Miss Nebraska Visits Freeman

May 10, 2022 no comments Teri Nieveen Categories Uncategorized

Freeman Public Schools had the honor of hosting Miss Nebraska 2021, Morgan Holen, for the day on
April 26. She spent the entire day at Freeman, presenting sessions to the students on CliftonStrengths.
CliftonStrengths was developed through research by UNL’s Don Clifton. He believed in looking at what is
right with people instead of what is wrong. The list consists of thirty-four talents, or strengths. After
taking the assessment a person discovers his/her top five strengths. Holen is a CliftonStrengths coach
and her emphasis during her reign is “mentoring with strengths.” Since Freeman staff and students take
the CliftonStrengths assessment and learn their own strengths, Holen spoke directly to the students
about using their strengths every day.

Holen gave examples of how her strengths were evident as a child and as an adult, and encouraged
students to focus on their strengths now. She talked about the advantage Freeman students have in
knowing their strengths already and how it prepares them as they go out into the world. While our
lower elementary students do not take a strengths assessment, they still learn about the ten strengths
in StrengthExplorer, used with younger students. Holen talked to them about identifying what is good in
themselves and other people and how they can “fill other people’s buckets” by being a positive person.

Holen allowed time at the end of each of the four sessions for questions. It was fun for students to learn
more about the role of Miss Nebraska and to hear how she travels about 30,000 miles during her reign.
It was a great day at Freeman with Miss Nebraska 2021.