“Our donors want to share the beauty of this museum and our collection with the world. Our doors wouldn’t be open without the incredible generosity of our donors and supporters.”
“I bleed red,” said Hannah-Kate Kinney, a professional law student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her passion for her home state runs deep, and it is evident in the enthusiasm she embraces in every opportunity that comes her way.
But because Kinney has a twin brother, Jack, their family faced the challenge of financing the twins’ education. “I knew my parents would not be able to help both of us pay for college,” she said.
“The weight of that burden was lifted when I received financial aid and scholarships.”
Kinney graduated from the College of Journalism and Mass Communications with two majors: advertising and public relations, and journalism. As she was deciding what to do after graduation, she was unsure if she should apply to the College of Law because her brother had always wanted to go into the field of law since they were little.
“My brother always wanted to be a lawyer. He is one of those people who always knew what he wanted to do,” Kinney said. “I always thought being a lawyer was Jack’s thing, not a Hannah-Kate thing.”
While completing her undergraduate degrees, Kinney took a class with Richard Moberly, the dean of the College of Law. “He said being a lawyer and getting a law degree is the closest thing you can get to changing and creating a positive impact on people’s lives,” Kinney recalls. “I was sold because he said all my favorite things. I love people and I want to make a positive impact on others.”
However, the path to law school hasn’t been without its challenges. “School is expensive, and adding another degree means payments begin to pile up,” Kinney said. Law students are typically encouraged not to work during their first year due to their packed schedules. This was a huge change for Kinney, which made her feel insecure about her finances. That changed when she received the Duane W. Acklie Honor Scholarship.
Donor support is what fuels Kinney’s dedication. “It drives me to wake up early, work late and study on weekends,” she said. “I only take a four-hour break to watch Husker football.” Throughout her daily life, she finds moments of gratitude for the generosity of donors. “It’s those little moments where I can take a breath and know I have the support of someone who hasn’t met me,” Kinney said.
“This gives me confidence, when I doubt myself.”
After grad school, Kinney wants to give back to the UNL community. She wants to be able to support someone through their journey as a Husker as someone once did for her.
“It is my biggest goal in life to give back to my community. I wear Nebraska on my sleeve. Even if you’re not wearing the red N everywhere you go, there is a radiating spirit that all Huskers have,” Kinney said. “I think I owe it to the Husker community that built me. I want to build back and give back.”
“When you’re a Husker, you’re a Husker for life. It’s not something that goes away after four years,” she concluded. “It’s when you’re at the airport and you see someone wearing a red N, you know you can call out to them. You know they are always going to say, ‘Go Big Red’ back to you.”
Countless students like Hannah-Kate Kinney want to make an impact in our community. Unfortunately, many of them are held back by the financial burden of paying for college. By supporting the College of Law, you’ll free up students to focus on learning their craft and making an impact in our communities rather than worrying about how they will make ends meet.
Please consider donating today to support the Huskers of tomorrow.
A gift to this fund provides much-needed support for student financial aid and scholarships within the college.
Gifts to the N Fund – College of Law allow the Dean unrestricted support in order to take advantage of the many opportunities for learning inside and outside of the classroom.