JEFF FIELDER Editor
SCOTTSBLUFF – Logan Hernandez, a senior at Scottsbluff High School, is this week’s Nspire Today! Female Student of the Week, sponsored by First State Bank. She participates in volleyball, National Honor Society, and DECA. Her GPA is 3.9. After high school, she plans to attend UNL and major in accounting. Her mom is Brenda Gaub.
Q: How has your senior year of school been going overall?
HERNANDEZ: “It’s kind of flown by. Doing things online has been very different. I’m disappointed that I don’t get to experience the last three months of my senior year.”
Q: How challenging has it been for you to adjust to online learning?
HERNANDEZ: “It’s been kind of hard. Every teacher is trying to do Zoom meetings and stuff, but it’s kind of hard at times to teach yourself some of the lessons.”
Q: How have you handled everything going on related to COVID-19?
HERNANDEZ: “I’ve stayed positive because we still get a graduation, but it’s sad that we don’t get to do the elementary walk, prom, and those kinds of things.”
Q: How strange have the last few weeks been to you?
HERNANDEZ: “Very strange. Staying home all the time and not being able to do my regular routine has been really different.”
Q: Among the activities you participate in, which one have you enjoyed the most?
HERNANDEZ: “Volleyball. It was always fun to spend time with the other girls on the team — people who have the same passion that I have. We definitely did better this last season than we did in previous years. It was a lot of fun.”
Q: What position did you play?
HERNANDEZ: “Libero.”
Q: What’s been your favorite non-sports activity?
HERNANDEZ: “Probably hanging out with kids. I was working at a daycare [Crossroad Corner in Scottsbluff]. I had been working there since my sophomore year. It was always fun to get down and play with them and get to know them better.”
Q: You said you’ve also been involved in DECA and National Honor Society. How much have you enjoyed participating in those activities?
HERNANDEZ: “In DECA, we didn’t get to participate in the state competition this year – we didn’t get to present our big project – but it was still fun. It helped me learn new skills. Then with National Honor Society, we put in a lot of volunteer hours, so I got to help in the community. It kind of helped me keep my grades up and keep me focused on my goals.”
Q: How important is getting really good grades and being part of NHS to you?
HERNANDEZ: “You have to get really good grades to get college scholarships, so getting good grades helped me get into UNL and get some of those scholarships.”
Q: How excited are you to start your collegiate career?
HERNANDEZ: “I’m pretty excited. Leaving my mom is going to be hard, but my brother [Dillon, who’s a junior] goes to UNL, so that will be exciting. There’s so many things to do there, so I’ll never be bored.”
Q: Why did you pick UNL?
HERNANDEZ: “I was kind of debating between Omaha and Lincoln. I went on a tour in Lincoln, and I saw the whole business center. It was new. I also knew my brother was going to be there, so that made me feel more comfortable about going there. And Lincoln has always been a town I’ve wanted to live in. I just felt it was the best choice for me.”
Q: What got you interested in accounting?
HERNANDEZ: “I took an accounting class my junior year, and I liked it. Then my senior year I got an internship at Dana Cole. I got to do some of the bookkeeping side of things, and that intrigued me. So, I took some more accounting classes at WNCC, and I decided that accounting is what I wanted to pursue at UNL.”
Q: With everything that’s going on right now related to COVID-19, are you concerned about any of your summer or college plans?
HERNANDEZ: “I’m kind of worried that college campuses won’t be open this fall.”
Q: Outside of your school activities, what do you like to do for fun?
HERNANDEZ: “I like to shop. I also like to watch TV.”
Q: What’s your favorite TV show?
HERNANDEZ: “I’m watching The Vampire Diaries right now and Royal Pains.”
Q: What kind of music do you enjoy listening to?
HERNANDEZ: “I like listening to pop and hip hop.”
Q: Who do you think is one of the kindest students at Scottsbluff High School?
HERNANDEZ: “Taylor Klein. She’s a senior. She’s always thinking of others first. She’ll help you through anything. She’s always been a helping hand to me.”
Q: What is one thing you wish people would do more of?
HERNANDEZ: “Compliment others more often.”
Q: What do you think is the coolest attraction in the WyoBraska region?
HERNANDEZ: “Chimney Rock.”
Q: What is your favorite local restaurant?
HERNANDEZ: “TDO.”
Q: What do you like to order there?
HERNANDEZ: “Enchilada and rice.”
Q: What’s the coolest place you’ve ever traveled to?
HERNANDEZ: “I went to [Glendive, Montana] earlier this year. I had never been there before, and it was cool.”
Q: Name one person who you think is a big difference-maker in the Scottsbluff community.
HERNANDEZ: “I would say Leslie Foral, my volleyball coach. She’s always willing to put in a lot of time to help her students and athletes. She’s very dedicated to the Scottsbluff community.”
Q: How much have you enjoyed living in Scottsbluff?
HERNANDEZ: “I like it here. Everyone is really supportive of other people. I’ve also had a lot of opportunities to do stuff here.”
Q: Do you have any siblings?
HERNANDEZ: “Yes, I have two – Brittany Gaub (29) and Dillon Hernandez (22).”
If you would like to nominate someone for Nspire Today!’s Students of the Week, sponsored by First State Bank, you may do so by sending an email to jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com or by mailing a letter to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. Nominations may also be submitted by sending a text to 308-220-8865.
In addition to being recognized online, students of the week will also be recognized in Nspire Today! magazine. To sign up for a one-year subscription (12 issues) to the magazine, please send $15 to Nspire Today!, P.O. Box 454, Scottsbluff, NE 69363. To pay with a credit card, please call 308-220-8865.
First State Bank has been a community bank for more than 80 years with locations in Scottsbluff, Gering and Colorado Springs. First State Bank’s new mortgage center has the convenience of applying online without giving up the personalized customer service people have come to expect. Visit www.fsbcentral.com to find out why when First State Bank says, ‘We’re Big on You,’ they mean it. Find First State Bank on Facebook at firststatebank1935.
