Jake Elmshaeuser Named MPCC Faculty Member of the Year

Mid-Plains Community College is proud to announce that Jake Elmshaeuser, electrical instructor, has been selected as its 2026 Faculty Member of the Year. Elmshaeuser received the honor during the Nebraska Community College Association’s annual awards ceremony in Scottsbluff.

Elmshaeuser began teaching at MPCC in 2010 after spending more than two decades working in his family’s electrical business in Ogallala. Today, he continues to work in the field and brings his experience as an electrician into the classroom, where he prepares students for careers in an industry that continues to evolve.

“I really like to feel like I’ve spent 37 years building my knowledge in this business,” Elmshaeuser said. “I’m able to share with the new generation how to do things. I don’t want all my knowledge to just fizz out.”

As the physical demands of the trade began to take their toll, Elmshaeuser started looking for a way to remain involved in an industry he loved without continuing to put the same strain on his body.

He had previously taught electrical code classes at night for longtime MPCC instructor Ike Nickerson, who encouraged him to consider teaching.

Before becoming a full-time instructor, Elmshaeuser returned to school and completed the associate degree he had started years earlier. In fact, his time as an MPCC student led to another important chapter in his life: he met his wife, Teri, while taking a speech class.

Today, his greatest satisfaction comes from watching his students develop their skills.

“At the end of the year, you can look back and say, ‘Hey, I took that kid that didn’t even know what a wire stripper was, and now he’s really efficient with it and knows how to do these skills that he didn’t have a clue about before,’” he said.

Elmshaeuser approaches teaching much like he approaches the electrical trade itself: keep learning, keep moving forward and never assume the industry will stay the same.

“Our industry is ever-growing,” he said. “If you don’t grow with it, you’re in the dust. You’re going to get left behind.”

That mindset has helped Elmshaeuser stay current in a highly technical field while also encouraging students to see the opportunities available through the skilled trades.

He is particularly passionate about helping students understand that a career does not have to follow a traditional four-year college path to be successful. With significant demand for skilled workers, Elmshaeuser believes students should understand the career possibilities available through technical education.

“There is a huge demand and there are opportunities right here,” he said.

Elmshaeuser credits the support of his colleagues and MPCC administration for helping create an environment where faculty can focus on their work and their students.

“I feel like we get unbelievable support here,” he said. “Everybody is just great to work with.”

The family-like atmosphere makes it easy to come to work every day.

“Nobody’s more important than anybody else here,” he said. “That’s what I feel like.”

For Elmshaeuser, the recognition is ultimately less about himself than about the students and community that make his work possible.

“I like to fly under the radar,” he said. “Just do my time, let me do my job and do a good job.”