By TYLER ELLYSON
UNK Communications
LINCOLN – As Ted Carter gazed at the large crowd gathered inside the Warner Legislative Chamber, he saw much more than an enthusiastic group of college students.
The University of Nebraska System president was looking at the state’s future – the teachers, lawyers, health care professionals, engineers and information technology experts who will lead their communities for years to come.
“This is a chance for you to tell your story,” he said Wednesday during the sixth annual “I Love NU” Day event.
Students, staff, faculty and administrators from the NU System’s four campuses converged on the State Capitol in Lincoln to meet with lawmakers, show support for the university and promote its importance to the state. More than 50 people made the trip from Kearney, including UNK senior Trenten Theis.
A native of Superior, where his mother is a family practice physician, Theis attends UNK as part of the Kearney Health Opportunities Program (KHOP), a partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center designed to grow the state’s health care workforce by recruiting and training students from rural Nebraska who will return to these communities to practice after professional school. Participants are awarded full-tuition scholarships to study at UNK and guaranteed admission to UNMC if all requirements are met.
Theis called the investment “money well spent.”
“These programs, they make a huge impact. And they’re working,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity that I’ve been given, and I’m not wasting it. And I can tell you that I’m not alone. In KHOP, there are a lot of people who really cherish what the university has given them and they have every intention of coming back and serving rural Nebraska.”
The pre-medical student participates in undergraduate research, Student Government, Fraternity and Sorority Life and other activities at UNK, giving him a chance to create connections across campus. That combination of high-quality education on a close-knit campus made his decision to become a Loper a “no-brainer.”
“UNK has been a really great experience for me. I don’t think I would trade that for anything,” said Theis, who will attend medical school at UNMC after graduating from UNK this spring.
STRONG PARTNERSHIP
The NU System’s impact extends well beyond health care.
“Our universities and our system touch every single aspect of life,” Carter said. “There isn’t anything that happens in the state of Nebraska that we are not deeply involved in or influencing.”
The teaching, research and outreach activities of the University of Nebraska grow the state’s economy by $5.8 billion every year, reaching all 93 counties and returning $9 for every $1 the state invests. And the 11,000 students who graduate from NU campuses each year are ready to fill the high-demand, high-skill jobs available across the state.
Carter noted that most new jobs require education or training beyond high school, making a four-year degree more important than ever. That’s why he’s focused on initiatives and programs that make a university education affordable and accessible for Nebraska families.
With support from the Legislature, the NU System was able to freeze tuition rates for 2021-22 and 2022-23 while expanding a program that allows qualified Nebraska students with family incomes of $65,000 or less to attend any of the NU campuses tuition-free. Another scholarship program was launched two years ago to support in-state students pursuing undergraduate degrees in computer science, cybersecurity, health care, information technology and other high-need areas.
Earlier this week, the Appropriations Committee approved a recommendation that would increase state funding for the university system by 2.5% annually over the next two fiscal years.
“That’s a huge victory for the university,” Carter said while thanking the Legislature and Gov. Jim Pillen for their ongoing support.
Sen. Anna Wishart of Lincoln, vice chair of the Appropriations Committee, was among the lawmakers voting in support of the funding increase, calling it “a good step in the right direction.”
“But I think we have a lot more to do in terms of investing in our university system,” she said during “I Love NU” Day.
Nebraska is already facing significant workforce shortages, a problem that will continue to worsen if the current population trends aren’t reversed.
“By 2030, in our state we will have more people 65 and older than 18 and younger. And in some areas of our state, that’s already the case,” said Wishart, emphasizing the importance of legislation that can attract and retain young professionals who build their careers and families here.
“When I think about all of the things that help in terms of anchoring young people in our state and reducing brain drain, at the top of the list is a strong and healthy university system,” she said.
Sen. Mike Jacobson of North Platte also spoke during the event, describing himself as a “staunch advocate for the university.”
The first-generation college graduate talked about growing up with seven siblings on the Clay County farm his family rented and following his father’s advice to attend UNL so he’d have “something to fall back on.”
“That was some great advice,” said Jacobson, who studied agricultural economics and agricultural education.
The former ag teacher went on to become the founder, president and CEO of NebraskaLand Bank, which has locations in North Platte and Kearney.
“I don’t know where I would be today without my university education,” Jacobson said. “It was affordable. It was quality. There were great professors to work with. It was a great learning environment.”
GREAT HOPE
Those are the same qualities that attracted Temo Molina to UNK.
The sophomore from Stanton was looking for a school that offered strong academics at an affordable price.
“I found both of those at UNK,” he said.
Molina’s scholarship through the UNK Honors Program covers tuition, fees, room and board and books. He’s involved on campus through Student Government, Undergraduate Research Fellows, Fraternity and Sorority Life, the Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion, Model United Nations, Pre-Law Society and other organizations and was recently elected student body president and student regent for 2023-24.
“I’m passionate about the university and the opportunities it provides for students like myself,” said Molina, who’s studying political science and business administration with an accounting emphasis.
He attended “I Love NU” Day to encourage senators to “invest in the future of the state and its young people.”
“Lawmakers need to hear from their constituents about what’s going on and where their values and priorities lie,” Molina said. “Although many of our policymakers have been in the university themselves, they should probably be aware of what’s going on in the present moment, and current students are in the best place to offer that perspective.”
UNK Chancellor Doug Kristensen agrees.
“The best advocates that we have are our students,” he said, “because they’re not getting paid to come down here. They’re being themselves. They’re being sincere and genuine. That helps a lot.”
Like many Nebraskans, they just want to get an education, pursue a career and give back to the state.
“I think the average student who comes to UNK is just like the average Nebraskan,” Kristensen said. “They all have hopes and dreams. They’re hardworking. They respect their education. And they want to be here for the long-term.”
“That ought to give legislators great hope,” he added.
PHOTOS BY ERIKA PRITCHARD AND TODD GOTTULA, UNK COMMUNICATIONS
