Alumni Director welcomes opportunity to return home

“There's just something special about coming home to serve the community where you were a student and young professional,” Digmann said. “It is a dream job, especially after growing up in the area and seeing other people go to Chadron State and then go off and do big things and grow into their adult life.”

She said there is an intangible tie between CSC alumni and the campus where students discover new challenges and experience character-building moments.

“CSC is your lifelong home. I don't know what it is, but I've never found it anywhere else. There's this connection and passion that people, alumni, in particular, have with the campus. And they are happy to give back and be part of it,” Digmann said.

As a CSC student, Digmann received a foundation scholarship so she knows the difference that can make. 

“Something as simple as writing a check may seem small to some people, but it’s huge to students. It's life-changing. As a student you kind of think, ‘oh I have to write a thank you.’ But looking back as a recipient of that gift and looking forward to being a steward of scholarship funds, it is an honor to contact donors and thank them,” Digmann said. “Their gifts are hugely impactful and really sustain the life of the campus.”

A native of Crawford, Digmann played volleyball at CSC as a transfer student from Western Nebraska Community College and earned her degree in 2002 in Business Administration with an option in Marketing.

She was a CSC Admissions Representative from 2002 to 2008 recruiting from northeast Nebraska and the eastern U.S. Then, from 2008 to 2009, she was an Academic Advisor for TRiO, a federally funded program including Upward Bound for disadvantaged high school students to learn life skills for college and Project Strive for disadvantaged, first-generation, and non-traditional students to succeed in college.

“My mentors here took the time to sit down and talk through different situations and scenarios with me. I feel like I still see that evident on campus. There's a culture here like none other I have experienced elsewhere in my professional career,” Digmann said. “No place is perfect, but at CSC there's a great attitude of ‘let's find the solution.’ Everyone is pushing toward the same goal in some way, shape, or form. There's passion. You're able to watch students benefit and go on and pursue their dreams.”

When Digmann and her husband, Josh, a native of Alliance and also a CSC graduate, moved to Nebraska City for his coaching and teaching career, she stayed home with the couple’s first child and operated a daycare for two and a half years.

Then, in August 2013, she joined the Lied Lodge and Conference Center as conference planning manager where she was responsible for customer service and managing services for contracted clientele. In 2015, she was promoted to sales manager, a role in which she solicited and enrolled new clients for the organization.

From 2017 to 2019, she was a personal banker and consumer lender at Arbor Bank where she managed consumer loans and outreach to expand the market share of the bank. In 2019, she was promoted to business banker where she managed millions of dollars of commercial loans. She built and maintained relationships with businesses and advised clients in order to create and underwrite customized loan packages.

When commenting on her predecessor, Digmann said Pope has been a part of Chadron State as long as she can remember.

“Karen has really been a key part of impactful initiatives and getting big projects completed and across the finish line. She leaves a legacy of positive relationships. I'm following in her shoes, and I'll work to build my own relationships to further the work she's done. She has played a huge part in creating the success of the Alumni and Foundation as we know it today,” Digmann said.

Chadron State Foundation CEO Ben Watson said the Alumni and Foundation are proud to have Digmann back at Chadron State.

“Alumni across the country will enjoy working with her when connecting back to their alma mater. Her experience and dedication to CSC provide a bright future for the Alumni Association,” Watson said.