What Nelnet Associates Have to Say About Their Sidekicks

When we invited associates to send in their pet photos, we received about 90 emails. Trying to select just a few to feature in this blog ranks as one of my least favorite on-the-job tasks in 2024. Each friend had redeeming and unique qualities that make them special to their owner and for that reason, I wanted to make this the longest blog of the year, but it was not to be.

Let’s see what associates had to say about their sidekicks.

“Looks can be surprisingly deceiving and you should never try to predict how a pirate (or a dog) will act based on how they look. Bear was adopted from the Nebraska Humane Society in 2022. He is the sweetest, most loyal 90-pound lap dog you will ever meet!” -Sammi Montag, Account Manager, FACTS

A cute, innocent-looking kitty with a wonderfully happy name may just be up to no good.

“Next month marks six years since we adopted Tonya Sparkles from the Humane Association. If she had a theme song, it would absolutely be “Sweet but Psycho” by Ava Max. Initially, we tried to keep her as an indoor-only cat, but we were woefully unsuccessful. She is currently living her best life sunning herself on our front stoop and wooing passers-by on the sidewalk into thinking she’s nice. In her free time, she enjoys sneaking into neighbors’ houses, and she’s been rumored to chase deer down the street.”-Lana Solberg, Senior Content Management Analyst, Compliance Documentation

While they’re our sidekicks, our pets often have their own sidekicks.

“Luna and Evie are rescue pups from Dolly’s Legacy in Lincoln, Neb. Luna is a three-year-old Italian greyhound mix who loves to snuggle or sit anywhere she can get some sunshine. Our one-year-old dachshund mix Evie is our social butterfly. She appreciates meeting new people (because who wouldn’t want to meet her?!) and a good game of catch.” – Alexis Kimbrough, Manager—Internal Communication, Nelnet Business Services

“Teddy is a little guy with a big personality. Despite the size difference, Teddy and Piper became friends pretty quickly. Teddy was four years old when we brought Piper home at eight weeks. It’s fun to watch them play as hard as they do with their size difference, but they still take time-outs to give snuggles to each other, or simply lay in the sun together or, in Teddy’s case, take a well-deserved nap. It is definitely a doggy see, doggy do world at our house.” – Cyndi Schmitz, Advisor, ScholarNet Care Team

“Norah and Polaris don’t always get along, but they found common ground in their desire to be the apartment’s unofficial neighborhood watch. No squirrel or bird is safe from their watchful gaze, no delivery driver arrives unannounced, and certainly, no neighbor can leave without their say-so. They haven’t quite found their stride when it comes to playing together, but they happily coexist and bond over being nosey neighbors, and finding creative ways to interrupt me while I’m working.” – Robin Dohner, Software QA Specialist II, Nelnet Campus Commerce

Associates have a wide variety of interesting pets, some of which have stronger personalities than you might imagine.

“Nala is a one-and-a-half-year-old Lionhead bunny (hence the Lion King reference to her name) and we rescued her about six months ago. She has a love for treats, thumping when she doesn’t get her way and escaping. She’s just now starting to tolerate being pet and cuddled.” – Nikki Nagle, Operations Analyst and Project Lead, FACTS

Some pets even assist with our hobbies, like knitting.

“Aurora is a Nigerian Dwarf x Angora goat. She is one year old and was born polled, which means without horns. She is a very soft, fluffy girl, and in the spring she sheds her coat. I am going to make yarn out of her mohair and knit something with it.” – Jessalyn Kreutzer, Analyst III, Ops Analysts Team, Consumer Services, Nelnet Diversified Services

Speaking of hobbies, many associates couldn’t resist sharing their pets’ interests, along with their photos.

“Duke is a 12-year-old-foodie who loves to go on long walks and enjoys playing watchdog by barking at every mailman or person walking past our house.” – Holly Seeger, Associate Accountant I, Firstmark

“Milo is a little ball of sweetness and energy whose favorite thing to do is gnaw on cardboard. He enjoys chasing family members around the house or catching a sports game on TV right from our laps.” – Sheena Sparks, Representative II, Operational Accounting

“Sadie is a six-year-old healer mix that we adopted from a rescue when she was six months old. She enjoys daily walks, lounging in the backyard, and chasing squirrels.” – Matt Nockels, Instructional Designer II, Global Training & Development, Nelnet Diversified Services

“Max, adopted a little over 11 years ago from the Dumb Friends League, is the epitome of a black lab. He loves to retrieve, especially in water, and will do just about anything to get a treat. He does not like being left alone so he’s a regular at the doggy day care, where he gets to hang out in the pool and is spoiled rotten!” – Barb Stromberg, Director, Operations Risk Management

Our pets work hard in our home offices…stealing chairs. (I know. I have one just like this.)

“Here’s my exhausted-from-workin’-so-hard-cat, Cupcake. I walked out and came back to find she had stolen my office chair.” – Tracey Richardson, SIS Implementation Specialist, FACTS

Sometimes, our pets take a more hand-on approach in the home office. (I’m sure there are exceptions, but I don’t believe it’s coincidental that our cats are getting into our business.)

“Pepper likes to keep me company while I’m working, usually napping in the window, but sometimes she takes a more supervisory role—here she’s checking out the updates to the Nelnet website.” – Sophie Van Haren, Proposal Manager, Nelnet Diversified Services

There are some dogs who show interest in business, but let’s face it: This guy is very fond of his time off. He just enjoys meeting with execs and wants to be the face of the business. (He shines at the job.)

“Bailey is a rescue from the Riley County Humane Society in Manhattan, Kans. He loves to go on trips in our motorhome. His favorite Nelnet people besides mom, of course, are Jeff Noordhoek, Greer McCurley, and Mark Heiser. His dream job is Nelnet Office Dog.” – Cindy Chapman, Executive Assistant to the Chairman, Nelnet

When it comes right down to it, the one thing our sidekicks share is that despite their habits, hobbies, quirks, and annoying traits, we love them unconditionally. They are our friends, our hearts.

“Finley is our beagle/bichon mix who loves long walks and even longer naps. When not scanning for squirrels in the yard from atop his perch on the living room couch, he enjoys chasing after his favorite squeaky toy, snuggling up with Lily and Bodie during family movie nights, and eagerly waiting for treats in the kitchen. His playful antics and affectionate nature make him the heart and soul of the household, bringing endless joy and laughter to everyone around him.” – Brian Ardinger, Director of Innovation

“Joey isn’t with me anymore (he died of cancer recently at the age of 14) but he was my best buddy. He used to be my co-pilot when taking road trips and sit right on the middle console. One time he jumped through into the McDonalds drive-up window to see what was going on inside. Everyone loved him and handed him back through the window with his own free chicken nuggets as a snack. He also liked doing annoying things to get my attention like pushing pictures on the wall so they’d swing or fall off. But he was the sweetest and most lovable kitty and always by my side. My fluffy little angel.” – Courtney Stone, Claims Specialist I

“Dexter and Diesel are litter mates…True brothers. They are so full of energy, personality, and most definitely attitude. They capture the hearts of everyone they meet and have an endless amount of love to give. They are my world, my best friends.” – Stacy McMillan, IT Infrastructure Engineer, Shared Systems

At Nelnet, one of our core values is creating an awesome work environment. Part of that comes from sharing stories about the wonderful, quirky sidekicks who make our lives happier and more fulfilled. Find your spot at Nelnet and share your stories with us.