Summer 2019 Alumni Newsletter

Patrice McMahon, Honors Program Director

The first step in educating the leaders of tomorrow is assembling the right team. I am so proud of the team we have built and all that we have accomplished together in the last year - my first as Director of the University Honors Program. To learn more about the Honors Program staff, click here.

Our team continues to grow: thanks to the generosity of the Deans of CASNR and College of Journalism, respectively, we are gaining two amazing Honors Faculty Fellows, Dr. Christine Haney Douglass and Prof. Patti Harney. Although our team is changing and growing, our mission remains the same: to create a community of life-long learners who benefit from unique classes and professional experiences that will prepare them for an uncertain, globalized world.

Honors Program Funds Summer Experiences for Six Students

This summer, six students were able to take an important step toward achieving their individual dreams - thanks to funding from the Dr. Patrice Berger Student Experience Fund. Read on to learn about how these students are spending their summer and the amazing ways they are putting their Honors funding to good use.

Robert Gabel learned about ecosystems and environmental policy in Ecuador.

Robert Gabel, a third-year Fisheries and Wildlife major, traveled to Ecuador where he studied Spanish and Ecuadorian environmental policy, in addition to spending several weeks in the Galapagos Islands learning about Ecuadorian ecosystems.

Having worked with four different penguin species in two different zoos, one of Robert's dreams was to see penguins in the wild – and one of the few places to do that is the Galapagos, home to the world's only penguin that travels above the equator.

Brianna Juma, a third-year Nutrition and Health Sciences major, and Julianne Fay, a second-year Biochemistry and Classical Languages major, received support from the Honors Program to take part in a research-based education abroad experience in Zambia and Ethiopia where they explored issues of food security, health, and nutrition. While in Africa, they gained valuable research skills that will set them up for goals that include graduate school and, for Brianna, eventually becoming a dietician.

Madison Whitney's experience in Poland was an amazing opportunity to interact with students from around the globe.

Madison Whitney, a second-year Environmental Studies and Global Studies major, was awarded funding to participate in the Honors Program's Global Dialogue in Krakow, Poland. Madison was drawn to this particular opportunity because of the chance to interact with students from around the world on important global issues.

Madison views the communication and problem-solving skills she gained from this Global Dialogue as critical tools for her future career in international environmental policy.

Chris Goulet, a fourth-year music major focused on percussion performance, traveled to New Hampshire for two weeks in July where he participated in the Chosen Vale International Percussion Seminar. This seminar provides an immersive experience for some of the best percussionists on the planet, and Chris will have the opportunity to play music commissioned specifically for this seminar while learning from world-renowned faculty and forging invaluable professional connections.

Alex Otto's research in Spain is helping pave the way for a career in marine biology

Alex Otto, a fourth-year Fisheries and Wildlife major, spent the summer in Spain where her Honors Program funding helped support a research internship at the Bottlenose Dolphin Research Institute. There, she had the opportunity to study marine mammals and complete her own independent research. Alex's life-long dream is to become a marine biologist, and this research experience paves the way for her future Masters and Ph.D. studies in marine mammal physiology and ecology.

Two years ago, the Student Experience Fund was renamed to recognize the work of the Honors Program's founding director, Dr. Patrice Berger. Under the leadership of Dr. Patrice McMahon, the Honors Program has renewed its commitment to providing students access to experiential learning opportunities.

That's where you come in.

Alumni and friends of the Honors Program can help ensure that the Honors Program can continue supporting students in pursuing their dreams by making a donation to the Dr. Patrice Berger Student Experience Fund. Your contribution makes it possible for students like Chris, Madison, and Brianna to have transformational experiences that will prepare them to be the artists, activists, researchers, policy makers, and civic leaders of tomorrow.

Donate to the Student Experience Fund.

