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Most four-year-olds dread the thought of the dentist’s chair.
For Theo Krieger, it was his favorite day of the year.
Krieger, an Arlington, Texas native and current senior at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said those trips to the dentist as a child sparked his interest in pursuing a career in dentistry. He said the care and attention his dentist showed toward him and his family made each visit special.
“He would always let me be my mom’s dental assistant,” Krieger said. “It wasn’t a crazy impact that I was having, but I felt like I was doing something productive.”
As he grew, Krieger saw firsthand how impactful a smile can be. Kreiger’s grandmother began experiencing tooth decay because of medication. After receiving dentures, her smile returned for the first time in years.
Now, she smiles all the time...
“Now, she smiles all the time,” Krieger said. “The impact of a smile is almost immeasurable because there are so many mental aspects that go along with it. It is so impactful.”
Krieger, a pre-dentistry student, will receive a bachelor’s degree in management this May. He hopes to combine his degree with his passion for dentistry to open his own practice. There, he hopes to fight the mental stigma associated with visiting the dentist.
“If kids have a negative first-time experience that sort of formats how they view the dentist for the rest of their life,” Krieger said. “A dentist is a vital doctor you still need to go to and visit each year.”
As a recipient of a scholarship through the College of Business, Krieger has been given the freedom to pursue his passions and focus on being a successful student.
“I want to be financially stable in my future,” he said. “This scholarship has been super beneficial because I’m actually able to pursue what I like and experience things that I enjoy rather than having to sacrifice that so I can afford to pay my bills.”
Thanks to the resources provided by the College of Business’ Business Career Center, along with advice from his professors and advisors, Krieger has a path to make that dream a reality.
“The support system at the College of Business has been so strong and I’ve had so many great experiences,” he said. “Over the last four years, I’ve learned so many invaluable experiences that I don’t think I would have had anywhere else in the country.”
These experiences wouldn’t be possible without the support of generous donors who continue to support the College of Business and its students during Glow Big Red and beyond.
The impact of their gifts can be seen just by looking at the smile on Krieger’s face as he moves closer to achieving his dreams.
“The value of your gift is almost immeasurable because you’re furthering my education farther than I ever expected,” Krieger said. “…You’re providing students like me with the opportunity to pursue our passions and grow to be the best individuals and professionals we can be.”
You’re providing students like me with the opportunity to pursue our passions and grow to be the best individuals and professionals we can be.
You can support students like Theo at the College of Business by making a contribution to the Business Start Something Fund. A gift to this fund provides much-needed general support to the college and allows the college to meet priority needs as they arise.
For students like Whitney Schwisow at the University of Nebraska– Lincoln, academics go hand in hand with extracurricular activities. Schwisow, a senior majoring in actuarial science, is an active member of the UNL Fast Pitch Softball Club, a thriving part of the university’s athletic culture.
Schwisow’s journey to the university was guided by both academic and financial considerations. “Nebraska has one of the top actuarial science programs in the country,” Schwisow explained. “Scholarships made it a lot more affordable than any other options.”
Outside of the classroom, Schwisow is the president of the UNL Fast Pitch Softball Club. “I went from playing competitive sports my whole life to just being a student. … As a very competitively driven person, having this outlet has been awesome,” Schwisow said. “It gets me away from the books and away from my laptop, it’s good for both my mental and physical health.”
However, sustaining a club team comes with financial challenges. “Donor support goes directly towards the cost of games such as umpires and travels,” Schwisow emphasized. Fundraising efforts have enabled the team to undertake initiatives like participating in a spring training tournament in Florida as well as expanding its reach and opportunities.
Looking ahead, Schwisow sees continued donor support as crucial for the team’s growth and success. “With donors’ support, getting to do more tournaments, like going to Florida, gives us a chance to play against different teams,” Schwisow explained. “It motivates players to practice harder and reach higher levels.”
Because of donor support, the club softball team is more accessible to students. “We’ve never had costs prohibit players from participating,” she said. “If there’s somebody who is struggling to meet the dues that we have for this semester, we have never forced them out of play. We’ve always been able to find funding to cover those costs.”
