UNK Office Of Multicultural Affairs Is Sponsoring The Sixth Annual Nebraska Cultural Unity Conference Today

Juan Guzman
UNK Office of Multicultural Affairs director, 308.865.8127
 

The Office of Multicultural Affairs at the University of Nebraska at Kearney is hosting 400 high school students today (Friday, March 28) in the Nebraskan Student Union for the sixth annual Nebraska Cultural Unity Conference (NCUC).  Activities are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
           NCUC is designed to promote higher education for minority students. Students will participate in different workshops ranging in topics from financial aid to alternative options to attending a four-year college. Participants will also hear from Dr. Dick Davis and Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch, who are keynote speakers for the event.
           “This is a good opportunity for students to hear about scholarships and financial aid, and the other opportunities provided for them while getting the right information,” said Juan Guzman, director of the UNK Office of Multicultural Affairs.
           Dr. Davis is from Omaha and is CEO of the Davis Companies, a risk service firm that provides insurance brokerage, financial consulting and contractor development services. Dr. Davis holds bachelor’s and doctorate degrees in education from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln and a master’s degree in education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. He is co-founder of the Davis-Chambers Scholarship Fund, which provides scholarship opportunities to minority students. UNK currently offers this scholarship within the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
           Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch overcame poverty and illiteracy to become a successful leadership role model for her community. Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) Kickbusch also broke barriers and set records in the military when she was promoted to a senior officer position and became the highest-ranking Hispanic woman in the Combat Support Field of the US Army.
           The schedule of the day’s events is as follows:
 
8:30 – 10:00 a.m.            Registration and College Fair (Student Union Atrium)
10:00 – 10:20 a.m.          Conference Opening (Ponderosa Room)
                                          Dr. Peter Longo, Dean of Student Life
                                          Dusty Newton, Director of Admissions
10:30 – 11:15 a.m.          Workshop Session
                                         
Here and Now (Student Union room 312)
                                         Real Life Leaders (Student Union room 310)
                                         Explore Your Options (Student Union Sandhills Room)
                                         Piggy Bank (Library Jennings Room)
                                         Lights, Camera, Action (Student Union Oak Room)
                                         The Next GenerationTakes the Mic (Union Cedar Room)
                                         Been There, Done That (Martin Hall Main Lounge)
11:30 – 12:15 p.m.          Workshop Session (room locations are the same)
12:30 – 1:45 p.m.           Lunch (Ponderosa Room)
 
1:45 – 2:00 p.m.             UNK Administration Address (Ponderosa Room)
                                         
Chancellor Douglas A. Kristensen
                                         Amber Lewis, immediate past Student Body President
2:00 – 2:20 p.m.             Keynote Speaker (Ponderosa Room)
                                         Dr. Dick Davis
2:20 – 2:30 p.m.             Educator of the Year Award
                                         
Juan Guzman, Director of Multicultural Affairs
2:45 – 3:30 p.m.             Workshop Session (Rooms are the same)
3:30 p.m.                       Return to Ponderosa Room
4:00 – 5:15 p.m.             Gender Sessions
                                         
Male session (Copeland Hall 142)
                                         Females break into rooms by numbers
5:30 – 6:30 p.m.              Dinner (Ponderosa Room)
6:30 – 7:30 p.m.              Keynote Speaker
                                         
Consuelo Castillo Kickbusch
7:30 – 7:45 p.m.              Closing Remarks
                                         
Monica Mueller and Joel Lemus, Conference co-chairs
8:00 – 11:00 p.m.            Entertainment
                                         
Michael Reyes
                                          UNK groups
                                          Dance