UNK Communications recently published this article on Allie Daro, the current UNMC Student Senate president and UNMC student regent, as she participated in the May 14 dedication ceremony for the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex in Kearney.
Standing in front of a large crowd gathered to celebrate the future of rural healthcare education in Nebraska, Allie Daro reflected on the path that brought her back to Kearney.
Just a few years ago, she was a University of Nebraska at Kearney student preparing for a career in medicine through the Kearney Health Opportunities Program. On May 14, she returned as a fourth-year medical student at UNMC – and the current UNMC Student Senate president and UNMC student regent – to speak during a dedication ceremony for the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex.
For the David City, Nebraska, native, the moment represented more than the opening of a new facility. It highlighted the value of the UNK-UNMC partnership that helped shape her own journey into healthcare.
“I’m excited to be back in Kearney speaking today, as I think the opening of the Douglas A. Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex will have a huge impact moving forward,” she said during the event.
Daro is the perfect example of what can happen when schools work together to provide these opportunities for students.
Her mother, Jessica, is a registered nurse and surgery coordinator at Butler County Health in David City, so the healthcare field always was a familiar option. Daro’s interests in science, problem-solving and working with people also drew her toward the profession.
“Ultimately, it was a very natural fit,” she said. “I really enjoy every aspect of it.”
Daro earned her certified nursing assistant license while still in high school, attended health science camps and worked at a senior living and rehabilitation facility in her hometown.
Her decision to attend UNK was less expected.
“I actually did not want to stay in Nebraska for college,” she said with a laugh. “I took my ACT, filled out college applications and started looking at schools. I said, ‘Mom, I’m going out of state. See you at Christmas.’”
That plan changed when she learned about KHOP, a cooperative program between UNK and UNMC that recruits students from greater Nebraska and prepares them to practice healthcare in rural areas. KHOP members receive full-tuition scholarships to UNK and are conditionally guaranteed admission to their specified program at UNMC.
Daro also received the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation Scholarship and was accepted into the UNK Honors Program. The financial assistance provided by these programs allowed her to graduate debt-free.
“These scholarships are so beneficial for students because they allow you to attend college without the added stress of worrying about finances,” she said.
Once she arrived in Kearney, Daro quickly discovered the other benefits of being a Loper. She joined the UNK cheer team and Alpha Omicron Pi sorority and was part of the Thompson Scholars Learning Community, student government, Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Health Science Club.
“I remember telling my mom, ‘I can transfer after a semester if I want to,’” Daro said. “But I never looked back. I just fell in love with UNK.”
Along with the scholarship award, KHOP provides academic support and professional development for students, including opportunities to tour rural hospitals across the state and network with healthcare providers. Daro gained additional hands-on experience while working as a medical scribe at Platte Valley Medical Clinic in Kearney.
“My time at UNK and in the KHOP program was so valuable,” said Daro, who graduated in 2023 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. “Not only did I receive the high-quality education needed for medical school, but I also developed some incredible relationships with faculty, staff and fellow students. It’s amazing to see how supportive they still are, even as a student who graduated three years ago.”
Now studying at UNMC in Omaha, Daro remains committed to rural healthcare. She plans to pursue orthopedic surgery after earning her medical degree next year and hopes to combine practicing in a larger community with outreach to smaller towns, helping patients receive care closer to home.
“Coming from a rural community, I know that access is really important,” she said. “If we can meet patients where they’re at and build those relationships, it creates a much stronger connection with the communities and people we serve.”
That mission aligns with the Kristensen Rural Health Education Complex, a $115 million project that combines the existing Health Science Education Center I with the new Health Science Education Center II to create the largest rural healthcare teaching facility in the country. Together, the two buildings offer 150,000 square feet of state-of-the-art classrooms, laboratories, simulation environments and student health and wellness facilities.
The complex will support 13 UNMC programs – bringing medicine, pharmacy and public health to Kearney for the first time – and allow UNK’s speech-language pathology program to move into an enhanced, interdisciplinary environment. It will serve about 625 students at full implementation, with 250 annual graduates across these professions.
As she spoke on the UNK campus, Daro expressed her deep appreciation for the people who continue to support these rural health initiatives, ensuring students like her have the opportunity to pursue their passions in greater Nebraska.
“It truly is a great place to live, a great place to work and a great place to call home,” she said. “I think it’s a really beautiful full-circle moment knowing more students can stay in the area they call home and contribute to the communities that supported them when they were growing up.”