Solutions Seminars Bring Social Activism, Magic, to the Classroom

Despite the many new and exciting things happening in Honors, some things about the Honors Program will not change, and this includes the very popular 189H First-Year Seminars that help our students transition to college. This year, though, we have piloted new classes for second-year students. Our Solution Seminars address 21st century challenges and enduring questions. These interdisciplinary, problem-based and project-based classes will expand the diversity of Honors offerings that are learner-centered. Several universities focus on complex challenges; our curriculum draws upon our state's culture of doing to encourage students to apply their knowledge and develop actionable solutions.

Tamy Burnett

Tamy Burnett created Harry Potter & Social Activism Solutions Seminar in response to a need we heard from students: they wanted "meaningful experiences that helped them make the world a better place." Many students shared that they could see problems in the world that they didn't know how to address because they didn't have the tools to go out and make change. As a pop culture scholar, Tamy Burnett quickly realized the Harry Potter franchise was a great point of entry to address this need.

The class used these novels to talk about how teams can work effectively and as examples of grassroots activism efforts. In small teams, they identified a social issue about which all team members were passionate, then researched the issue and what has already been done. Finally, each team assessed their efforts and created a presentation and report for hypothetical donors and board of directors of a non-profit. At the end of the term, although not every advocacy project was 100% successful, the students talked about how they had learned to take action and make change, as well as about how to work in a team more effectively. They are now better prepared to address the challenges our world is facing and to turn their passion into purposeful action.

In Harry Potter and Social Activism, Honors students Devi Seshadri, Ann Walter, and Sophie Otte tackle a real-world social issue.

Honors Global Dialogues

All of our students need cultural dexterity and must be able to work with people from various backgrounds. This year, in conjunction with Education Abroad and our faculty, Honors developed a strategy around how we can provide new, affordable opportunities for our students to become global citizens. Honors Global Dialogues provide students with authentic global experiences to engage in conversations with each other and with others around the world. In the last two years, Honors students have spent their spring breaks in London, Rome, and Berlin. This summer, Honors partnered with the Department of Political Science and the National Security Studies Program to take students to Krakow, Poland to study challenges to security and democracy. But don't take our word for it; read what one of our students had to say about what she gained from travelling the world.

Megan Willburn joined other Honors students on a Global Dialogue in Krakow Poland this summer.

Honors in Krakow: Learning to Be More Than a Tourist

Megan Willburn

The Honors Program Global Dialogue in Krakow, Poland gave me the opportunity to learn what it means to be more than a tourist in another country. While family vacations provide fun and exciting experiences, a one-month intensive program offers a background on Polish history from Polish professors, insight into the Polish national consciousness from other students, and perspective on the way location affects viewpoints. Since the world is changing rapidly, with transnational corporations and quick flights allowing people, ideas, and products to travel rapidly, Honors students should endeavor to place themselves within the world map as citizens of an increasingly globalized world.

I really didn't realize how eye-opening this experience could be. I have, for the first time, been able to truly understand the perspective of another nation towards the US and the complexity of international relations. The most effective way we can do this is by traveling, learning history, exploring and meeting people -- and that is exactly what I did in Poland.

Investing in Our Community

Nebraska Honors has been listening to our community in Lincoln and throughout Nebraska, and we are investing our time and student talent into addressing community needs. One thing we heard is that Nebraska youth need caring adults in the afterschool space to inspire, excite and engage kids. This year we responded to this need by establishing Honors Afterschool Clubs with Lincoln's Community Learning Centers (CLCs). Honors Clubs are a win for everyone involved. By creating an opportunity for Honors students to "pitch a club" idea, we created an effective and impactful experiential learning opportunity for Honors students. Since these clubs in Lincoln are located in low-income, high-need schools, they address growing opportunity gaps in our community. Now, all over the city of Lincoln between the hours of 2:30-5:00 PM, Lincoln Public Schools youth are attending clubs created and led by Honors students. These near-peer programs are educational and interactive, encouraging everyone involved to become lifelong learners. UNL is not only giving back to our community, Honors is recruiting the next generation of Honors students and future leaders.

In our first year, we went from 10 clubs in the fall to 30 clubs in spring semester, with approximately 50 Honors students participating in Honors Afterschool Clubs. Our goal is to have 40 Honors clubs running this fall.

