CHADRON – During his first year as Director of the Nebraska Business Development Center (NBDC) at Chadron State College, Dr. Nic Fisher has found both challenges and opportunities in serving entrepreneurs across four counties in Nebraska’s Panhandle.

Despite population declines and generational transitions in the region, Fisher sees these changes as a turning point.

“We’re reaching a flexion point,” he said. “While our communities are shrinking, especially with Baby Boomers retiring and passing on, that also creates opportunities, such as helping transition businesses and attracting new residents to the Good Life.”

Fisher, an assistant business professor, said the NBDC office at CSC saw a clear increase in activity in 2024, assisting 59 clients, compared to a historical average of about 32. The upward trend continues, with 30 already served in the first half of 2025. Much of that growth stemmed from support provided to Grow Nebraska grant applicants.

“We had to get creative and lean into technology to keep up,” Fisher said. “Our team builds detailed business plans, financial projections, and market analyses. These tools help entrepreneurs decide whether to move forward with their ventures.”

Fisher, a former attorney with two decades of experience supporting business owners, emphasized that successful entrepreneurs share a few key traits.

“They’re patient, tough, and knowledgeable. But the best ones keep their eye on two things—profit margins and cash flow,” he said. “You can have a profitable business and still fail without enough cash to pay employees.”

Graduate assistant April Sah has played an important role in the center. Fisher said an early coaching moment with Sah demonstrated the value of encouraging students to embrace imperfection during skill development.

He shared advice with her based on an old saying, with a twist at the end.

“‘If a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing poorly.’ That gave her permission to try, iterate, and improve,” he said.

Fisher added that experiential learning like Sah is gaining in the center is vital for student growth and mirrors the risks entrepreneurs face daily.

Support from the University of Nebraska at Omaha has also been key. The NBDC system began in Nebraska before the federal Small Business Development Center network was established nationwide. UNO houses the statewide office and provides valuable tools and resources, including technology incubators, a database with more than 900 small business resources, and consultants with Spanish language capabilities.

At the local level, Fisher said one of the biggest long-term challenges is housing. From workforce housing to affordable and middle-income units, the lack of availability affects business recruitment and retention.

“Chadron is doing a great job attracting tourists, which is how people often first discover a community,” he said. “But if they want to move here, we must have places for them to live.”

Students praise CSC’s Project Strive for resources, support

CHADRON -- The resources and support available through Project Strive make a big difference in helping first-generation and low-income students find academic success and achieve their goals, according to two current Chadron State College participants in the federally funded program.

“The summer before I started, and my first semester were full of doubt and a lot of worry,” said Samantha Hill, a Gillette, Wyoming, native who will start her junior year at CSC in August. “Project Strive has allowed me to feel supported and important. I have met new people and found so much support from the staff.”

The ways Project Strive can connect students with support systems stand out to Sebastian Garcia, a sophomore from Rapid City, South Dakota.

“(For people) with disabilities and especially those with lower income or first-generation who just need to get their foot in the door, Project Strive is a good opportunity,” Garcia said. “It definitely is a good thing to help people get a head start, learn about college, and get connected.”

Project Strive is the name Chadron State uses for one of the eight federal TRiO programs, created in 1965, to support individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds in attaining post-secondary education. CSC has been part of the Department of Education programs, which include Upward Bound and Student Support Services, since 1967. Chadron State’s participation has repeatedly been reauthorized, but the programs face potential funding cuts.

Both Hill and Garcia qualified for Project Strive as first-generation college students. Other eligible criteria for enrollment in Project Strive include a low-income background or disabilities. Students accepted into the program receive a variety of services including special counseling, targeted workshops, physical resources, and the possibility for some financial assistance.

Garcia learned of Project Strive as a senior in high school while planning college visits and exploring CSC’s website. Attracted by the affordability of a rangeland management degree at Chadron State, he decided to enroll. 

“I knew that the degree was going to be a quality education for a really good price,” he said.   

