Peru, Nebraska—#IamPeruState would like to present Dr. Sara Brandes Crook, professor of Political Science and History at Peru State College. Dr. Crook currently sits on the Nebraska 150 Foundation Executive Committee and is the Chair of Nebraska’s Sesquicentennial Commission.
Dr. Crook said, "There’s just nothing like going home at the end of the day and saying,
“I think I made a difference today”. . . you know, in the end, it’s about giving your
gift away, and that’s what I try to do." Dr. Crook grew up in Central City, Nebraska
with her parents and one sister. She graduated from the University of Nebraska with
a bachelor’s degree in social science education and a minor in physical education.
After four years teaching and coaching middle school and high school, Crook worked
at a radio station. During her year at the radio station, she got the chance to interview
multiple politicians because it was an election year.
Deciding to return to political science and education, Dr. Crook received her master’s
degree in political science from the University of Nebraska. Then she studied at the
University of Iowa to begin her doctorate. During this time, she met her now-husband
John Crook, a farmer from Nebraska. Since they planned to marry, Dr. Crook wanted
to be closer to him, she moved her studies back to UNL and earned a Ph.D. in political
science.
Peru State hired Dr. Crook as adjunct faculty in 1984, and she became a full-time
faculty member in 1993, teaching political science and history. Since joining the
Peru State staff, Dr. Crook has been involved in many organizations on and off campus.
Recently, Dr. Crook has reelected Chair of the Nebraska Sesquicentennial Commission.
The role began around 2012 when she joined the Executive Committee of the Nebraska
150 Foundation. The Foundation is comprised of several people who have relations to
Nebraska’s 125th anniversary in 1992. Some members are even connected back to Nebraska’s centennial
in 1967.
At Peru State, Dr. Crook is also heavily involved in the sesquicentennial planning
on campus.
“I was the one who nagged – that’s a good word for it – Dr. Hanson to create a committee
to plan for the 150th anniversary.”
Dr. Crook shared that Peru State has planned events that not only showcase the College
and its accomplishments, but also the talents of the students and faculty. Many events
scheduled for the upcoming school year are student and faculty-driven. Dr. Crook complimented
President Dr. Hanson’s organization and dedication to planning a well-rounded calendar
of events for Peru State College’s sesquicentennial.
While Crook’s positions for the state and Peru State sesquicentennials are separate
from each other, they do feed off each other. The college has been able to benefit
from Dr. Crook’s communication with the state organization. For example, the Charter
Day Commemoration on June 20, 2017, was one of the first in the state to be given
"Signature Event" status by the Nebraska Sesquicentennial Commission. Other organizations
can apply for official status to the Commission, but as one of a few "Signature Event"
created just for 2017, Peru State’s Charter Day is considered a special event and
is listed on the http://www.ne150.org calendar of events online.
When asked about what she is most excited for, regarding the sesquicentennial celebration
on campus, Dr. Crook said, “The most memorable thing to look forward to is some of
the ideas that students created and organized.”
For example, Dr. Crook noted that members of Phi Alpha Theta, an honorary society
for history or social science students, will interview alumni and long-time faculty
members about their memories of Peru State. Hopefully, the footage will be made into
a documentary that the College can use for admissions or the newly redesigned schoolhouse
and visitor center.
Dr. Crook added, “It’s nice to have those memories recorded because people don’t live
forever. And some of their stories are amazing. Some people have met their spouse
at Peru State. Others have launched themselves into a career that they never thought
was possible because they studied here.”
Also at Peru State, Dr. Crook is one of three co-advisors for Phi Alpha Theta. As
co-advisor, Dr. Crook helps coordinate trips to many cities, including Boston, Kansas
City, Omaha and Washington D.C., where a group of students witnessed Barrack Obama’s
second presidential inauguration in 2013.
Dr. Crook has also been the director of the History Day Contest at Peru State since
it was created in 1985. Next year, though, Crook will relinquish her director position
to another professor.
At the age of five, Dr. Crook’s involvement with politics began. During the 1960-Presidential
Election between Senator John F. Kennedy and Vice President Richard Nixon, Dr. Crook
watched their televised debate while at school. When she returned home that day, she
told her father about how she voted at school. As a die-hard republican, her father
hoped she had voted for Nixon, but Dr. Crook voted for Kennedy.
“When he asked me why, I said because Kennedy is good-looking. What little girl wouldn’t
pick Kennedy over Nixon?” Crook explained with a laugh.
During the #IamPeruState campaign, current students, alumni and faculty members will
be interviewed by student interns in the Marketing Department to highlight the accomplishments
and dedication of the Peru State community. Those interviews will be used to create
videos, press releases, posters and social media posts to showcase what it means to
say #IamPeruState.
To find out more about Crook and her achievements, watch the accompanying video of
her interview at https://youtu.be/zAJLenrQpPo.
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Ashley Peiman contributed to this release.