Cyclone Corner

HARLAN — Continuing our series of teacher interviews, this week HCHS News spotlights Mr. Ahrens, a business and technology educator whose path to the classroom began long before his college years.
Raised in Benkelman, Nebraska, Mr. Ahrens graduated from Dundy County High School, where he excelled as both a student and athlete. He competed in football, basketball, track, and baseball, and was an active member of FBLA—an organization that first ignited his interest in business.
That interest guided his early college pursuits. He began studying accounting at Peru State College before transferring to the University of Nebraska, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Business Education in May 1999. He later expanded his expertise with a master’s degree in industrial technology, completed in 2010.
Education has always been a central part of his life. His father spent most of his career teaching middle school math, and his mother held various roles within the school system. Growing up in a home surrounded by educators—and with many friends entering the field—Mr. Ahrens says choosing teaching felt natural.
Today, he brings that lifelong connection to education, along with a strong background in business and technology, to his students each day.