Husker Love Story: Jon and Taryn Vanderford

Monday, February 22, 2021 - 2:30pm

by Kaitlin Van Loon

When Jon and Taryn Vanderford first met at UNL, they had two things in common: they were both in the Cornhusker Marching Band, and they played the same instrument, the saxophone.

During her sophomore year of college, Taryn decided to join the broadcasting program at UNL, and it was her first step in getting to know Jon.

She was sitting in Rick Alloway’s office, discussing the broadcasting program and while they were conversing about Taryn’s career, Jon called Rick.

“I remember Rick picking up the phone and asking me if I knew Jon Vanderford,” Taryn said. “I look back on that moment and think, isn't it odd that Jon called Rick the day I decided to become a journalist.”

It was the bond of the marching band that formed the bond of friendship because that year they got to go to the Citrus Bowl in Orlando, Florida.

As Taryn got to know Jon, she saw how outgoing he was. He was the star of the show in the marching band’s tradition of performing skits before Saturday games.

And in a performance class they took together, Jon had the entire class laughing as he pretended to sell guitars on a beach.

After her turn at selling shampoo went sour, Taryn knew she needed to overcome her shyness if she wanted to get serious about her career.

“I remember Dr. Walklin pulled me aside and told me that it’s OK to be shy, but once the cameras are on and the mics are turned up, I had to be somebody else,” Taryn said.

Taryn overcame her shyness and became one of the top broadcasting students in her year. Before graduating, she and Jon were named co-winners of the Outstanding Broadcasting Award.

Mutual friend Ford Clark takes credit for bringing the couple together because he continually encouraged Jon to ask Taryn out.

Now, they’ve been married almost 25 years. They have two children — Jacob is 18 and Olivia is 15. Jacob is a sports media and communication and vocal performance double major at UNL and Olivia attends Lincoln High School.

The Vanderfords haven’t always lived in Lincoln. Jon reported, anchored and served as a weather forecaster in St. Joseph, Missouri, after college. He came back to Lincoln to work at 10/11 as a weekend anchor and reporter.

Taryn started her broadcasting career working for 96KX radio station in Lincoln.

Then they moved to Knoxville, Tennessee, for seven years. There, Taryn was a producer, writer and researcher for several HGTV national programs, and Jon was an anchor and reporter for various newscasts at WATE-TV.

In 2003, the couple returned to Lincoln when Jon was offered the evening anchor position at KOLN 10/11.

Taryn joined the team in 2010 when she and Jon were paired up as co-anchors on the 10/11 morning show.

She and Jon started the show First at Four, which Taryn anchors and produces. They also created the show Pure Nebraska. Jon is the executive producer, writer, photographer and editor.

Taryn does a daily report for the 5 p.m. newscast and hosts “MomsEveryday” on weekdays. The couple also awards “The Golden Apple” to a nominated educator in the 10/11 viewing area each month.

These Emmy award-winning journalists have had many different roles throughout their careers in broadcast journalism.

“The key to staying in broadcast journalism is that you have to be willing to reinvent and adapt to new things,” Jon said.

Their advice for CoJMC students is to always have a backup plan.

“Remember you don’t have to be in TV or radio to find a career in journalism,” Taryn said. “You don’t want to accidentally limit your opportunities by not realizing the possibilities that are out there.”

Jon and Taryn at a UNL Sorority Formal
Jon and Taryn with their Emmy Awards for their broadcast “First at Four Live: Pilger Tornadoes” in the category Daytime Newscast - Smaller Markets.
Jon and Taryn with their two children Jacob (18) and Olivia (15)