By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
KEARNEY – Logan Krejdl received a congratulatory text message from Chancellor Doug Kristensen the day he accepted his new job at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Other administrators, faculty and staff called, texted or stopped by to welcome him back to campus when they heard the news.
Those personal connections are a big reason why he decided to return to his alma mater.
“People are different here. It’s obvious when you step foot on campus,” Krejdl said. “I wanted to be part of that group.”
Through his position with Academic Advising and Career Development, the 24-year-old hopes to develop similar relationships with current and future students while providing the same level of support and guidance he received as an undergraduate.
“His passion for UNK and sincere desire to help students have a positive experience make him an excellent fit in our office,” said John Gibbs, associate director of Academic Advising and Career Development. “Logan brings immense enthusiasm to the office and he has an understanding of many areas of campus life, including athletics, academics, Fraternity and Sorority Life and student involvement.”
Simply put, Krejdl is a role model for students who want to take full advantage of the UNK experience. The former resident assistant, homecoming king and student body president was active in numerous campus organizations and activities, including the Honors Program, Student Government, Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, Men’s Project, Chancellor’s Ambassadors, FIRST Leaders and College of Business and Technology Student Advisory Board. He also served as a Loper Leader and New Student Enrollment leader.
That background will benefit him in his role as an academic and career adviser, a position he started in late November. Academic Advising and Career Development supports students throughout their UNK careers, providing a number of services that help them achieve their educational and professional goals. The office is the main resource for students who are undecided about their future plans.
Krejdl knows something about that, too.
COMING HOME
After graduating in spring 2019 with degrees in business administration and sports management, Krejdl moved to Philadelphia to pursue a master’s degree in sport business at Temple University.
Although he enjoyed the program, the Aurora native missed life back in Nebraska, so he left the school after just one semester.
That decision led him to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where he enrolled in the intercollegiate athletics administration master’s program and reconnected with fellow UNK graduate Payton Buckmaster, an event management specialist in the UNL Athletic Department.
Buckmaster got Krejdl a gig assisting with tennis and track and field events prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and Krejdl was hired as a graduate assistant after starting the master’s program in August 2020. He spent one semester working in the equipment room for basketball, wrestling, volleyball and gymnastics before transitioning back to event management.
“It’s a ton of work, but it was so much fun,” said Krejdl, who was part of the game day operations team for a variety of Husker sports, including football, basketball and volleyball. He also assisted with the NCAA Division I Volleyball Tournament when it was hosted by Omaha’s CHI Health Center in spring 2021 and he plans to help out again when the event returns to that venue next year.
Krejdl interned with UNK Athletics as an undergraduate, assisting with Loper home games and high school state championships hosted in Kearney.
“I’ve always enjoyed sports, and the networking opportunities are great in college athletics, too,” he said.
He wasn’t exactly looking to leave the industry after earning his master’s degree last month, but the opportunity to work at UNK was too good to pass up.
“UNK definitely feels a lot more like home than any other place I’ve been,” he said. “I feel like this is a place where I can grow every single day, and I know my co-workers and supervisors here are going to be great about helping me develop my skills.”
In addition to his duties as an academic and career adviser, Krejdl plans to provide part-time assistance in the UNK Athletic Department. He’s getting married March 26 and his fiancée, Payton Hedlund, will move from Lincoln to Kearney the following month.
“This is a place where I can see myself being for the long haul,” Krejdl said.