“We’re just a group of girls that love to have fun together and play the sport,” said Schwisow. “The community we foster is super important to freshmen coming to campus and that’ll be a community they’ll have for the next four years.”
Your support during Glow Big Red impacts the lives of students like Whitney Schwisow. Thank you for making a gift to support UNL’s students and helping make this year’s Glow Big Red a success!
A gift to this fund supports students by providing scholarships recognizing academic excellence and financial need. The scholarships are awarded through UNL’s Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
Victor Loma’s passion for understanding how things work began at an early age.
Loma remembers spending his days as a 12-year-old boy in Kansas City, Missouri with his father, an industrial electrician. He spent those days as a self-described “little assistant,” learning the ins and outs of a profession that would ultimately spark his desire to pursue a college education.
“It was right around that time that I got a lot of inspiration to try and further my education,” said Loma, a sophomore mechanical engineering major at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Loma is the oldest of six siblings and is the first in his family to attend college. Throughout high school, Loma said he worked hard to challenge himself by taking high-level courses in subjects such as math and physics.
Loma’s goal to attend college was always at the front of his mind. Using the money he saved up from working with his father, Loma would go on road trips that often included campus visits to dozens of colleges and universities in his free time.
Those campuses included places like Ohio State University, Arizona State University and California Polytechnic State University. It wasn’t until his senior year in high school that Loma discovered UNL. From the moment he stepped foot on campus, Loma knew that he found his home.
“Everybody that goes to UNL cares about this university,” he said. “I really loved the community and I just thought, ‘If I’m going to go to college, I want that connection.’”
Loma is the recipient of an N Fund Student Scholarship through the College of Engineering. As an out-of-state student, he said the scholarship has already played an important role in his education.
“Having this scholarship to help me get through college has been amazing,” he said. “It really helps me just focus on my classes instead of worrying about how I am going to pay for my tuition.”
Loma said the College of Engineering’s impact on his education thus far has been immense. The College’s facilities, classes and faculty have provided Loma with the resources needed to find success as he pursues his degree.
“I would say the College of Engineering has impacted me very positively,” he said. “It has definitely made me less nervous just because I have been able to be mentored by professors and people who have done the things I want to do.”
Loma hopes to combine his mechanical engineering degree with his passion for trains to make an impact within communities throughout the country. He pointed to plans that would introduce high-speed rail travel to states such as Texas as examples of places where that combination could be used.
“I really like what trains are able to do for communities,” he said. “They make everything much more accessible. I’m just really invested in trains and what they’re able to do.”
Loma knows he wouldn’t have the opportunity to make an impact with his degree if it wasn’t for the support of donors who contributed to the College of Engineering’s N Fund. Thanks to their support, he is on the path toward success.
“Because of this scholarship, I feel like I have more liberty over my college experience,” he said. “I’m very grateful to have this scholarship.”
Anna Kobza spent her summers growing up taking care of horses and cattle in David City, Nebraska.
Kobza’s interest in agriculture was a departure from the norm in her family. They didn’t own farmland or livestock and her parents and siblings had mostly pursued careers in health care. Even so, Kobza was drawn to the field from a young age.
Kobza’s interest in agriculture flourished thanks to her participation in 4-H as a high school student. With each summer she spent caring for the cattle that had been loaned to her by a family friend, Kobza fell more in love with the field.
“I showed cattle throughout my high school career, and that’s what really sparked my interest in the beef industry and in pursuing a career in agriculture,” Kobza said. “It just really solidified that that was the industry I wanted to be in.”
Kobza has seen that dream come to fruition thanks to the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. She is currently pursuing her doctorate degree in animal science and works as a graduate research assistant for the college.
As the first in her family to pursue a profession in agriculture, Kobza was eager to learn as much as possible when she began her undergraduate career at UNL. That passion only grew the more involved she became within the college.
“I just remember being really excited that I could finally learn about all the things that I wanted to learn about, but didn’t have access to in the past,” she said. “As I got further into my undergraduate career, I met so many friends and like-minded people that cared about the things I cared about and enjoyed the same things I did.”
