Growing up on a farm, Blake Hansen always knew agriculture would be part of his life. Choosing to study agricultural economics at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln felt like a natural fit; it was close to his hometown of Dorchester, and he would be the third generation in his family to attend the university in the same field.
When he started taking introductory agronomy courses as part of a minor, he wondered if this was more his speed.
“The more agronomy classes I took, the more I realized those were the classes I enjoyed the most,” he said.
That realization led him to add agronomy as a second major. He did wonder if the additional coursework would delay graduation and create a difficult workload. But after meeting with advisers and mapping out a plan, he discovered it could be done.
“I was doing 17 [credits] already and it felt easy,” he said. “So I was like, ‘I’m going to be bored out of my mind if I don’t.’”
Courses in soil, plant science and crop management aligned closely with his interests and future goals. Internships also played a key role in helping him connect classroom concepts to practical applications.
“I really enjoy farming,” he said. “That’s what I want to go back to.”
Blake Hansen drives one of the tractors from the Lester Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum during the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Homecoming Parade.
But Hansen made the most of his college experience and encouraged his friends to do the same.
“You’ve got your whole life to work,” he advised.
He was president of the Tractor Restoration Club, which worked on fully restoring two tractors and got four others running and drivable for the Lester Larsen Tractor Test and Power Museum.
The Nebraska blackout football game against the No. 23-ranked USC Trojans stands out as one of Hansen's favorite college memories, fueling his passion as both an avid Husker fan and a member of the Iron N, UNL’s student-led Husker Athletics support organization.
Fellow Iron N members and friends (from left) Blake Byerly, Reid Crow, Blake Hansen, John Sheridan, Ryan Link, Evan Boldt and Truman Kloehn make memories at the blackout Husker football game against the USC Trojans in Memorial Stadium.
Serving as a teaching assistant became one of the most unexpected and meaningful parts of Hansen’s college experience. Helping students understand course material and working closely with faculty gave him a new appreciation for instruction and mentorship.
“I started TAing my second semester, my freshman year, for my agronomy adviser, Dr. Sindelar,” Hansen said.
Meghan Sindelar, associate professor of practice in agronomy and horticulture, who teaches Plant and Landscape Systems 132 and 134 Plant Science Lab, noticed that Hansen “was a natural teacher, always helping groupmates without giving them answers” and recruited him for her teaching team.
“Blake supported student learning by bringing concerns to instructors,” Sindelar said. “He identified ways to improve both the teaching content and approaches in various courses. For Plant Science Lab, he took the lead on using quiz statistics to identify problem questions and then edited those questions where the phrasing was the problem and let me know when content understanding was the problem.”
Hansen was also taking classes in biological systems engineering, and David Mabie, associate professor of practice, asked if he wanted to TA for him the following fall semester in Agricultural Systems Technology 109 Physical Principles in Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Hansen ended up assisting for eight different courses across the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.
Megan Sindelar (left) and Blake Hansen answer students’ questions during Plant Science Lab in the Teaching Garden on Nebraska’s East Campus.
“It was rewarding to help students who maybe struggled with concepts at first and then finally understood,” he said.
Whether dealing with students tailored to a specific major or those just trying to fulfill a requirement, Hansen consistently emphasized the material’s real-world value.
“With the agronomy students, it’s all practical,” he said. “It’s like, ‘you're going to actually use this in your life. So let's learn this.’”
Even when faced with non-majors who viewed the course as merely a checkmark on their degree audit, he found ways to ground the lessons in lifelong skills.
By embracing a culture that acknowledges students are busy, he said Sindelar and Mabie helped foster an environment focused on growth.
“The part that I really enjoyed about being a TA was just drawing that connection,” he said. “Students are sometimes afraid to talk to a professor because they just feel disconnected. I’m kind of there as a liaison. ‘Like, hey, you can ask me — there's no such thing as a dumb question.’”
Balancing two majors while serving as a teaching assistant required discipline and careful planning. Hansen’s natural talent for guidance didn’t go unnoticed.
His dedication earned him recognition from CASNR and the Department of Agronomy and Horticulture. He received the Holling Family Undergraduate Teaching and Learning Assistant award at the CASNR Awards Luncheon and was later honored with the department’s Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award.
Meghan Sindelar (right) presents Blake Hansen with the inaugural Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Award at the Agronomy and Horticulture Spring Banquet.
Fran tenBensel Benne | Agronomy and Horticulture
So, is graduate school and teaching in his future? Hansen prefers farming but said that it isn’t completely off the table.
Hansen graduated on May 9 with a Bachelor of Science in agricultural economics and agronomy, both with high distinction, and minors in agricultural systems technology and agribusiness.
He looks back on his college experience as one defined by growth, discovery and finding the right fit. As he prepares to return to the farm, he knows Nebraska played an essential role in his future.
