RECOGNITION FOR HER WORK IN OUR COMMUNITY. SHE’S FEATURED IN USA TODAY’S WOMEN OF THE YEAR ISSUE KETV NEWSWATCH 7. ABBIE PETERSEN IS LIVE WITH TONIGHT’S PROJECT COMMUNITY STORY. ABBY. THE ISSUE FEATURES PEOPLE LIKE MICHELLE OBAMA AND GOLDIE HAWN, BUT ALSO WOMEN FROM ACROSS THE UNITED STATES LIKE OMAHA’S NIKKI CLARK, WHO SAYS SHE’S HUMBLED AND NEVER THOUGHT HER WORK WOULD TAKE HER TO THE NATIONAL STAGE. INSIDE THE BARBARA WHITE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT CENTER ON UNO’S CAMPUS, NIKKI CLARK IS AT HER DESK. SHE SAYS IT WAS A TYPICAL DAY LIKE THIS WHEN SHE OPENED AN EMAIL IN JANUARY. SO I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM SOMEONE SAYING THEY WORKED AT USA TODAY AND I HAD BEEN CHOSEN AS THE NEBRASKA HONOREE FOR THE WOMEN OF THE YEAR AND I THOUGHT IT WAS A SPAM OR A JOKE. TURNS OUT IT WAS NO LAUGHING MATTER. USA TODAY’S WEBSITE LOOKS LIKE THIS CLARK IS BEING HONORED FOR THE WORK SHE DOES HERE IN THE METRO. SHE TELLS ME SHE’S A SOCIAL WORKER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ELEVATE OMAHA, A YOUTH DRIVEN ORGANIZATION AND WORKING WITH PEOPLE HIGH SCHOOL AGE TO MID-TWENTIES YOUNG ADULTS HAVE SO MANY AMAZING IDEAS AND NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT’S LIKE TO GROW UP HOW THEY’VE BEEN GROWING UP. AND THIS IS THEIR CURRENT WORLD AND IT WILL BE THEIR FUTURE AND THEY HAVE THE SOLUTIONS TO A LOT OF OUR ISSUES. THAT’S WHY ELEVATE OMAHA WANTS TO CONNECT THEM WITH THE RESOURCES TO DO THAT, HELPING PEOPLE IN MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES BECOME LEADERS AND COMMUNITY ADVOCATES. I STARTED TO JUST SEE THE DRIVE AND THE PASSION THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAD AND HOW HARD IT WAS FOR THEM TO DO SOME OF THE COOL PROJECTS THAT THEY WANTED TO DO SIMPLY BASED ON THEIR AGE. AND OFTENTIMES BASED ON OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS. CLARK SAYS SHE GOT INTO THIS PROFESSION NOT FOR THE FAME OR FOR THE MONEY, BUT BECAUSE SHE TRULY ENJOYS IT AND LOVES HELPING THE COMMUNITY. BUT THIS HONOR FEELS PRETTY GREAT, TOO, TO KNOW THAT I’M MAKING AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE, ON COMMUNITY THAT REALLY DOES. THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME AND TO ME. THAT’S WHY I BECAME A SOCIAL WORKER. THAT’S WHY I GOT INTO THIS WORK. CLARK STILL DOESN’T KNOW WHO NOMINATED HER, BUT USA TODAY TELLS HER IT HAD TO HAVE BEEN SEVERAL PEOPLE. WE’LL HAVE A LINK TO HER ARTICLE