JESSICA APPLEGATE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

JESSICA.APPLEGATE@launchleadership.org

Jessica joined the Launch Volunteer Staff in 2019 and feels she has finally found her people. Part of a military family, Jessica didn’t have the opportunity to attend Launch services as a student, but came to the organization at the recommendation of a family member. After studying event management, business and leadership at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, she achieved her childhood dream of working at Walt Disney World. After working for ESPN, runDisney and two convention centers, Jessica was ready to work somewhere more aligned with her own values. Now Jessica combines her business experience with her personal passion for self-development, and is eager to bring Launch services to students around the country. Outside of Launch, Jessica spends time with her supportive husband, spunky toddler, and oddball cat; reads entire books in a single sitting; and plans the next family adventure.

NATALIE BECERRA, VOLUNTEER DIRECTOR

NATALIE.ROETMAN@launchleadership.org

Natalie's journey with Launch started when she attended SLW the summer before her junior year of high school. She went on to attend ALW the following year and joined Staff later that fall. Since joining Staff in 2015, she has taken on various leadership roles, including Recognition Chair, New Staff Trainer and SLW Coordinator, in addition to developing new curriculum and participating in a variety of committees. Her extensive of involvements on Staff prepared her to serve as Volunteer Director. Outside of Launch, Natalie is the Career Development Specialist for the College of Journalism and Mass Communications (CoJMC) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). She is a proud Husker alumna, cat mom, Army wife, and personality quiz enthusiast.

BECCA MANN, COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR

BECCA.MANN@launchleadership.org

Becca was a two time delegate at Summer Leadership Workshop before joining staff in 2013. She quickly fell in love with the behind the scenes details of Workshop and has served on the Operations team every year since. After joining the storytelling team in 2018, she became involved in capturing the magic of Workshop to share what makes Launch Leadership so special. As Communications Director, she leads internal and external communications efforts to spread Launch’s mission and incredible story with everyone in the community and beyond. Becca studied Journalism at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and loves telling stories through writing, photo, and video. She lives in Kansas City, Missouri, and works as a Content Specialist at a digital marketing agency. In her free time, Becca loves spending time with her dog, Ted, teaching barre workout classes, and watching college sports.

BRIDGET BESSE, WORKSHOP DIRECTOR

BRIDGET.bESSE@launchleadership.org

JESSALYN HOLDCRAFT, CURRICULUM DIRECTOR

jessalyn@launchleadership.org

Jessalyn is an 11th year Staffer who lives in Cedar Rapids, IA. She’s passionate about youth leadership development, access to health care, reproductive rights, civic engagement, and community building. She’s also a big fan of cycling, running, shopping local, and good artisan coffee. Curriculum is the backbone of Launch's services, and Jessalyn has been involved with it since her first year on Staff (fun fact: she wrote her first activity as a delegate, but that's a story for a different time). Jessalyn has always wanted to be Curriculum Director, and now is the right time for her to lead the team thanks to years of experience creating new curriculum, managing teams, and developing repeatable, sustainable processes to make it easier for every member of the Volunteer Staff to engage with our curriculum.

STEVE DOSSKEY, SERVICES DIRECTOR

STEVE.DOSSKEY@LAUNCHLEADERSHIP.ORG

A proud Lincolnite and Nebraskan, Steve has been heavily involved as a Launch Volunteer Staffer for the better part of the last decade. From engaging students year-round through Launch Services to coordinating our middle school-level JAM Workshop, facilitating and improving internal evaluations and feedback processes, and more. Outside of Launch and his day job at a local software company, Steve works extensively with young people in the Lincoln area as a high school soccer and debate coach, substitute teacher, and youth mentor. In what free time he has, Steve enjoys playing and seeing live music, running on Lincoln's wonderful trails, taking road trips and exploring the great outdoors, and being curious about life.

COURTNEY STRAYER, REGISTRATION AND DATA MANAGER

cOURTNEY.STRAYER@launchleadership.org

Courtney joined the Launch staff in 2021 after a nine-year gap from her experience as a three-time delegate. After graduating from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2019, she knew she wanted to get involved with a local organization and quickly decided that Launch was a natural fit. Now in her third year on staff, she’s able to blend her passion for data-driven decisions and spreadsheet organization to help tell Launch’s story and support the Workshop planning team in executing our programming. Outside of Launch, Courtney works as a Customer Success Coordinator for Class Intercom, a social media management software for schools and districts as well as volunteering with Lincoln’s Young Professional Group, serving as vice-chair for their Leadership Council. In her free time she can be found hanging out with friends, binging any Bravo reality show, or planning the next vacation.

ASHLEY NIERMAN, INTERN

Ashley joined Launch Leadership in January 2024 as a member of the Intern Foundry program. She is studying Supply Chain Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, with minors in Mathematics and Entrepreneurship. During her time with Launch, Ashley will assist the office team with help improve the donor experience by strengthening communication and reporting systems. She is excited to work with the Launch community and help them fulfill their mission to develop students as leaders who can transform the world.