'I Am the ROI': Abbie Kretz

When University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) alumna Abbie Kretz is not coaching soccer for children, she’s teaching English to the immigrant and refugee community.

She explored her interests in community engagement as a graduate student at UNO, where she gained a Master of Arts in Sociology, and studied immigration and the labor market in Nebraska. At that time, Kretz worked at the Heartland Workers Center, a non-profit that addresses issues in workplaces and promotes labor rights, which pushed her to learn more to give her work more context.

She cited a specific case that arose when Hispanic workers began calling the center to complain about not being paid by their employers. The issue seemed worse as the pay covered a portion of the summer when occupations that are predominately based in the outdoors are the busiest, and laborers work longer hours. “The world is a challenging place. That’s why I do what I do,” she said.

Kretz said that this experience, which later inspired her work on her master’s thesis on wage theft among Latino labor in the state, helped connect what she was learning in the classroom. “UNO provided me with an opportunity to look at how external forces are impacting people’s daily lives,” she said. “By looking at forces of immigration, changes in policy, and those external forces that force people to migrate or seek refuge in this country.”

These interests in turn fueled her career after graduating from UNO in 2016. Today, she teaches English to adults at the Heart Ministry Center which includes students from different countries and some residing in Omaha as refugees. Gathering twice a week, she encourages her students to learn English by connecting with each other – even if it’s sharing their favorite color with their peers. During a typical class, students introduce themselves and practice words to develop their vocabulary. Some have known each other for some time because they belong in the same community, she said, but introducing themselves again helps them be more engaged while learning a new language.

Kretz said another role in Omaha – where she coaches soccer for children from ages six to 11 – helps her connect with the community. Since 2021, she has coached for Police Athletics for Community Engagement (PACE), an Omaha-based organization founded by a former police officer that gives Omaha youth access to affordable sports leagues and activities after school.

A lifelong soccer player, Kretz finds the game an outlet to form a community. No matter where she went, she could count on the global popularity to help her form relationships with others. Especially when traveling abroad, she used the sport to connect with others and learn about their cultures.

In many ways, teaching and coaching are the same thing in her mind. “Both help people to be better versions of themselves and help them to be successful,” she said.

In choosing her future work, she will look for something based on community. It drives everything she does. “Oftentimes, the immigrant and refugee community are overlooked. It’s not about working for the community but with it to identify skills and build leadership.”