DAVID LUKER Job Title: Director, Academic Success Years at UNK: 10 Family: Wife, Patti, and two grown sons Hobbies/Interests: Poetry Three words that describe your personality: A recent UNK professional development event allowed me to identify my character strengths as the following: humor, curiosity and creativity. Share something about yourself that few people know: I was a first-generation student who needed a lot of student loans as well as work-study to be able … [Read more...] about Luker enjoyed work with first-generation students; Retiring after 10 years at UNK
First Generation
First-Gen Loper: David Vail overcomes fear of finances, failure
David Vail Associate professor, history What was the toughest thing you had to overcome to attend college? Fear of failure: I worried I wouldn't be able to pay for college or be successful in my classes. I loved history and teaching, but every semester I had to find ways to overcome this fear. Fortunately, I found a good support network to help. Best advice for a first-generation student thinking about going to college? Be bold: find a strong support network of … [Read more...] about First-Gen Loper: David Vail overcomes fear of finances, failure
First-Gen Loper: Parents set expectations for Dean Jares from the start
Tim Jares Dean, College of Business and Technology What was the toughest thing you had to overcome to attend college? I’m not sure how my parents did it, but it was never a question for my brothers and me. Sure, funds were tight. I think my parents gave me $500 total. The rest of my funds came from scholarships, summer earnings, jobs while in school and loans. The bottom line for me was that I always knew a college education was an expectation, not an option. Best … [Read more...] about First-Gen Loper: Parents set expectations for Dean Jares from the start
PHOTO GALLERY: Celebrating 1st-Gen Lopers
The University of Nebraska at Kearney celebrated the nearly 2,100 current Lopers who are the first in their families to attend college and recognized their accomplishments Friday during a campuswide event in the Nebraskan Student Union. The first-ever First-Gen Lopers Celebration, which also recognized first-generation faculty and staff, featured free ice cream and special UNK first-gen T-shirts, a photo booth with Louie the Loper and comments from three first-generation … [Read more...] about PHOTO GALLERY: Celebrating 1st-Gen Lopers
First-Gen Loper: Diaz wants to be role model for family members, future students
By TYLER ELLYSON UNK Communications KEARNEY – When Emely Diaz was conducting her field experience at Lexington Middle School, she posed a question to a group of seventh grade boys. What do you want to do when you grow up? They all gave a similar answer, and it didn’t involve college. The middle schoolers assumed they’d be working at the local meatpacking plant or in another labor-intensive job, just like their parents. They hadn’t seriously considered the … [Read more...] about First-Gen Loper: Diaz wants to be role model for family members, future students
