When Jaya Nelson tore her bicep her freshman year, she thought her days competing in rodeo at the collegiate level might be over just as they were getting started.
“I had to have somebody help me do everything — I couldn't even get out of the chair by myself,” she said. “I didn't rodeo my entire sophomore year and kind of thought rodeo was done for me.”
After suffering the career-threatening injury, the UNL Rodeo member and Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program student found the values and work ethic of her program to be just what she needed to fuel her recovery and successful comeback.
As Nelson healed, she started helping out on a ranch over the summer after her first year of school. She quickly decided she couldn’t stay away from competition any longer.
“I was going through a lot that summer and couldn't figure out what was missing in my life,” she said. “I’m so close with my grandpa; I called him one day and said, ‘I think I need to rodeo again. I don't care what it takes.’”
From there, Nelson leapt headfirst into her comeback. Hours and hours of practice, huge support from her teammates and a lot of self-belief helped fuel her success.
“It got pretty intense,” she said. “I was roping the dummy every day, spending a lot of time in the arena and working a lot in the gym to get stronger. I was able to battle back and win our region last year, and I’m so proud of that.”
Nelson also found inspiration from her academic community in the Engler Program, whose tenet of gradual improvement to achieve long-term goals helped her stay grounded.
“A lot of what we learned in program director Tom Field’s Seminar on Opportunities in Entrepreneurship class our first year helped me,” she said. “We read a book that talks about ‘chopping wood’ every day to get where you want to go. During my recovery when I wanted to quit, I thought about that.”
Now in her senior year and working toward a degree in her agricultural leadership, education and communication major, Nelson isn’t ready to leave UNL Rodeo. She’ll be returning as a graduate student and team coach next year, implementing the mentorship skills she’s developed through her Engler-built small business Breakaway Coaching.
“Rodeo is hard to break into initially, if you don't come from a rodeo family,” she said. “Creating this business through Engler, I’m able to help young girls find a passion for rodeo. Seeing the look on these girls’ faces when they have that light bulb moment is really sweet.”