The hunger to learn that Kobza experienced as a freshman has only grown during her studies as a graduate student. She pointed to the engaging research her department conducts, such as feedlot and digestibility studies, which puts her in the field daily.
“They’re very intensive, and so the day-to-day can look very different depending on the season,” Kobza said. “We definitely get the opportunity to be very hands on, which I would say is different than some other graduate programs.”
Kobza hopes to use her degree to become a feedlot nutritionist, giving her the opportunity to work directly with cattle feeders. Eventually, she hopes to manage her fiancé’s family’s ranch in western Nebraska.
CASNR has provided Kobza with the resources to fulfill her goals of pursuing a career in agriculture. The spark that was ignited inside Kobza as a teenager raising cattle in David City has only grown thanks to the support of the college’s community.
“Having professors that were willing to interact with students was so beneficial to me,” Kobza said. “It felt easy picking back up where I left off as an undergraduate student because I felt so comfortable with my advisers and the rest of the faculty and staff.”
The support Kobza has experienced as a student also spreads to the college’s generous donors. She pointed to scholarships she received from the college as an undergraduate student as an example of how impactful supporting the school can be.
“One of the biggest things I would like to say is thank you for continuing to invest in CASNR,” she said. “This is a land-grant university and agriculture is our foundation, so helping ensure our futures in agriculture continue to exist is really important to us and helping us afford our education is not something we take for granted.”
College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources
This fund provides much-needed support for the College of Agriculture and Natural Resouces.
Maria Dominguez walked across the stage during Undergraduate Commencement at Pinnacle Bank Arena in December with a degree in hand and a smile beaming from her face.
The degree represented years of hard work for the first-generation Agricultural Engineering major that began years before she took her first step on campus.
Growing up in Grand Island, Nebraska, the idea of attending college never entered Dominguez’s mind. That changed in seventh-grade, when she learned about the Nebraska College Preparatory Academy (NCPA).
The NCPA prepares first-generation students for college and their future careers by providing a combination of curriculum and access to a community of academic support and personal development opportunities. Additionally, NCPA college scholars receive full financial assistance to pay the cost of college.
Dominguez said she didn’t realize the opportunities NCPA provided until her freshman year of high school when she met with her counselors a week before applications were due.
“I just remember filling out the application the day before it was due and translating it back and forth with my parents because they didn’t know English very well at the time,” Dominguez said.
She was accepted into the program shortly after submitting her application, marking the start of her journey toward becoming the first college graduate in her family. Throughout high school, Dominguez said the support she received from NCPA pushed her to continue excelling in the classroom.
“There was such a great level of trust between me and the counselors,” Dominguez said. “I cared so much about completing the NCPA program, and my counselors felt like a family I could go to.”
With the resources she needed to succeed, Dominguez graduated from Grand Island Senior High School in 2019, ready to take the next step toward becoming a college graduate as an NCPA college scholar at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Dominguez began her college career as a physics major. She followed that path for two years but felt she hadn’t truly found her passion yet. Thanks to the resources and academic support provided to college scholars in NCPA, Dominguez was able to find a program she truly connected with.
“I needed to try something else,” she said. “NCPA gave me the advice to continue searching until I found something I enjoyed.”
She landed on UNL’s Agricultural Engineering program. She said the program molded everything she loved about physics with the emphasis agricultural engineering places on machine design.
“I took that route and I have not regretted it since,” she said.
Dominguez’s future is bright. Following graduation, Dominguez will begin a career at Northrop Grumman in Aurora, Colorado as a software engineer in the company’s space sector. As she prepares for the next chapter of her life, she is thankful for NCPA and its donors who support the program.
“I know that NCPA has impacted not only my life, but the lives of everybody around me,” she said. “I’ve had the privilege of meeting so many people and NCPA has facilitated that,” she said. “I don’t think that I would have gotten here without the help of NCPA, so I’m always going to be so appreciative of it.”
Es posible que muchos de ustedes ya hayan oído de mi anuncio, pero para aquellos que no, me gustaría aprovechar esta oportunidad para presentarme. Soy Abel Covarrubias, Director del Nebraska College Preparatory Academy (NCPA). Aunque comencé en esta nueva posición en el otoño, no soy nuevo al programa de NCPA y el apoyo para estudiantes subrepresentados; ayudándolos a alcanzar sus sueños de asistir a la Universidad de Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL).
