Christine Lynne HansenEnglish
1972
My first year I lived in Selleck Quad and worked in the Athletic dining room. What a great way to meet some of the Husker athletes and coaches. Meeting Coach Devaney was a highlight. I loved my English classes and my education classes. Hands down my best memories in the classroom involved Dr. Larry Andrews. He was my inspiration, and I was able to take two graduate courses from him in the summer of 1974. When I learned he had passed away, I was deeply saddened but eternally grateful for having had him in my life.
I taught high school English in Big Springs, NE. for three years then took a break with two years of active duty n the U.S. Navy. While my husband, our toddler daughter, and I were stationed in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, I returned to teaching mentored by my principal, Tom Price, who hailed from Thedford, NE. I attained my MEd. in education with a reading specialty. Substitute teaching as a military dependent wife allowed me to draw on my education at UNL and prepared me for a 20 year career at Bastrop ISD in Texas.
Attending UNL in the late 60's was an eye-opening experience for me. Small town Nebraska did not prepare me for the challenges socially and educationally, but once I entered the classroom and began my education, I felt I'd found my place. So much was new and different for me, but I feel I blossomed and grew not just as a learner but as a person. Looking back as a retired educator, I know I have my educational foundation that was built at UNL to account for my success. But I also have the social and emotional experiences of my UNL life that shaped who I am today.
You may not realize it, but what you do here at UNL can change the world. In a society that spends too much time interacting with digital screens, look up, get involved, and never stop learning. Enjoy your time at UNL but know that your life here is just setting the stage for your future. Take advantage of it, live it, and love it! There really is no place like Nebraska.
