One hundred forty-two undergraduate students and their faculty advisors representing four rural health academic pipeline programs spent three days exploring their future as health profession students at the University of Nebraska Medical Center on March 28, 29 and April 4.
The students, who are enrolled in the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP), the Kearney Health Opportunities Program (KHOP), and the Public Health Early Admissions Student Track (PHEAST), came to UNMC to get a glimpse into their future as a UNMC student.
During the visit, students have the opportunity to learn more about their future careers in the allied health professions, dentistry, dental hygiene, medicine, nursing, pharmacy or public health. Students also get to connect with current students in their declared health profession training programs and gain information and tips on how to be prepared to thrive at UNMC.
"The annual visit to UNMC is an outstanding opportunity for our future students to visualize themselves in their health profession training program, and as a future health care provider," said Nikki Carritt, director of Rural Health Initiatives. "After two years of ‘virtual visits,’ we were excited to welcome students back for the in-person opportunity – long marked as a cornerstone of their program experience."
"It is also an opportunity for faculty and staff across UNMC to demonstrate our commitment to their success in becoming Nebraska's rural health care workforce of the future," she said.
While at UNMC the students met with faculty in their training program, learned from presentations on how to prepare academically to meet the rigors of a health professions education, leadership, inclusivity, and well-being and stress management.
Students from Chadron State also had the opportunity to meet faculty and staff at the Health Science Education Complex (HSEC) in Kearney on their return trip. Several of the students will matriculate to the allied health professions and nursing training programs on that campus.
Below is a listing of the students by college and hometown.
Peru State College
Ashland — Rebecca Wilson
Falls City — Claire Niemeyer
Fremont — Holly Hansen
Hastings — Daniela Lagunas
Mead — Delaney Patocka
Nebraska City — Jasmine Pineda and Jessenia Hincapie
Odell — Camaryn Gydesen
Palmer — Brooke Bruland
Chadron State College
Ainsworth — Mackenzie Kovar
Arnold — Lydia Connell
Big Springs — Kristie Hill
Brainard — Micaiah Vrbka
Columbus — Kelli Schoch and Emma Stewart
Dunning — Bryan Zutavern
Gothenburg — Jamie Graff
Gurley — Joshua Kruse
Hastings — Grace Redinger and Brooke Becker
Hershey — Carlee Brownawell
Indianola — Johanna Sughroue
Loup City — Ashley Dearmont and Creighton Harrington
Madrid — Quinn Koop
Mitchell — Blake Thyne
Nebraska City — Aubrey Bando
Norfolk — Jalen Hoffman and Katherine Meuret
North Platte — Caleb Tegtmeier
O’Neill — Brooke Benson
Ord — Sage Konicek
Sidney — Jaylee Shaw
Scottsbluff — Ian Papenfus and Logan Moravec
Tryon — Aubrey Shultis
Wausa — William Hagge
Wayne State College
Ansley — Laney Stunkel
Arlington — Mary Helms
Aurora — Kane Fiala
Bennet — Sarah Vorderstrasse
Broken Bow — Grayson Garey
Carroll — Austin Fernau
Callaway — Cheyney Loper
Cambridge — Amelia Sayer
Clarkson — Quintessence Indra
Columbus — Jaden Johnson, Emmitt Broberg and Briana Drueppel
Creighton — Ashtyn Fritz
Crofton — Connor Dahl
David City — Bridget Sisco
Duncan — Elizabeth Blaser
Falls City — Tanner Cromer
Fremont — Katelyn Geaghan
Fullerton — James Lesiak
Funk — Brooklyn LeClair
Grand Island — Linden Sack and Seerat Balraj
Gretna — Olivia Thompson
Hastings — Logan Johnson
Henderson — Benjamin Mestl
Hildreth — Abby Quadhamer
Holdrege — Madelyn Moore
Hooper — Jennifer Garcia
Humphrey — Ashley Schemek and Triniti Gembica
McCool Junction — Lindsey Stuckey
Merriman — Grace Anderson
Milford — Jackson Lautzenhiser
Norfolk — Hannah Mills, Alison Stineman and Grace Spieker
Orchard — Brandi Ruzicka
Phillips — Luke Jacobs
Pierce — Janae Arens
Scribner — Kendra Paasch
Spalding — Mariah Marisch
Syracuse — Jenna Siefken
Trenton — Kassidy Kisker
Verdon — Ciara Catlin
Wahoo — Emily Coufal and Hadley Chvatal
Wakefield — Gabriel Peitz
Wausa — Ruth Johnson
Waverly — Audrey Sorensen
Wayne — Kelsey Heggemeyer and Hallie Chin
Windside — Alex Carlson
Wisner — Cole Jacobsen
Wood River — Lauran Thorp and Trey Zessin
York — Abbey Seevers
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Ainsworth — Benjamin Arens
Albion — Destiny Umbarger
Alda — Rachel Rodriguez Sanchez
Ayr — Jordyn Barbee
Bennington — Anna Law and Cassidy Johnson
Blair — Chase Clausen
Bridgeport — Kyler Watts
Broken Bow — Samuel Schendt and Mykael Stoddard
Cairo — Nolan Gleason
Central City — Austin Wells
Columbus — Lauren Benck, Caden Pelan, Blake Edzards and Tristan Colford
David City — Allison Daro
Edison — Danielle Eidson
Fairbury — Isaac Robertson
Firth — Kaitlyn Otto
Glenvil — Hannah McDaniel
Grand Island — Riley Krolikowski and, Kate McFarland
Gretna — Hilary Vaughn
Hartington — Marie Rokusek
Kearney — Mason Casper, Nicole Messbarger, Sarah Lucht and Riley Cope
Lawrence — Allison Miller and Madison Menke
Lexington — Vanessa Lo
McCook — Madeline Hinze and Jacquelyn Hinze
Minden — Jensen Rowse
North Platte — Bethany Burklund
O’Neill — Abigail Everitt, Andrew Alder and Makayla Hilker
Petersburg — Faith Kinney
Phillips — Taryn Smith
Rushville — Mikayla Jaggers
Saint Paul — Marissa Baker
Superior — Trenten Theis and Lacey Langer
Tecumseh — Samuel Buss
Utica — Aurora Junge
York — Andrea Saxer
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