Como muchos de nuestros estudiantes de NCPA, mi viaje a UNL comenzó en el octavo grado como parte del primer grupo de NCPA en Grand Island, Nebraska. Gracias al apoyo y la orientación de mis mentores de NCPA, pude graduarme de la universidad como uno de los primeros estudiantes de la academia. Mi relación con mis mentores de NCPA me trajo de regreso a UNL como un profesional en el 2015, donde me desempeñé como reclutador y luego como Asistente Director de Diversidad y Alcance Comunitario con la Oficina de Admisiones. Estas experiencias aumentaron mi pasión por apoyar a los estudiantes subrepresentados y mi comprensión del impacto que tiene NCPA en mejorando el acceso a la educación.
En el 2019, comencé con NCPA como Sénior Director Asociado, donde mi pasión y defensa del apoyo estudiantil se solidificaron al trabajar con estudiantes increíbles de NCPA. Al reflexionar sobre estas experiencias, me siento agradecido y afortunado de decir que he sido testigo de cómo NCPA se convirtió en uno de los principales programas de la UNL.
Estoy muy entusiasmado con el futuro de NCPA y creo que este programa – que cierra las brechas entre el reclutamiento y la retención de estudiantes de primera generación y que provienen de familias de bajos ingresos – representa el futuro de la educación. NCPA es un programa que impacta directamente las vidas de muchos estudiantes y sus familias. Con su apoyo, NCPA puede continuar apoyando a los estudiantes y mejorar sus oportunidades para convertirse en graduados universitarios y futuros profesionales de primera generación.
Me siento muy honrado de haber sido seleccionado para dirigir NCPA, ayudando a este programa de primer nivel a continuar la orgullosa tradición de excelencia en educación y estableciendo el estándar para apoyar a los estudiantes subrepresentados de Nebraska.
Como líder de este programa, creo en el poder de la colaboración con profesores, la industria, alumnos y amigos como usted. Juntos, abriremos nuevas puertas, nuevas conexiones y caminos para los estudiantes de NCPA. Me gustaría invitarte a hacer una donación en apoyo de estas asociaciones y de nuestros merecedores estudiantes de NCPA. Su donación ayudará a NCPA a brindarles a nuestros estudiantes experiencias educativas para garantizar que cada estudiante de la NCPA pueda prosperar, crecer y desafiarse a sí mismos para innovar, pensar en grande y hacer lo extraordinario.
Con gratitud,
Abel Covarrubias
Director, Nebraska College Preparatory Academy
“I love the message and the work that the institute allows us to do. I get to go and consult with businesses and find what career would best fit my strengths.”
For the better part of the last decade, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business has housed the Clifton Strengths Institute, a program that teaches students about their strengths and how to maximize their potential, and encourages an in-depth look inward at one’s natural talents.
CliftonStrengths was conceived by Don Clifton, an alumnus of UNL and former professor. Clifton believed that more could be learned about oneself by understanding and maximizing one’s talents instead of solely fixing on the shortcomings.
Today, the Clifton Strengths Institute has been utilized by more than 5,800 students at the College of Business. Each first-year business student is assigned a “Student Strengths Coach,” an older member of the institute who guides first-year students through sessions designed to activate talents and teaches them to recognize their strengths.
The program focuses on the 34 CliftonStrengths that occupy what the program calls “Talent DNA.” The 34 strengths are divided into four subgroups: Strategic Thinking, Relationship Building, Executing and Influencing. These strengths cover areas of expertise that students naturally have, such as adaptability, consistency, communication and learning.
Further, the institute provides explorative career opportunities for students who choose to continue in the program past the first year. Jordan, a Junior at the institute and a Student Strengths Coach, explains, “I love the message and the work that the institute allows us to do. I get to go and consult with businesses and find what career would best fit my strengths.”