This would be impossible without the great partnership of Lincoln's CLC, Beyond School Bells, and Nebraska Children and Families Foundation. Emily Trauernicht, School Community Coordinator at Holmes Elementary, is grateful for "this awesome partnership. We have had nothing but outstanding reviews from students and parents." Nebraska Senator Adam Morfeld, one of our partners at Civic Nebraska, said, "As an afterschool provider and a policy maker, the need for enthusiastic, intelligent, and motivated Honors students in our after school programs could not be more critical, given the expanding demand and need for these services for working families and their children."

Rose Wehrman leads an Honors Afterschool Club about Adventure Stories at Prescott Elementary.

During the fall semester, Honors students will run semester-long, hands-on afterschool clubs for approximately 10 weeks. Students are paid and receive Honors honors, all while maximizing an experiential learning opportunity and developing critical skills to prepare them to excel in their chosen profession post-graduation. To help integrate what they are learning, we have set up reflection activities to ensure that students have the time to reflect on their experiences and integrate what they are learning outside the classroom with what they learn in our classes.

Honors students have responded enthusiastically! Mythology club leader Lauren Dubas said this about clubs: "This experience is nothing like what I get in a classroom. ...the curriculum is completely controlled by me and what I want to talk about. This allows me to learn more about this topic than I ever expected to, and interact with a group of great kids. The different parts of this experience have helped me figure out more of my own values and goals in life, in a way that a classroom could never have done for me."

We will continue creating these growth experiences for our students. This is a great example of how the Honors Program is listening to our community, rooting students here in Nebraska while allowing them to give back to the community, preparing them for careers anywhere. Everyone in this Honors partnership benefits: Honors students, youth involved in the clubs, and the community. What is there not to love?

We aren't stopping there when it comes to partnering with our community. We know that a great Honors education is not just about taking more credit hours or harder classes; it should be about providing students with the opportunities and options to customize their education and prepare them for 21st century careers. Since we want to prepare Honors students for their third job -- as well as their first and second -- this year we are developing The Honors Co-op for service, learning, and leadership that will connect Honors students to Nebraska by providing hands-on opportunities that respond to local priorities. Co-operative education, also known as work-based learning, has been implemented in many higher education institutions across the US -- some for over 100 years. This is not a new concept, but the philosophy of co-ops aligns closely with the characteristics and needs of incoming Gen Z students who want and need practice and experiences. It is that simple.

This year, we worked with campus and community partners to develop part-time and full-time work opportunities that allow students to earn money, establish a network of community contacts, and learn crucial professional skills. Here's what Honors student Chloe Higgins had to say about her professional experience as an Honors Intern for Nebraska Community Foundation over the summer:

I never imagined that my first full-time, "big kid" internship would take place in my hometown -- Nebraska City. With a population of only 7,200, I did not think it would be possible for me to return home during college for an interesting and challenging summer position, but I did. Working for the Nebraska Community Foundation this summer, while living at home, has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life, and helped me realize how much my hometown of Nebraska City has to offer.

Chloe Higgins, Honors Intern for Nebraska Community Foundation

For my summer internship, I am working on multiple projects at once. My largest project includes documenting all of the assets and associations around town to be sure that our town is showcasing groups that are doing important things in the community. I am also finding ways for different groups to work together to create an even more abundant community. Additionally, I am getting research experience, conducting interviews with Nebraska City leaders. I ask them about their passions, engagements, and their goals for our town. In my spare time, I am working with a local community foundation and Nebraska City High School on various projects. Since this has been such a powerful experience, I am keeping a blog to document my activities and what I am learning. I also love the job because it is flexible, and I am able to pursue my interests and passions -- all with a community lens.

Finally, even though this is my hometown, this internship helped me make valuable new connections with my neighbors and to learn about the incredible things that my hometown has to offer. Without this experience, I never would have realized what Nebraska City and our state offer. I hope other Honors students can have the opportunity to go home and make a difference in their own hometowns."

