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Community Academy youths celebrate the check donation with Kathy McConnell (holding the check on the right) and Lisa Jewell (on the left side). |
“We are very appreciative to Kathy and her co-workers at the Union Bank and Trust company for their continued support and financial donation,” said, Lisa Jewell, director, UNMC Community Academy. “These tools have been on our ‘wish list’ for a long time and thanks to their generous donation, we were able to purchase them and have already put them to good use.”
McConnell’s affiliation with the UNMC Community Academy came by way of her relationship with Judi Walker, executive director, UNMC Student Services Administration.
“Union Bank & Trust is one of UNMC’s student lending partners and Judi and I have worked together for many years,” McConnell said. “Judi’s enthusiasm for this project was infectious and I became interested.
“Since Union Bank & Trust is so supportive of many community activities and this one was directly related to education, Mike Dunlap, CEO for Union Bank & Trust, also became excited about Community Academy and agreed to the monetary support. Hopefully, Union Bank & Trust’s contribution will help make this project one of the premier programs in the community. Lisa Jewell and her staff are fantastic and do such wonderful things with and for these students.”
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Judi Walker |
The End of Session Breakfast highlights an entire year’s worth of health science enrichment and early awareness activities by the students. They present posters about their activities and experiences with as much enthusiasm and preparation as research assistants. The students enjoy demonstrating their knowledge before a host of parents, faculty and community supporters, including McConnell and Walker.
“Early awareness for a wide diversity of teenagers is a passion of mine,” Walker said. “I am a huge supporter of UNMC Community Academy, as well as any other programs aimed at encouraging students at the earliest possible age to envision themselves in the health science professions.
“Lisa Jewell does such a wonderful job with these students; we are always trying to find a way to channel more resources into the program. When my department received upgraded computers, for example, we encouraged the university to recycle the old ones to the UNMC Youth Learning Center. In fact, when the university’s parking division moved locations, the university gave the building the kids so that they could create their own campus learning center.
“UNMC’s Community Academy is an outstanding example of community outreach and diversity. These students are so bright and enthusiastic – even more so are their parents. I am really impressed with how many parents attend the annual year end breakfasts. The parents’ pride and excitement as the students make their presentations is something I wish everyone could see.”