Wauneta hometown intern hopes to create stronger community

The 2023 Hometown Internship program is organized and run by the Nebraska Community Foundation.
The program is open to college students who have completed at least one year of schooling and reside at home during the summer.
Michaela Dukes has been chosen as a 2023 Hometown Intern for the Wauneta Community Fund.
She moved from Elwood to Wauneta in 2012 due to her dad’s job opportunity with the Chase County Sheriff’s Department.
Dukes graduated from Wauneta-Palisade in 2020 and is currently studying Elementary Education at Chadron State College.
She explained that she found out about the program through her high school chemistry teacher, who thought she was a perfect fit for the program and encouraged her to apply.
After researching, she signed up and was chosen.
With this program, interns are tasked with identifying and documenting the assets and opportunities within their communities.
The Nebraska Community Foundation works on a variety of projects to fit the skills and interests of their interns.
Recently, Dukes assisted at the Wauneta alumni banquet.
“I helped out with the alumni banquet, I helped get that all set up and do all the databases and helped with the alumni coming back,” she said.
She described other upcoming projects in which she’ll be working.
Dukes will be involved with the Wauneta Happening newspaper.
“I will be helping out with editing it and adding stories,” she said. “People in the community can share stories or events that are happening each month and if they need it published, I help them out and make sure everyone can see it.”
She added that she will also be assisting in a new project for the park.
A pickleball court is going to be added and possibly more equipment will be included in the park.
“I want to get more of the younger kids involved with our community,” she stated.
Dukes explains that she is excited for this project because this will give youths more to do in Wauneta.
She plans to be working mostly with technology in order to keep people updated.
“We might be getting an electronic board down on our main street,” she said. “So I’ll be learning how to post things on that and keep people updated throughout the community.”
By contributing to community development, interns will be able to make a meaningful impact on their communities.