The donor-funded program has provided College of Business students with strengths-based coaching since its establishment in 2015. Since then, more than 5,800 students have received coaching, and more than 355 students have been trained as Student Strengths Coaches.
“[The Clifton Strengths Institute] is funded by donors and alumni who believe in positive psychology and the CliftonStrengths and want to bring that to campus,” continues Jordan. “I love that we get support for that program specifically.”
Donating time, resources or assistance to the University of Nebraska and its students provides brighter opportunities for the UNL community and creates a web of generational trust between past and present Huskers. Please consider making a gift today to help us provide more opportunities like these to UNL students
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
The Center for Sales Excellence is designed to complement any Nebraska student’s academic path by offering, upon completion of the 15-credit program, a sales certificate.
Nestled within the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s College of Business is the Center for Sales Excellence, a program designed to produce and nurture the understanding and proficiency of sales within top students in the college.
Named a “Top University for Professional Sales Education” by the Sales Education Foundation since 2015, the Center for Sales Excellence is designed to complement any Nebraska student’s academic path by offering, upon completion of the 15-credit program, a sales certificate.
The center offers cutting-edge resources to its participants, such as the role-play lab, hosting seven role-play rooms, each equipped with recording technology. The role-play lab allows for students to role-play, record and review their sales skills. The lab also allows students to download their role-plays for review, critique and digital resumes to share with future employers.
The Center for Sales Excellence also offers experience-based learning to its students, providing opportunities to put student skills to the test in competitions around the country. During these competitions, participants demonstrate their skills in front of real-world professionals.
“A lot of it was much more detailed than anything I’ve done so far in my classes,” explains junior marketing and finance major Drew Shafer. “It felt a lot more real.”
The Center for Sales Excellence aims to provide students with an immersive, in-depth look at careers that hinge on sales proficiency, something that classes alone are unable to provide. Drew continues, “being able to take advantage of that opportunity was a big deal for me.”
Donating to the University of Nebraska and its students provides brighter opportunities for the UNL community and creates a web of generational trust between past and present Huskers. Please consider making a gift today to help us provide more opportunities like these to UNL students.
University of Nebraska – Lincoln
A gift to this fund supports the college’s student financial aid program.
The Center for Advocacy, Response & Education (CARE) is a lifeline for University of Nebraska‒Lincoln students, faculty and staff who have experienced trauma. This year’s Give to Lincoln Day on Wednesday, May 24 provides an opportunity to support UNL CARE, which offers no-cost therapy to survivors of sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking or sexual harassment.
UNL CARE provides safe, confidential, survivor-centered support; UNL community members seeking assistance are paired with an advocate to help them navigate campus and community resources. Recently, UNL CARE expanded its services by providing a trauma-informed, graduate-level therapist. Utilizing evidence-based interventions such as cognitive processing therapy (CPT) and prolonged exposure (PE), the therapist treats individuals experiencing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other trauma-related symptoms.
There is currently a waiting list of people seeking zero-cost clinical services, and UNL CARE plans to add a second therapist this summer. Gifts to help expand the program may be made online anytime between now and May 24, here.
Give to Lincoln Day is coordinated by the Lincoln Community Foundation in partnership with local nonprofits, including the University of Nebraska Foundation. This annual giving opportunity encourages people to contribute to Lincoln and Lancaster County nonprofit organizations and helps local nonprofits tell their stories and educate the community about their positive impact.
Every contribution made during the event also increases UNL CARE’s opportunity to receive a portion of $500,000 in matching funds made available by the event’s sponsors and benefactors.
More information is at givetolincoln.com.
About the University of Nebraska Foundation
The University of Nebraska Foundation grows relationships and resources that enable the University of Nebraska to change lives and save lives. During the most recent fiscal year, a record 60,571 donors gave $300.6 million to the foundation to aid UNK, UNO, UNL, UNMC and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, and NCTA. The foundation raises more than $7 for every $1 spent. Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future is its current campaign with a goal to raise $3 billion from 150,000 unique benefactors to support the University of Nebraska. More information is at OnlyinNebraska.org.
Plainview, Nebraska, native Bill Johnson has been selected as senior vice president of development at the University of Nebraska Foundation, where he will lead private fundraising efforts for the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.
