Wayne State junior Sabrina Herchenbach served with the United States Army National Guard from 2013 to 2019. A special edition of the 2025-26 Student Spotlight Series.
In honor of Veteran’s Day today (Nov. 11), this special segment of the Student Spotlight Series salutes Sabrina Herchenbach of Lindsay, Neb. The Wayne State junior, who is majoring in Psychology, served in the Army National Guard from 2013 to 2019.
Herchenbach lived in Hawaii for more than two years at Schofield Barracks, and she worked in Kapolei, Hawaii. She began her training as a medic in ground ambulances but eventually became a flight medic and worked exclusively in helicopters. She also spent more than two years with the 1/376th Aviation Unit in Grand Island, Neb., as a flight medic.
“Working in helicopters was one of the coolest experiences of my life,” said Herchenbach, who now resides in Norfolk, Neb. “Being a flight medic is also one of the proudest moments of my life.”
Herchenbach isn’t the first in her family to serve in the military. Her father, aunt, and uncle all served in the U.S. Army, and her grandfather served in the U.S. Air Force. Everyone served as medical personnel.
The military background has served Herchenbach well at Wayne State.
“I developed a tremendous work ethic in the military, and I still have to be the hardest working person in the room wherever I am,” said Herchenbach. “Time management is also something that’s instilled in you in the military.”
Herchenbach will need those time management skills when she starts working in the psychology field.
“I wanted to become a therapist after I started bartending; it fascinated me to work with different people every day,” said Herchenbach. “I aspired to learn more about people to give them the best therapeutic outlet I could offer. The passion exhibited by Wayne State instructors is astounding, and the amount of time they make themselves available to students is commendable. I’m looking forward to following their example in my career as a counselor.”
At Wayne State, Herchenbach is active in the TRIO Student Support Services Program.
Herchenbach will graduate in December 2026, and she intends to pursue a career as a licensed counselor.
Herchenbach is a proud mom to Blue, her dog, and Lazlo, her cat.
Fun Fact: “I’m a huge fan of the television show ‘The Office,’ and my team took first place in a trivia contest for ‘The Office’ a few years ago in Norfolk!”