Austin and Jaci’s Shared Journey at Children’s Nebraska

Austin and Jaci’s Healthcare Career Journeys

When Austin Derby started working at Children’s Nebraska as a certified nursing assistant (CNA) straight out of high school, he thought he’d found his forever role.

“If you had asked me when I was 18, I was going to be a CNA forever,” he says. “I loved it. I loved the connection with people that I got (from it).”

Austin didn’t foresee that his role would lead to multiple degrees, career advancements and meeting his future wife.

Today, Austin is a nursing manager at the Behavioral Health & Wellness Center, and his wife, Jaci, works across campus as a skills lab educator in clinical education. While Austin’s first role at Children’s set him on a path he could not have predicted, Jaci’s experience as a CNA through the Student to Nurse S2RN Sponsorship Program supported her ongoing nursing education and helped shape her career. Their stories show the impact of purpose-driven work combined with intentional professional development.

New Ways to Make an Impact

It didn’t take long for Austin to realize that he could make an impact across multiple roles and levels of responsibility at Children’s — not only as a CNA.

He pursued nursing school and, later, his master’s degree in business administration. As a first-generation college student, Austin faced financial and logistical challenges while continuing his education.

“A massive part was Children’s removing barriers for me along the way,” he says.

Between flexible scheduling, tuition assistance and access to loan repayment benefits, Austin could move ahead without taking on overwhelming debt.

“I’ve always used the tuition assistance through Children’s for any level of education that I’ve pursued,” he says. “I paid out of pocket for a lot of my school. I was able to avoid loans by doing that.”

A Supported Pathway

Jaci began her journey with Children’s through the Student to Nurse (S2RN) Pediatric Sponsorship Program, which provides funding and job opportunities for nursing students interested in pediatric care. Some of the S2RN Pediatric Sponsorship Program benefits include:

• Sponsorship funds for tuition, fees or other educational costs

• Paid, relevant work experience in pediatric care

• Career-readiness training to prepare for a professional nursing career

• Enrollment in the Nurse Residency Program for seamless transition into practice

Through the program, Jaci not only met Austin but also received financial support, as well as a job as a CNA. The program also guarantees a job in pediatric nursing after completion.

“It took away a lot of stress,” she says.

That sense of stability allowed Jaci to focus on learning and growing rather than worrying about what came next.

“Finishing school is hard in itself,” she says. “I’m glad at the end of school, I didn’t have to worry about applying for a job because I already had one.”

Like Austin, Jaci grew from her initial role as a CNA. She became a nurse and now serves as a clinical educator. She also took advantage of tuition discounts and assistance opportunities when she decided to pursue her master’s degree.

“Having the discount, the assistance and now the loan forgiveness made it seem like getting my master’s wasn’t such a financial feat,” she says.

A People First Culture in Action

Children’s offers a wide range of educational and development benefits designed to support team members at every stage of their careers. These benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Tuition assistance of up to $5,250 per year, with options to extend the benefit to spouses and dependents

• Tuition discounts through partner colleges and universities, with options to extend to spouses and dependents

• Advanced certification bonuses

• Professional development opportunities

• Loan repayment benefits for jobs that require a degree

Children’s also offers Career Pathways Sponsorship programs that help team members move into clinical roles through financial assistance, mentorship and flexible scheduling. Participants continue working while completing their education and transition into new roles once their programs are complete. These pathways are especially designed for team members who are early in their careers or exploring new opportunities for growth.

In addition, as a nonprofit organization, Children’s provides resources to help eligible team members pursue Public Service Loan Forgiveness, a federal program that may allow qualifying loan forgiveness when specific criteria are met.

Growing Careers While Caring for Kids

Austin, now in his 13th year at Children’s, and Jaci, now in her seventh, often describe themselves as “Children’s lifers,” thanks to the hospital’s culture of caring for kids while supporting career development.

“Working with kids gives you purpose,” Jaci says. “But having something to bring you forward professionally while caring for such a vulnerable population has been super awesome.”

For Austin, the environment of mutual support has shaped how he leads today.

“You’re surrounded by people who care so deeply about professional development and about personal development and propping each other up,” he says. “At the end of the day, that translates into excellence for the kids that we serve.”

For those considering a career at Children’s or wondering how to take the next step, Austin offers some simple advice.

“Find what matters to you in the work you do,” he says. “Children’s will find a way to support that.”