The Clifton Strengths Institute at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln has selected 31 students for the 10th cohort of the Clifton Builders Program.
Housed in the College of Business, the program brings together students with high leadership and entrepreneurial potential and develops them to lead high-performance teams.
“We use three words to describe the Clifton Builders: stretch, disrupt and transform,” said Tim Hodges, Joan Heiser Endowed Presidential Chair, executive director of the Clifton Strengths Institute and associate professor of practice in management. “We are intentional about helping students stretch and develop their unique strengths. Builders disrupt the status quo and work to make it better. They also transform their lives and the lives of those they lead and serve.”
The cohort-based program builds a close-knit community from day one, according to Kaitlin Ferris, the program’s assistant director. Students can declare a Clifton Builders management major or minor and choose a track based on their interests in building businesses, teams or communities. Each student also works with a Gallup-certified strengths coach to further develop as a leader.
“With a curriculum designed exclusively for our Clifton Builders, they gain the tools to develop as leaders and knowledge that will impact the growth and success of future organizations,” Ferris said.
The 2025 cohort of Clifton Builders, listed alphabetically by hometown with their academic major(s), is:
Nebraska
Fullerton:
- Jaxson Sullivan, junior, marketing
Imperial:
- Mason Tyerman, junior, marketing
Kearney:
- Claire Gangwish, sophomore, Clifton Builders management
Lincoln:
- Hajer Al-Eid, junior, Clifton Builders management
- Mason Garcia, sophomore, Clifton Builders management
- George Kane, sophomore, finance
- Ainsley Scott, junior, microbiology
- Ellie Volk, junior, advertising and public relations
Milford:
- Gavin Dunlap, sophomore, finance
Neligh:
- Leonardo Luna-Duran, sophomore, Clifton Builders management
Omaha:
- Courtney Carlson, junior, accounting
- Isabelle Johnson, sophomore, international business
- Blake Kahler, sophomore, marketing
- Ayden Longcor, sophomore, finance
- Jack Parr, sophomore, finance
- Jeremy Robson, junior, biochemistry
- Annabelle Roubal, sophomore, business and law
- Elijah Shaul, sophomore, finance
Papillion:
- Isaac Lagman, junior, marketing
Rising City:
- Aiden Zimmerman, junior, finance
Seward:
- Matthew Wegman, junior, accounting
Waterloo:
- Andreas Katsaounis, sophomore, business administration
ELSEWHERE:
Pasadena, California:
- Ava Lee, sophomore, Clifton Builders management
Fortson, Georgia:
- Callaway Ward, sophomore, Clifton Builders management
Ankeny, Iowa:
- Brooke O'Connor, junior, Clifton Builders management
- Carson Reznicek, junior, data science
Bloomington, Minnesota:
- Jackson Donley, junior, Clifton Builders management
Horace, North Dakota:
- Kennedy Colter, junior, marketing
Harrisburg, South Dakota:
- Will Parsons, sophomore, finance
Belo Horizonte, Brazil:
- Bernardo Lopes, sophomore, economics
Bharatpur, Nepal:
- Deepesh Bhujel, junior, economics
Every Clifton Builder enrolls in the course Building a Life for Impact, where they gain an advanced understanding of management and consulting for organizations to help improve business outcomes and employee engagement in the workplace. In Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Organizations, taught by Samantha Fairclough, associate professor of practice in management, students gain hands-on experience in marketing creativity, market analysis and entrepreneurship.
“A program highlight for many students, this class culminates in the Builder Marketplace, where students sell products they designed and donate the proceeds to a nonprofit of their choosing,” Ferris said.
Hodges said the Clifton Builders Program cultivates a winning mindset that continues after graduation. Alumni have launched businesses, pursued graduate degrees and joined companies such as J.P. Morgan, Hudl, Gallup, Charles Schwab and Kiewit.
“We create experiences where our students interact with business leaders and each other as they develop their own perspectives and plans for the future,” Hodges said. “Our students gain confidence in who they are and what they can accomplish.”
The program is open to any student in their first two years at the university, with courses beginning the following fall. Applications for the 2026 cohort open later this fall and are due in February.
