{"id":132589,"date":"2026-06-05T02:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-05T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/?p=132589"},"modified":"2026-06-04T13:54:36","modified_gmt":"2026-06-04T18:54:36","slug":"homegrown-care-unk-experience-leads-elly-piper-to-next-step-at-unmc-in-kearney","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unmc.edu\/newsroom\/2026\/06\/05\/homegrown-care-unk-experience-leads-elly-piper-to-next-step-at-unmc-in-kearney\/","title":{"rendered":"Piper taking next step at UNMC med school in Kearney"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

UNK Communications recently published this article on Elly Piper, who graduated from UNK in May as a pre-medical student and will stay in Kearney to attend medical school at UNMC.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When Elly Piper returns to Norfolk, she often catches herself saying something that makes her mother smile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ll tell her, \u2018Mom, I have to go home,\u2019\u201d Piper said. \u201cAnd she\u2019ll say, \u2018You are home.\u2019 But it\u2019s just not the same.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the past four years, home took on another meaning for the University of Nebraska at Kearney student. It exists in the northeast Nebraska city where she was raised and on a college campus nearly three hours away where she was able to grow as a person, a leader and a\u00a0future healthcare provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI always say home is not a place, it\u2019s the people you\u2019re surrounded by,\u201d Piper said. \u201cSo, this very much was home for me. It was the perfect fit for everything I wanted and who I wanted to become.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A pre-medical student, Piper graduated summa cum laude<\/em> in May with a bachelor\u2019s degree in biology with a health science emphasis. She\u2019ll remain in Kearney to attend UNMC as part of the first class of medical students at the new Health Science Education Center II on the UNK campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Committed to Rural Communities<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Piper\u2019s interest in healthcare developed early, influenced by a family that values education and service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI knew I wanted to do something helping others,\u201d she said. \u201cGiving back was always a big thing for us, and I feel like as a medical provider that\u2019s what I can do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her father, a UNK alumnus and longtime science teacher at Pierce Public Schools, sparked her curiosity through hands-on learning, while her mother, vice president of Midwest Bank in Norfolk, emphasized community involvement. Piper also drew inspiration from her older sister, who is completing her own journey into family medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following in her father\u2019s footsteps, Piper enrolled at UNK as a member of the Kearney Health Opportunities Program, which provides academic and financial support and professional development opportunities for students committed to practicing health care in rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through KHOP, she toured hospitals across the state, connected with providers and explored the realities of rural medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was wonderful, seeing how different facilities in Nebraska approach health care and learning about the opportunities available in these communities,\u201d Piper said. \u201cI feel like I was able to build valuable connections early in my career.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those experiences reinforced her desire to serve smaller communities, where access to care remains a challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn rural Nebraska, everyone is so willing to support each other,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s what makes it so special. I want to live my life surrounded by people who care about each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piper\u2019s preparation also extended far beyond the state\u2019s borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In summer 2024, she participated in a VAW Global Health Alliances medical outreach trip to Peru with other UNK and UNMC students. Working alongside local doctors and pharmacists, they provided free care and medication to more than 1,000 people living in underserved areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat was the best experience,\u201d said Piper, who\u2019d never traveled outside the U.S. before. \u201cGoing to a developing country and seeing how they live made me appreciate the care we receive in the United States and made me even more excited to practice in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She continues to gain clinical experience as a phlebotomist at Kearney Regional Medical Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elly
Elly Piper poses for a photo inside an inflatable bounce house during a UNK Residence Life event. She served three years as a resident assistant, guiding new students and fostering community in the residence halls.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Making Meaningful Connections<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Back on campus, Piper benefited from UNK\u2019s small class sizes and close faculty mentorship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur professors here are really wonderful,\u201d she said. \u201cYou always have that one-on-one opportunity to ask questions, and I feel like that really elevates your learning experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Outside the classroom, Piper embraced campus life with the same energy she brings to her academic pursuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She served three years as a resident assistant, guiding new students and fostering community in the residence halls. Piper also was active in the Honors Program, Mortar Board, ATLAS Honor Society for health science students, Residence Hall Association and Catholic Newman Center while participating in intramurals and community outreach programs like Buddy Bowling and TOPSoccer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeing so involved allowed me to grow personally, build relationships and really branch out,\u201d she said. \u201cIt also taught me a lot about time management and finding balance, two things that are important when you\u2019re going into medicine.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her leadership left a lasting impression on those around her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cElly truly is a one-of-a-kind individual,\u201d said Bryan Schneider, her former supervisor in residence life. \u201cShe brings a unique blend of positivity and extroversion and strives to be a better person every day. She embraces the responsibility of being a leader and role model.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Piper\u2019s impact extended beyond her own residents, he said, showing the entire UNK housing team what can be accomplished through collaboration and a genuine commitment to helping others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cElly finds the most meaning in solving problems and helping others achieve their goals,\u201d Schneider said. \u201cThis, combined with her incredible work ethic and intelligence, has provided her with a ton of insight and context to become a standout doctor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

UNK faculty saw the same attributes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cElly is a cheerful, diligent, intelligent and resilient student, always willing to help others,\u201d said Surabhi Chandra, PhD, a professor and co-chair in the UNK Department of Biology. \u201cShe brought exuberance and a determination to achieve her goals.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Chandra believes those qualities will translate seamlessly into medicine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cElly is compassionate and caring, and she has deep empathy,\u201d Dr. Chandra said. \u201cShe will excel as a physician in whichever specialty she chooses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Elly
Elly Piper attends the Applauding Excellence awards ceremony at UNK, where she was recognized with the Outstanding Senior Award.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Continuing the Journey in Kearney<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Recently recognized with the UNK Alumni Association\u2019s Outstanding Senior Award, Piper will take the next step in her journey without leaving the community she now considers home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Health Science Education Center II will welcome its first class of UNMC medical students in Kearney this fall, expanding this training into rural Nebraska. Members of that inaugural class will receive scholarships covering at least half the cost of tuition for all four years, part of a broader effort to address physician shortages across the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Piper, the decision to stay in Kearney was both practical and personal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA lot of things added up, and it felt like the right decision,\u201d she said. \u201cKearney provides so many opportunities to be a community leader, and I\u2019m excited to continue building on that foundation at UNMC.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While she\u2019s still exploring specialties, Piper is drawn to primary care fields such as family medicine or obstetrics and gynecology \u2013 areas where long-term patient relationships are central.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She believes health care, like home, is ultimately about people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want all of my patients and the people in my community to know they were well cared for,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s why rural medicine is so appealing, because of the impact you can have.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Elly Piper is photographed outside the Health Science Education Center II facility.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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After graduating from UNK in May as a pre-medical student, Elly Piper will stay in Kearney to attend medical school at 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