Johnson, who has an extensive background in higher education fundraising leadership, will work in partnership with the chancellor and other university leaders, Husker Athletics, the Nebraska Alumni Association and the foundation’s UNL development team to advance the fundraising goals of the state’s flagship university.
He is currently vice president of university advancement at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Johnson earned a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in education administration/athletic administration from UNL while playing basketball under Coach Danny Nee. He then worked as an assistant basketball coach and director of basketball operations for the Huskers for four years.
“The University of Nebraska took a kid from the reservation in northeast Nebraska, welcomed him as a student athlete and eventually an employee early in my professional life,” said Johnson, a member of the Santee Sioux Tribe. “To have the opportunity to return home and assist the foundation in leading a successful, impactful campaign is a great honor to uplift a community and state that still mean the world to me.”
Last fall, the University of Nebraska Foundation launched a historic campaign to encourage at least 150,000 benefactors to give $3 billion to support all campuses of the University of Nebraska, which includes UNL, the University of Nebraska at Kearney, the University of Nebraska Medical Center and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, the University of Nebraska at Omaha and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis.
Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future has three priorities: to create additional scholarships and invest in programs and modern facilities that offer hands-on learning opportunities for students; to support the university’s faculty, clinical and academic programs; and to grow the University of Nebraska as a hub of research and innovation.
“I’ve known Bill for a number of years,” said Brian F. Hastings, president and CEO of the University of Nebraska Foundation. “He is a respected leader in our profession and has served in leadership roles at multiple universities, including his leadership of two university foundations. Bill’s fundraising experience, leadership and coaching experience, and great appreciation for the state of Nebraska will make a tremendous difference in furthering UNL’s success.”
An interview committee appointed by Chancellor Ronnie Green assisted with the search. Committee members were: Katherine Ankerson, executive vice chancellor; Michael Zeleny, vice chancellor for business and finance; Tiffany Heng-Moss, dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources; Richard Moberly, dean of the College of Law; and Lance Pérez, dean of the College of Engineering.
“I am extremely pleased to welcome Bill Johnson back to his alma mater,” Green said. “As a former Husker athlete and a graduate of our university, Bill knows firsthand the profound impact that a University of Nebraska education can have on a student’s future. Bill’s deep love for Nebraska will make him an excellent partner as we work together to meet the needs of our students, our university and state.”
Johnson succeeds Joe Selig, who retired from the foundation last year after serving the University of Nebraska in various capacities for 46 years.
“We are excited for Bill, with his three decades of university leadership and fundraising experience, to take on this leadership role and be an extraordinary coach, mentor and partner, advancing our collective efforts on behalf of the University of Nebraska,” said Lori Byrne, executive vice president of advancement and campaign director at the University of Nebraska Foundation.
In his current role at the University of Nevada, Reno, Johnson oversees fundraising, alumni engagement, advancement services, donor relations and other functions. He also serves as executive director of the University of Nevada, Reno Foundation. Last year, Johnson served as interim athletic director while the university conducted a national search to fill the vacancy.
Previously, he served as vice president of university advancement at California State University, East Bay, and in other advancement roles at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California, and the University of San Francisco, where he also was an assistant men’s basketball coach. Johnson was an administrative fellow in the Harvard University Native American Program. Earlier in his career, he raised athletic funds for Georgetown University; Columbia University, where he was an assistant men’s basketball coach; and Casper College in Casper, Wyoming, where he was also head men’s basketball coach.
Johnson’s first day at the foundation will be June 5.
About the University of Nebraska Foundation
The University of Nebraska Foundation grows relationships and resources that enable the University of Nebraska to change lives and save lives. During the most recent fiscal year, a record 60,571 donors gave $300.6 million to the foundation to aid UNK, UNO, UNL, UNMC and its clinical partner, Nebraska Medicine, and NCTA. The foundation raises more than $7 for every $1 it spends. Only in Nebraska: A Campaign for Our University’s Future is its current campaign with a goal to raise $3 billion from 150,000 unique benefactors to support the University of Nebraska. More information is at OnlyinNebraska.org.
