All Roads Lead to Omaha for Creighton Alums from Hawaii

As a native of Hawaii, Marian Pacho-Moloney had never set foot in Nebraska before choosing to attend college at Creighton University in Omaha. Patrick Moloney grew up in a military family—moving multiple times before ending up in Hawaii for middle and high school. His first time in Nebraska was for a campus visit to Creighton in February 2016. He chose to study there after receiving a scholarship to Creighton’s business school.

Despite being high school classmates at Damien Memorial School in Honolulu, Marian and Patrick initially were unaware that they would be going to college together thousands of miles away in Nebraska. “We found out that we would each be going to Creighton at the very end of our senior year. Then, we started talking to each other about our plans for Omaha,” said Patrick.

Rave reviews of Omaha

Marian and Patrick began dating shortly after starting college, and they were married in Omaha during the summer of 2024. The wedding ceremony brought together Marian’s family from Hawaii and Patrick’s family, who now live in West Virginia. “I told everyone at the wedding that all roads lead to Omaha,” said Patrick. “Omaha got rave reviews from all our guests. A lot of people were surprised.”

After moving to Omaha, it didn’t take long for Marian and Patrick to fall in love with the city. “A lot of the things you’d want out of a city, Omaha has. There’s a good music scene, restaurants, bars, basketball, and entertainment. And it’s still a pretty small city,” explained Patrick. “Ever since they renovated the downtown parks, that has been an easy place for us to take walks,” added Marian. “There are always a bunch of things to do there—the free movies, the skating rink, and the food trucks.”

The Moloneys enjoy exploring the Omaha’s diverse food culture as well. “The food scene has become vast,” said Marian. “We’re big fans of Taqueria Tijuana and Cattle Call on Farnam [Street]. After our wedding we went downtown and ate at Cattle Call. The food is good, their drinks are good, and the vibe is good. We highly recommend that place.”

Marian and Patrick have also appreciated the civic spirit they’ve seen in Nebraska. “The fact that Warren Buffett can duke it out with folks at city hall about whether or not there should be a downtown streetcar is a sign of vibrancy,” Patrick said. “I’ve always enjoyed that about Omaha. People are involved.”

Creighton University delivers career opportunities

Hawaii’s limited career options and high cost of living were two factors that prompted Marian and Patrick to consider college options elsewhere. When he initially visited Creighton University, Patrick was struck by the compelling case Creighton made for the career opportunities it could offer to students. “I really liked the way Creighton framed their pitch [to prospective students]. A lot of it was about economic opportunity, about the jobs I could get.” Recruiters from Creighton provided hard data to demonstrate the high percentage of the university’s students working in local internships. This contrasted with other college presentations Patrick had seen, many of which heavily emphasized the recreational aspects of the college experience. “Creighton’s career-focused approach struck me as something you’d want,” he added.

Creighton delivered on its promise to provide career opportunities for Patrick. As an undergraduate, he gained valuable experience during internships at First National Bank of Omaha. Upon graduation, he landed a great job at National Indemnity Company (NICO), where he now works as a Senior Pricing Analyst.

The wealth of professional opportunities in Omaha is something that Patrick believes distinguishes the city from many other metros. “The first thing you can’t ignore is the job opportunities. A lot of places are oversaturated, with too many people looking for too few jobs. Omaha does not have that problem,” he claimed. “There are a ton of job opportunities, and the cost of living is pretty low.”

Marian received a scholarship to attend dental school at Creighton University, which led her to pursue her medical career aspirations in Omaha. She now works as a dental assistant for a highly respected local practice. Like Patrick, Marian emphasized the abundance of career paths available in Omaha. “In terms of entering your career or starting your career, there are so many opportunities here,” she said.

The interconnectedness of Nebraska’s healthcare community has also impressed Marian. “Even if you don’t know exactly what career you want to enter, you can jump from different departments or companies and get a feel for what you want to do,” she said. “If you want to change your career midway through, this is the best place to do it. If you know somebody and they don’t have the answer, they know somebody else who can help you. It’s a great networking state.”

Nebraska: America’s best-kept secret

Patrick now considers himself one of Nebraska’s staunchest supporters, and he is excited to encourage people to move to the state. “I have developed my own pitch for Nebraska. The number one city to move to in Forbes is something I show people. And the GDP per capita. The zoo, the new Riverfront parks, the Kiewit Luminarium, the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge—when you put all those things together it’s very nice,” he maintained.

“Nebraska is America’s best-kept secret,” he continued. “I always tell people that Nebraska is very underrated. I talk to a lot of my cousins who are in universities in bigger cities. I tell them there are a lot of job opportunities, the cost of living is pretty low, and you would be surprised how many great careers in finance and insurance you can find here.”

“There’s always a spot for somebody here,” added Marian. “Whether it’s in healthcare or business, or if you’re trying to dabble between the two, there’s always somebody who can help. Nebraska is very welcoming to people who are starting a new career.”

The Good Life Is Calling

If you’d like to learn more about the Good Life that Patrick and Marian discovered in Nebraska, visit thegoodlifeiscalling.com/live.

If you’re in healthcare, there are many careers available in Nebraska. Click here to search for job openings.

If you’re in finance, view the positions available in Nebraska by clicking here.