Michelle Widger
UNK Alumni Association, 308.865.8474
The Gold Torch Society is meeting today and tomorrow, Sept. 16 and 17, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Through The Gold Torch Society, a group of alumni women are lending their guidance, encouragement and career experience to young women at UNK. The meeting will feature sessions covering topics including balancing career and family, leadership, networking and taking the leap into the workforce after graduation. Alumni and students are spending time networking and establishing mentoring relationships.
Sponsored by the UNK Alumni Association, The Gold Torch Society provides alumni the opportunity to return to campus and share a weekend of activities and special events with a select group of UNK undergraduate women.
“The society’s alumni members are strong, successful women from a variety of backgrounds including education, politics, medicine, business and journalism,” said Jim Rundstrom, executive director of the UNK Alumni Association. “It is wonderful to see the relationships that have formed because of the Gold Torch Society.”
Alumni are nominated for a three-year membership in the society. Student membership is for one year and is by application only.
Twenty-two UNK alumni are participating this year. Listed alphabetically by community, they include:
Chapman – Maureen Nickels, 1974
Kearney – Dr. Kimberly Carlson, 1992; Denise Christensen, 1980;
Krista Sheldon Fritson, 1988; Lee Ann Hogins, 1982; Julie
Slaughter Larsen, 1977; Kimberly M. Ziola Oliphant, 1989;
Marsha Rhodehorst Wilkerson, 1990; Sandy Rosse, 1993;
Chris Weis, 1989
Lincoln – Lori Pippitt, 1996; Doris Ritzdorf Robertson, 1989
Minden — Brenda Snodgrass Christensen, 1983
Omaha – Norma Deeb, 1970; Kristine Tynan Gerber, 1988; Peggy
Robinson Kelley, 1972; Marsha Walter Kubica, 1983; Barbara
Schroeder, 1974
Syracuse – Terry Zimmers, 1972
Georgia
Atlanta — Jennifer L. Johnson, 1994
Kansas
Shawnee Mission – Brenda Van Lengen, 1988
Tennessee
Franklin – Dwann Holmes-Olsen, 1993
There are 23 student members of the society. Listed alphabetically by
hometown, they include:
Fullerton – Amber Rolf
Hershey – Kathryn Bodenhamer
Hooper – Molly Weitzenkamp
Imperial – Amber Kunnemann
Kearney – Kayla Story
Lexington – Valeri Czaplewski
Lincoln — Sarah Stefkovich
Naponee – Staci Heer
North Platte – Brette Covington
Omaha – Rebecca Bredemeyer, Siobhan Duffy
Oxford – Kylie Fox
Seward – Heidi Weber
Slovakia – Sylvia Mihalik
Schuyler – Isis Ortiz
Strang – Alicia Myers
Weeping Water – Melanie Spilinek
Kansas
Atwood – Carrie Spresser
South Dakota
Lemmon – Kelcey Carda
Germany
Rostock – Julia Stumkat
Japan
– Mizuna Matsuda
Kochi – Satoka Tanaka
Nepal
Kathmandu – Sunu Shrestha
