diversification and growth.

Always looking for new, innovative ways to accomplish goals, and seeking out different opportunities to succeed in the future.

Communicate openly and honestly.

Transparently communicating with integrity to improve customer satisfaction and business operation, from customer service to associate engagement.

Give back to the communities in which we live and work.

Making continuous effort to provide time, service, or donations to help others in the community and support causes making a difference.

Associates and/or teams are eligible to be nominated by fellow associates – nominees should demonstrate an above-and-beyond commitment to service in at least one of these categories: ​​​​​​​our customers, our associates, our communities, and our values. A Review Board evaluates nominations and selects award recipients. Each quarter, associates or teams will be formally recognized as SERVE Award recipients. Recipients are notified shortly after selection and receive a formal award and gift in recognition of their service to others.

Want to find your future at Nelnet? Check out our open positions and apply today!

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It’s an honor to be held in high regard by our female associates and be a part of this list. Nelnet is dedicated to serving others, and we like to think that’s a major reason why so many associates love working here. Whether it’s customers, associates, or communities, Nelnet strives to support anyone we can.

One way we support women in the workplace is through the Nelnet Women’s Leadership Network (NWLN). The NWLN is an Associate Resource Group for Nelnet associates, intended to create additional career opportunities and a supportive community to help women at Nelnet be successful in leadership roles.

With recurring events, the NWLN focuses on career, leadership, mentor opportunities, and business skill development. The initiative has both an external focus to offer activities and events that provide opportunities to develop relationships and learn from others outside the company, and an internal focus on providing resources to enhance women’s leadership and business development skills and mentoring within the company.​​​​​​​

Nelnet also strives to create an awesome work environment for everyone with great benefits packages that associates can customize to best achieve their personal goals. We listen to associate feedback and facilitate an annual Culture Survey to find new areas to make Nelnet a great place to work.

Associates have been working safely from home since 2020, and we have opportunities for professional growth through Nelnet University. Associates can take courses to advance in their current career, or develop the skills to transition into a new one.

These are just a few of the reasons why so many women enjoy working at Nelnet. If you are interested in a career at Nelnet, check out our open positions and find one that’s right for you.

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