Lincolnite and August graduate Devan Buescher leveraged a Gilman Scholarship into lasting connections abroad. Looking ahead, he aims to stay local while setting his sights on global opportunities.

Buescher’s knack for making connections made him a natural fit for the College of Business. A Gilman Scholar, peer career coach and Clifton Strengths Coach, Buescher has done a lot during his time at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln to build lasting networks and broaden his perspective.

A first-year study abroad trip to China through the College of Business — made possible by a Gilman Scholarship — helped Buescher realize just how far his talent for connection could take him.

“I had little to no experience with Chinese culture, and it really intrigued me,” he said. “I got to meet Gallup employees in Beijing through the business college, learn about the Chinese language, Chinese businesses and culture — it opened my eyes to all sorts of opportunities and really shaped my college experience.”

Buescher has since been back to China four times, staying with friends he made from his study abroad. He’s kept in touch with many of the people he met on his trips.

He even started taking Mandarin classes outside his major.

“All this was rooted in the connections and friends I made in that first study abroad experience,” Buescher said. “Those relationships allowed me to go back to learn more and have new experiences.”

These early formative experiences inspired him to show others the value of stretching their strengths. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Buescher saw an opportunity to help other students get reconnected on campus by serving as a peer career coach and Clifton Strengths Coach.

“Coming back from the pandemic, so many students had never been on campus before — they hadn’t had the chance to do the simple things like attend a career fair, club fair and other things. I wanted to help be part of their transition back and share these resources that I was able to use,” he said.

Following graduation, Buescher aims to foster a career that can combine his passion for international business with his love for his home state.

“Being from Lincoln, I’d like to stay local, but I’m hoping to find opportunities to increase Nebraska’s international profile,” he said. “I want to use my local connections and roots to further those goals.”