This month, our blog is a “Top 5” list from Josh Loftis, GEAR UP Program Officer at the Nevada Department of Education. Check out his Top 5 favorite things about Nevada!

My Top 5 Favorite Things About Nevada — and Why They Made the List

1. The People — Strong, Kind, and Genuine

Nevada draws people who are resilient and grounded. Folks here are straightforward, hardworking, and quietly supportive. My wife and I have experienced that kind of kindness in real ways — through the good seasons and the hard ones. People don’t need attention or applause to help; they just show up. That authenticity is something I really value.

2. The Freedom to Choose Your Pace

Nevada makes it incredibly easy to shift gears depending on what you need.
If we want mountain air, Tahoe is close. If we want quiet, the desert gives you more space than you’ll ever need. If we want a road trip or a change of scenery, we’ve got options in every direction.
Whether I’m looking for rest, reflection, or something fun, Nevada gives me the room to decide the kind of day I want.

3. Nevada’s Unique Personality

This state has a character all its own — a mix of frontier grit, mining history, desert stretches, mountain towns, and quirky surprises. Nevada isn’t trying to be like anywhere else, and I appreciate that about it.
There’s an unfiltered, straightforward charm here that matches the kind of people who live in it. Being surrounded by a place with that kind of personality has shaped me more than I realized.

4. The Sunrises, Sunsets, and the Way the Light Changes Everything

One thing I’ve grown to appreciate is how different Nevada looks depending on the time of day.
The sunrises feel fresh — like a clean start. The sunsets bring out colors that are hard to describe until you’ve seen them enough times to trust they’re real. Even the everyday light — long afternoon shadows, the glow on the mountains, clear night skies — gives this place a familiar rhythm. The way the light moves here doesn’t just make Nevada beautiful; it gives the whole state a certain mood that I’ve learned to love.

5. The Wide-Open Space, Big Skies, and the Memories Tied to Them

What I love most about Nevada is how its landscapes have become part of my own personal story.
So many moments in my life are tied to specific views — certain stretches of highway, small pull-offs, ridge lines, or open desert that I can picture instantly.

I remember where I was when I was working through something difficult. I remember the roads where my wife and I talked through major decisions. I remember the quiet spots where things finally made sense, and the long drives where emotions felt sharper because the scenery was so open and honest around me. These places aren’t just views — they’ve become mile markers of my life.
When I think about where I’ve grown and what I’ve been through, I see Nevada.
Its wide-open skies, long valleys, and shifting light have held some of my most defining moments, and they’ve shaped the way I see the world.

I wasn’t a GEAR UP student myself, but when I look at this list — the people who shaped me, the freedom to explore, the unique character of this state, and the moments where Nevada gave me room to grow — I can’t help but think about the journey our GEAR UP students are on.

In their own ways, many of them are discovering Nevada too:
• the mentors and educators who show up for them,
• the opportunities that let them choose a new direction,
• the experiences that shape who they’re becoming,
• and the moments — big or small — that become part of their own story.

Just like the landscapes and light of Nevada helped mark the chapters of my life, GEAR UP is helping mark theirs.
Different paths, different experiences — but the same state full of possibility.