Iowa Huskers Buelt, Jacobson Share a Life Lesson

14-Year-Old Boy Was a 'Magnet' that Drew Families Together

One day, a son asked his father, "Why is it always the best people who die?" The father answered, "Son, if you are in a meadow, which flowers do you pick? The worst ones or the best?" Author unknown

Randy York’s N-Sider

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This is a big week for Nebraska sophomore student-athletes Caroline Buelt and Michael Jacobson. Both will focus on their respective Husker careers while continuing to process the tragic death of a 14-year-old boy who lived near their hometown.

A 5-8 sophomore midfielder/defender starter from Ankeny High School in Polk City, Iowa, Buelt will be with her soccer teammates Friday for a 2 p.m. (CT) NCAA Tournament match against No. 4 seed UCLA in Morgantown, West Virginia.

A 6-9 sophomore forward starter from Waukee, Iowa, Jacobson will play a third game this week at Pinnacle Bank Arena Saturday night against Louisiana Tech.

Buelt Family Has Been Very Active Volunteers in Oakridge Neighborhood

Both Husker letterwinners were stunned to hear about the death of Yore Thour Jieng, a 14-year-old boy who was shot in the head in an Oakridge neighborhood in Des Moines. The Buelt family has been active volunteers in that neighborhood for years.

Following Jieng's death, Des Moines police labeled the case a homicide. A freshman at Roosevelt High School, Jieng was described as a happy kid who loved basketball and participated in church activities and after-school programs. His parents, refugees from Sudan, moved to Des Moines in 2002, shortly before Yore was born. He lived with his mom and six siblings in the Oakridge Neighborhood, a nonprofit, income-based housing development.

Caroline started volunteering at Oakridge five years ago with her mother. “My sister introduced me when she was a camp counselor there,” Buelt said. “Yore always had a smile on his face. He obviously had to deal with a lot of adversity when his parents fled the the country where they were being persecuted. They went to Des Moines for a better life. Regardless of any situation Yore was put into, he was one of those positive lights. That’s what made him so amazing.”

Buelt’s Mom Is a Board Member for Des Moines' Oakridge Neighborhood

Jamie Buelt, Caroline’s mom, is a board member for the Oakridge neighborhood in Des Moines, helping underprivileged kids. “She works in crisis communications and works with people to restore the neighborhood,” Caroline said. “She’s done so much for that project, I decided to get involved. She took me there and introduced me to a lot of the kids.”

Caroline (pictured above, second from left) became part of a Girl Scout Troop her mother created to help others in need. “My mom did a really good job leading that neighborhood group,” Caroline said. “They got badges, raised money to get sashes, even got to meet the governor. It was amazing what she did.”

That experience enabled Caroline to become a close friend with Rina Amom, a girl who was with Yore when he was shot. He lived five days before dying on October 29. Yore's oldest sister, Nyekuoth, asked to have a basketball buried with him. Yore loved basketball, no matter who was playing, and Caroline wanted him to know that she, Nebraska and the guys who played his favorite sport were pulling for him.

Jacobson moved quickly, getting his teammates to sign a basketball and had it delivered to the Iowa-Nebraska soccer match a couple days before Yore died.

Caroline met a couple kids at Yore's visitation. One was in second grade, and Yore would play basketball with him every day. He would go out of his way to help him. Yore's funeral on Saturday, Nov. 5th, "was the saddest and most emotional service I’ve ever experienced," Caroline said. "Seeing an innocent person’s life taken for really no reason made it tough. Stuff like this keeps you grounded and keeps your mind open. Life goes way beyond sports, and I’m glad I attend a University that keeps your perspective wide open about life.”

Her mother agrees. "Our biggest chore," Jamie Buelt said, "is keeping Yore top of mind, so that this murder case doesn't slip into obscurity."

Little Boy that Yore Befriended Wanted Role Model Buried with a Basketball

Caroline did not hesitate to get a basketball in the right hands, so Jacobson's teammates could sign it. That basketball was buried with Yore Thour Jieng (pictured above) as a reminder to a second-grader that Nebraska cared enough to give his friend the Huskers’ very best.

“It was really great what Michael did,” Caroline said. “He didn't even know Yore, but the fact that he was willing to do that shows how great of a person he is.”

Caroline’s mother said it’s just another proof point that when it comes to serving others, there really is no place like Nebraska.

“She’s right,” Caroline said. “Our athletic family really sticks together. We support one another. It goes beyond our families. We have a ton of outreach programs. Our Life Skills Department is amazing. They allow us to go to different schools and talk to kids with disabilities. We reach back to the community that provides so much for us. Our athletes love giving back. It’s a priority to help those who support us and follow us.”

Jacobson Jumped on the Opportunity to Sign a Basketball Honoring Yore

Jacobson (pictured above with head coach Tim Miles) never flinched. “I didn’t know the kids personally, but I knew enough through Caroline that Yore was a big basketball fan,” he said. “When she asked me if I could get a signed basketball to honor a kid killed in a tragedy, I’m going to jump on that every time,” Jacobson said. “Our team was really happy to follow through on what was asked.

“It’s cliché, but it’s definitely one of those things like anytime you can give back to somebody, it makes it all worth it because we don’t think of ourselves as anything special,” Jacobson said. “We think we are regular guys. We work hard and we get screamed at a lot, so when you get to see the impact you make, it’s just something you have to do. You work hard, give back and feel awesome every time you do.

“I know Caroline very well. We grew up in the same area,” Jacobson said. “We’ve been in the same class together. She lived a little bit north of me, but I knew her in high school.”

The shared life lesson moved both Husker student-athletes and initiated action. “It’s tough and shows you how short life really is and how things can change so quickly for anyone,” Jacobson said. “You don’t want that to happen to anybody, especially a kid who was probably full of life and going to church on Sunday. Our heart goes out to all kids who are trying hard to do the right thing. They deserve our support.”

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