Hello! I am Dylan Dam and I am one of the Voting Rights interns here at Civic Nebraska for the summer!
I am originally from the small town of Hooper, Nebraska, population 813. I graduated from Logan View High School and now am attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where I am majoring in Agricultural Education-Leadership with a minor in Agricultural Economics. I am really excited to be working here this summer and to help you get to know me a little better, I’ve created a list of the Top 5 things I love in life. It was hard for me to narrow down the list to 5 things and even harder to rank them, but these 5 things will give you pretty good insight into what makes me, me.
5) Runza: As any good Nebraskan will tell you, Runza is the benchmark when it comes to fast food in our state, or really anywhere else for that matter. My love for Runza, though, surpasses that of nearly everybody that I have met. I can’t say for sure what it is that fostered this endearment for all things Runza, but my feelings towards it have almost reached the point of obsession. I am a Runzatic if ever there was one, and my friends and family will attest to that. There have been many times where I have eaten it more than once in a day, and if it didn’t have such an effect on my waistline and my wallet, then that would probably be an everyday occurrence. When it comes to making a decision on where to eat out, almost always, “The Difference is Real.”
4) Baseball: Perhaps more than any other thing on this list, it is hard for me to put into words my feelings towards baseball. Many people often dismiss my feelings towards this game as foolish, so rather than try to convince all those people, I’ll just tell you what it is I love about our National Pastime.
I love the crack of the bat as it meets the ball. I love the grace of a shortstop as he welcomes to ball into his glove and whips off a throw to first to beat the runner by half a step. I love quiet that comes over the crowd as they anxiously await the next pitch. I love the hit and run. I love the way a manager slowly strolls to the mound to talk to his pitcher. I love way the crowd rises to their feet when a double is hit into the gap. I love day games. I love the psychological duel between pitcher and batter. I love a good change-up. I love a well-executed rundown. And gosh dang it, I love seeing that kid in the bleachers, his eyes filled with wonder, dreaming of one day being on that field.
3) Friends: My friends are who have gotten me through so many situations in my life. They support me and challenge me and never let me settle. They aren’t afraid to disagree with me and challenge my assumptions and pretty much live up to every cliché that you’ve ever heard. They come from a wide variety of backgrounds, which has opened my eyes to things I never would have otherwise known or learned and I am forever thankful to them for that.
2) Family: My family, believe it or not, has been with me from the very start of it. My parents have given me every opportunity to do the things that I have wanted in life and my brother has been my best friend and biggest competitor my whole life. I am fortunate to have had a family that could provide me with a comfortable life, but they also pushed me to be independent and learn and grow on my own. I hope that someday I can raise a family just as well as my parents raised ours.
1) Faith: The biggest love in my life and the guide behind everything that I do is my Christian faith. I was raised in the church and quickly learned to know and love God and his son Jesus Christ. I strive to let my faith guide the decisions I make in life, and though I almost always come up short, I keep working to grow in my faith each and every day.
