SNR Student Spotlight: Derek Mettenbrink

Derek Mettenbrink (courtesy photo)
Derek Mettenbrink (courtesy photo)

Chances are you've seen Derek Mettenbrink walking through Hardin Hall alongside prospective UNL students and their parents.

"One of my favorite experiences during my time as an SNR student was the first tour I gave of Hardin Hall to a senior in high school," he said. "This tour took place during my junior year at the university, and it was extremely gratifying to know that I was potentially passing down the same sort of 'belonging' I feel within SNR to another individual."

Mettenbrink, a senior fisheries & wildlife major, has been a student worker within SNR Student Services for more than a year.

In addition to giving tours to and interacting with prospective students, he also organizes an email distributed to current SNR students about internship and job openings.

"I enjoy the connectivity that is felt between my fellow peers, as well as with my professors," he said. "While traveling down the halls, it is very unlikely that you won’t be greeted with a 'hello' from someone, and there is always a helping hand there if you should ever need it. SNR often serves somewhat as my second home."

The Grand Island, Neb. native is set to graduate in May 2015 – and although Mettenbrink is a fisheries & wildlife major, his postgraduate plans are atypical among his peers.

"After graduation, I will hopefully be enrolled at a dental college," he said. "Once there, I will have four to eight more years of schooling, where I will then graduate with my Doctorate of Medical Dentistry or Doctorate of Dental Surgery. Past that point, I can't yet determine where I will be, but I plan to own a dental practice."

When he isn't studying or working at SNR, Mettenbrink job shadows Lincoln-area dentists to learn more about the profession.

Larkin Powell, associate professor of conservation biology and animal ecology, said that Mettenbrink's unique undergraduate trajectory is a testament to the diverse paths students can take with a natural resources major.

"Derek's interest in postgraduate health programs led him to continue in an SNR major as a life science major that requires basics in biology, chemistry and physics – all requirements for medical schools," Powell said. "He is taking additional courses to meet their admission requirements. So his story is really one that encapsulates how students can use majors to reach their career goals in creative ways."

Outside of SNR, Mettenbrink is involved in several organizations across campus including Farmhouse Fraternity; Alpha Zeta, the oldest national agricultural honorary and professional society; CASNR student advisory board; and the University of Nebraska Medical Center's Dental Club.

"The university has also allowed me to become a better-rounded individual," Mettenbrink said. "My SNR education has enabled me to work and communicate with many different types of people, which I will experience on a daily basis within my career field."

— Mekita Rivas, Natural Resources

Do you know a stellar SNR student who should be spotlighted in an issue of Inside SNR? Send his or her contact information to mrivas@unl.edu.