Beauna “DJ Bean”

Meet Beauna

Beauna—also known as Bean, Beano, or Bea—brings a love of music, live entertainment, and connecting with people to everything she does.

Born in Storm Lake, Iowa, Beauna grew up dreaming of becoming a pop singer and actress. That passion for performing eventually led her to the University of Northern Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Technology and minored in Acting.

Today, Beauna lives in Kearney, Nebraska, and works as the Lead Technician at the Merryman Performing Arts Center. She describes her career in three words: technical, fast-paced, and organized.One of Beauna’s greatest strengths is her ability to connect with people almost immediately. She loves that working in live entertainment introduces her to performers and professionals from all walks of life and gives her the chance to hear the stories that brought them to the stage.

Her long-term goal is to work in a professional studio or with a touring live-entertainment company. Wherever her career takes her, Beauna believes patience, kindness, passion, leadership, and quick thinking are just as important as technical knowledge.

Outside of work, you’ll probably find Beauna playing video games, hanging out with her orange-and-white long-haired cat, Juan, or dreaming about another trip to Montana. She is proudly Laotian and Southeast Asian, with both of her parents having immigrated to the United States from Laos. She may not consider herself a huge sports fan, but as an Iowa native, Beauna says she is pretty much obligated to cheer for the Iowa Hawkeyes. (we try not to hold that against her, lol)

And one last thing you probably wouldn’t guess about the person behind the lights and sound?

She can do the splits!

Beauna’s advice to anyone  is simple: Be kind and patient with yourself. The technical side of life doesn’t come overnight. It takes trial, error, practice, and a willingness to keep learning.

For Beauna, success comes down to being passionate, working hard, and going after what you want—because, as she learned during her own education, no one can stop you from doing what you love.