For Nebraska, there are real benefits to The Honors Co-op: the talent stays here in the state, and will help with innovation and leadership. Yes, the Honors Program is listening to our community partners, and what they are saying is: give us talented students, and we will give them great opportunities to develop Nebraska's next teachers, lawyers, and leaders.

Friends of Honors External Advisory Board

Dr. Patrice Berger, founding Director of the University Honors Program

Two years away from the Honors Program was just enough for former Honors Director, Dr. Patrice Berger. Recently, he agreed to return and serve on the newly formed Friends of Honors External Advisory Board, adding his name to a long list of Nebraska educators, leaders, and community experts supporting the Honors Program.

On October 17, the Friends of Honors will come together for their first meeting. Our Friends of Honors Board includes:

  • Dr. Patrice Berger
  • Congressman Doug Bereuter
  • Dr. Evelyn Jacobson
  • Tabitha Kaiser
  • Senator Bob Kerrey
  • Jan Labenz
  • Catherine Lang
  • Linda Major
  • Lori McClurg
  • Senator Adam Morfeld
  • Jenna Vitosch
  • Joyce Yen
  • Barbara Bartle
  • Tawana Grover

We are so grateful for the time and support of our Friends. You may wonder, why did these important individuals agree to sit on our board? For Congressman Doug Bereuter, his "interest and support for the Friends of Honors is to be a participating volunteer in encouraging and stimulating my alma mater's honors students to be life-long informed and active citizens at the local, state, and national level — wherever they choose to live. Since my life experience was significantly shaped and enriched by motivating educators and mentors, I feel some responsibility to try to at least partially repay that debt when it might be beneficial. The Honors Program seems like just such an opportunity."

Our alumni are key to future internships and full-time cooperatives. We are inviting them back to give lectures and to provide our current students with their wisdom and experiences.

For Dr. Joyce Yen, Director, The University of Washington's ADVANCE Center for Institutional Change and current Friends of Honors Board member, "The UNL Honors Program was central to my experience at Nebraska. I found my first and best friend through the Honors Program; we met at the Honors specific New Student Enrollment day the summer before we started college! I also had my first solo travel experiences through Honors - driving down to Kansas City with other Honors students. I still remember seeing this gorgeous, detailed painting of a woman in a white dress at the Nelson Atkins Museum during this Honors outing. It was my favorite of the trip and is my first "grown up" memory of soaking in the delights of an art museum. I found dedicated professors, kind mentors, and wonderful peers through my Honors classes. My honors experience was much more than just these classes, though. I think I was probably in the Honors Program student lounge almost daily during college. It was my home base my senior year when I lived off campus. Also, through the Honors Program Student Advisory Board and later through the Honors floor in Love Hall, I was able to befriend and learn from more senior Honors students and share what I had learned with students who came after me. The Honors Program truly impacted every aspect of my college experience and provided me many opportunities to learn and grow. UNL Honors continue to be a presence in my life even to this day. Most of the friends from college that I connect with to this day are friends I made through the Honors Program. I'm grateful to have been a part of the Honors Program and am eager to help it continue to thrive so that future students can be positively impacted by Honors just like I was."

Return home and come to Cornstock!

We invite you to join us for Cornstock 2019 during Homecoming Week to celebrate the NU150 on Friday, October 4. As part of the University-wide festivities, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm the Honors Program will host "Popcorn with the Patrices" in the Honors Program's new location: Robert E. Knoll Residential Center (440 N. 17th Street). Former Honors Director Patrice Berger and current Director Patrice McMahon will be available in the new Honors residence hall to reminisce about the past and talk about the future.

Former Honors Director Patrice Berger and current Director Patrice McMahon

The Homecoming Cornstock Festival on Memorial Mall – East Stadium Plaza will be fun-filled and include music, food trucks, and lots of activities for Huskers of all ages. The day concludes with Cocktails in the Coliseum, where the Honors Program will have reserved tables. We hope you will join us from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm.

We need YOU! Exciting things are happening at Nebraska Honors! If you would like to hear more from us and be invited to lectures, simulations or networking opportunities, please sign up HERE for our e-news. We will send out invitations to events and keep you up to date.