Even as a young child, Beth Nervig (’10 journalism, Spanish, international studies) connected with words. As soon as she was old enough to grasp a pencil in her fingers, Nervig composed her thoughts in journals and brainstormed creative stories. Somewhere deep inside her young soul, she already understood that the first step in changing the world started with her, and with one word.
Years later when exploring colleges and universities, Nervig’s father, a Cyclones alum, suggested she visit Iowa State. The university was not on Nervig’s radar, but to appease her father, she agreed.
“I fell in love with campus, with the idea of all the sports teams I had followed since growing up and being a part of that,” Nervig said. “Iowa State had everything I needed but was a little farther from home. That’s what really drew me to it.”
Convinced she was headed in the right direction, Nervig packed up her belongings as well as her passion for writing and left Rochester, Minnesota, in the fall of 2006 for Ames. Journalism seemed like the obvious major for her, but she still yearned for something more.
“I loved storytelling, but I really loved learning about new cultures,” Nervig said. “I loved to read from a young age. I really liked exploring the world through books. I definitely wanted to pursue a language.”
“I fell in love with campus, with the idea of all the sports teams I had followed since growing up and being a part of that. Iowa State had everything I needed but was a little farther from home. That’s what really drew me to it.”
Nervig settled on Spanish as her second major. Then, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences’ (LAS) international studies classes exposed her to additional possibilities.
“I realized that this is my passion,” she said. “Some of those courses I remember taking in international studies really excited me. I think journalism needed a focus area, so that was international studies for me and Spanish fit in there as well.”
In addition to her three majors, Nervig’s experiences outside the classroom laid a solid foundation for her future writing and communications career. For instance, she studied abroad in Peru and Argentina, which only escalated her desire to write stories about other cultures.
Nervig also participated in the Dotdash Meredith Apprenticeship Program in Des Moines, Iowa, where she worked in the accelerated marketing department on the Kraft Foods account. She honed her writing skills for both print and social media during this internship, which led to a full-time position with the account following graduation from Iowa State. A few years later, Nervig moved to Better Homes and Gardens, where she wrote for the magazine’s website and digital media accounts when those platforms were in their infancy.
“It was super fun,” Nervig said. “It was a cool, creative place. I remember pitching Pinterest as a thing! Iowa State’s apprenticeship opened that door for me.”
“I really was excited about using these storytelling skills, especially in digital and social media, and combining them to tell more international stories to make an impact on the world.”
Debra Gibson, who oversaw the Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication’s Dotdash Meredith Apprentice Program for 17 years before retiring in 2021, assisted Nervig with her apprenticeship. Gibson was impressed with Nervig’s ability to pursue three majors, maintain a high GPA, and complete internships and study abroad experiences.
“That, to me, was the sign that Beth was focused, purposeful, and pursuing some pretty significant life goals,” Gibson said. “I know she was moved by much of what she saw when studying in South America, which brought home for me that her study abroad experiences were intent on absorbing local and cultural norms.”
While Nervig enjoyed growing her knowledge in the blossoming communications fields of social media and digital marketing, a familiar passion began to tug at her heart.
“I always had that itch to follow more of an international path,” she said. “I really was excited about using these storytelling skills, especially in digital and social media, and combining them to tell more international stories to make an impact on the world.”
Nervig left the publishing industry in Des Moines for the London School of Economics, where she pursued a master’s degree in international relations. Time in London further ignited her desire to tell the tales of individuals who are making a real difference around the world.
“When I heard she was attending the London School of Economics, that reaffirmed for me that Beth was on a path toward facilitating change,” Gibson said.
Following her master’s degree and a brief stint at a U.S. government think tank in Washington, D.C., Nervig became a one-person communications team for Girl Up, a girl-centered leadership development initiative that focuses on equity for girls and women. The nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., is part of the United Nations Foundation and provides a platform and funding for girls in 130 countries who advocate for gender equality or other social issues.
“I was passionate in my own life about women’s equality. I studied in my master’s about how a lot of our global issues can be solved if we give girls and women equal opportunities,” Nervig said. “That was a huge theme I studied throughout my time in London.”
It helped me feel better about our future. If we can get girls in charge, just give it one generation, I think we’ll be in a better place.”
Nervig knew the Girl Up position would allow her to impact social issues by pushing the girls’ stories beyond their countries’ borders, thanks to digital and social media.
“I could tell these amazing girls’ stories and give them the microphone because they are the ones making a difference, they are the ones fighting for equity in their own communities,” she said.
Some of Nervig’s most profound professional experiences occurred while she worked with Girl Up. Specifically, she recalls traveling to Uganda and Guatemala, where she met with some of the young women Girl Up supported.
“All the girls I met all over the world inspired me – their activism, their passion,” Nervig said. “It helped me feel better about our future. If we can get girls in charge, just give it one generation, I think we’ll be in a better place.”
While Nervig loved working with Girl Up and helped spur the organization’s significant growth, she decided to seek an opportunity where her communications work would affect positive change on an even larger scale.
Today, Nervig is a senior manager with the public affairs team at Starbucks in Seattle, Washington, where she focuses on enhancing the international coffee chain’s social impact around the world. It’s no coincidence that Nervig ended up at Starbucks. She meticulously researched companies that were committed to making a difference in people’s lives — and on a large scale. For Nervig, Starbucks was the right fit.
“I was looking for an organization that cared about social impact,” Nervig said. “Starbucks is one of the companies that is putting a lot of resources toward supporting communities and towards sustainability. That was the primary thing I was drawn to about Starbucks.”
In her communications role with Starbucks, Nervig writes about the company’s impact through numerous initiatives, such as community stores. Community stores are Starbucks coffee shops created to support certain needs of a community. This might include stores that offer spaces for community meetings or events, or a store where all employees communicate with American Sign Language, supporting clients who are deaf or hard of hearing. Still other stores may implement sustainability measures so they can operate using less energy.
“One thing I really try to do is tell stories with integrity and that uplift voices. With Starbucks, it’s been a great fit,” Nervig said. “For me, I think it’s telling these stories to make a difference at scale that excites me. No matter where my career takes me, I think that’s going to be the ethos that I follow.”
Another story that Nervig enjoys telling is how Starbucks partners with 400,000 coffee farmers globally, who provide coffee to the chain’s nearly 36,000 stores worldwide. Nervig said Starbucks is especially cognizant of how the Starbucks Foundation is supporting female coffee growers with business loans and educational opportunities.
“We’ve committed to supporting nearly 1 million women and girls through our coffee origin community programs by 2030,” Nervig said.
This priority for Starbucks is a nod to Nervig’s previous work with Girl Up and her desire to strengthen women’s equity and equality around the globe.
Making her mark
From pioneering web writing in the publishing industry, to helping transform girls’ lives around the world, to positioning a Fortune 500 company as a socially conscious entity, Nervig has used her LAS education and her professional experiences to initiate real, positive change. What binds it all together is her innate desire to make the world a better place – one word at a time.
“If I can make a positive impact on those I know, on those I don’t know, and on the community where I live, that’s the mark I’m most concerned about making in the world,” Nervig said. “From my years working at Girl Up, working at Starbucks, working at Meredith – all of those are a thread. It may sound naïve, but one person really can make a difference and use their voice to make change.”