Taking advantage of his first-generation status, Garcia joined the program and immediately saw some benefits.

“Resource-wise, I was very blessed by Project Strive,” he said.

Project Strive also provides workshops on a variety of topics important for students unfamiliar with the college environment, including scholarships, grants, loans, and budgeting. “

I think those are really important things, especially for those who qualify for Project Strive,” Garcia said. “The workshops were my favorite part. They helped me a lot.”

As a student ambassador for Chadron State, Garcia always lets prospective students know of the opportunities Project Strive offers.

“Every tour I have, I am able to bring up Project Strive,” he said. “We are definitely at a time when a lot of parents are sending their students to school and wanting that extra resource.”

For Hill, the counseling services provided by Project Strive have been particularly beneficial. 

“Being a first-generation student is very difficult to navigate,” she said. “I have found personal success and growth through my time in counseling, something that never would have happened if I had not gone to my first counseling session through Project Strive.”

She also praised the Project Strive workshops and the social events that helped her connect with other students from similar backgrounds.

“My favorites were Time Management, Build Your Own Zen Garden, and volunteering with Keep Chadron Beautiful,” she said.

Hill attributes her Project Strive experiences to her decision to pursue a double major in criminal justice and psychological studies, as well as a minor in visual arts. “

"I am confident in my abilities, something freshman Samantha would not have been able to say,” she said.

Hill’s success at CSC is reflected in the leadership positions she has taken in a number of campus organizations and her recent appointment as a student trustee on the Board of Trustees of the Nebraska State Colleges.

“Now I am able to keep growing in my confidence, knowing I belong at CSC,” she said.

Reducing or eliminating Project Strive could be life-changing for potential students from a background like hers, according to Hill.

“[Project Strive] allows support for students who have felt like me, worried and doubtful of beginning college. The program provides a safe place for students to learn, make friends and express the concerns they have about college,” she said. “I hope that future generations are able to apply for Project Strive services and gain confidence in knowing that regardless of your background, you belong.”

Pilster lecturer, Robinson, to speak about the Northern Cheyenne

CHADRON – Author Gerry Robinson will present the Pilster Lecture for the Sept. 18 Sandoz Society gathering at Chadron State College. Robinson is the author of The Cheyenne Story: An Interpretation of Courage. His talk will address recent revelations and developments along the trail traveled by his Northern Cheyenne ancestors in 1878-79.

It will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Student Center Ballroom and is free and open to the public. Additionally, Robinson will meet with interested students on Sept. 18 at 11 a.m. in Old Admin Room 230.

Robinson is a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe and was born and raised on the reservation in Lame Deer, Montana. His writing draws from vivid memories of reservation life, where his family of 10 lived.

His early years were shaped by poverty, resourcefulness, and the strength of his parents, who worked hard to improve their children's lives, according to his online bio. Their house did not have running water and only had intermittent electricity. Over time, the family transitioned to a home with modern amenities and eventually settled on a ranch near Ashland, Montana, where Robinson’s teenage years were marked by hard work and emotional complexity. Though Robinson didn’t begin writing seriously until 25 years later, the land and people of his upbringing remain central to his stories.

The novel is the first volume in a three-part series that highlights the Northern Cheyenne and their pivotal role in the history of the Plains Indian Wars. While figures like Custer and Crazy Horse often dominate the narrative, Robinson centers his story on Little Wolf, a Sweet Medicine Chief of the Cheyenne, and Bill Rowland, a white man who married into the tribe and served as an interpreter.

Set in the months following the Battle of the Little Bighorn, the story unfolds as Little Wolf urges his people to move to safety at the Red Cloud Agency, fearing the destructive force of the U.S. military. But pride and internal conflict derailed his efforts. Meanwhile, Rowland finds himself caught between two worlds when the army turns its attention toward attacking a Cheyenne winter camp, home to his own family and friends.

In addition to his forthcoming book, Robinson has published articles, poems, and short stories that reflect the spirit, struggle, and resilience of his community and culture.