After students have earned their diplomas, the teachers and administrators wonder what they did with the tools they were given as they step into the big world beyond the halls of GHS.
In our second installment of “Where Are They Now, we will catch up with three more Swede alumnae.
Brenda Porter, now Brenda Huff, graduated with the Class of 1973 and adventured far beyond the friendly confines of Nebraska. She holds a Bachelors Degree from NAU in Flagstaff, AZ and while she was teaching in Taiwan, she earned a Masters Degree from Framingham State College - both degrees are in education.
Now retired and residing in Midwest City, OK, Brenda said what she took from her time at GHS was to not be be afraid to make her own way, even if it’s not a way most people would choose.
In offering advice to future generations of Swedes, Brenda reminded each of them to stay true to themselves and be strong in knowing who they are.
“Understand that who you are will change with various circumstances you will face in your life,” she continued. “Some circumstances will be so tough that you will feel like giving up - but don’t. Because if you continue on through the tough, will will find strength you never knew you had.”
In her free time, Brenda enjoys biking - both mountain and road, reading, making cards and doing all manner of mixed media fun.
Brenda said her sister took the above photo on her nearby off-road bicycling trails.
“I have been road biking for most of my life but this area had too strong of a pull on me to ignore,” she said. “I believe this also was my first ride on my new mountain bike, so at this point in time, all was right with my little world.”
Ashleigh Hicken - Brown earned her diploma from GHS in 1999 and went the route of nursing, earning her BSN at UNMC. She currently works at Gothenburg Health as the Cardio/Pulmonary Rehab Manager.
In thinking of her time at GHS, what she took with her from GHS is remembering to control what you can control.
“Instead of constantly trying to control everything that happens in your life, just roll with the punches, she said. “Bad things are going to happen, handle the situations with grace and maturity but don’t try and change the things that you simply can’t change.”
She also reminded the current GHS students that in high school, and in life itself, there are exciting, unexpected and wonderful ways of having things come together in the end.
In her free time, Brown enjoys spending time with her family - husband TJ, daughters Colbie and Brecklynn and son Blake.
Class of 2009’s Jesse Ambler attended Tulsa Welding School and now lives in Gothenburg as a Channel Seed Dealer, distributing seed corn and soybeans.
Ambler said GHS gave him the foundation of relationships - something that is very important to his business.
“Connections with people and friendships are some of the most important things,” he said.
He continued to remind the current students at GHS to stay open minded to any opportunity or idea.
In his free time, Ambler enjoys being with his family, golfing, coaching track and fishing with his boy.
Jesse lives in Gothenburg with his wife, Autumn, and their two children.
“There are great opportunities to live and raise a family in Gothenburg,” he said “I am excited for my kids to go through a good school system and grow up in a great small community.”
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