Will
Psychology · Waverly, Nebraska
For Will, the LGBTQA+ Resource Center is more than just an office in the Nebraska Union — it's a community. As a first-year student Will became involved with the resource center through their Peer Mentor Group, where students are paired up with an upperclassmen mentor in an effort to help new students become acclimated and active in the LGBTQA+ campus community. He gradually became more and more engaged in the center's events and activities. Now as a senior, he is the center's library and resource coordinator. In this role, he gives presentations, recommends LGBTQA+ friendly counselors and doctors, and oversees the 1,500 items in the center's library. Will is also the president and one of the founding members of TRANSform, a club focused on a new support system within the LGBTQA+ Resource Center. The group promotes advocacy and support for trans students and works together on everything from housing policies to inclusive swim nights for those that might feel uncomfortable at public pools. The resource center gave Will a community at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and now he's helping to expand it. "It's just nice to have people that are here to help you and support you," Will said.
Read all student storiesAbla
Assistant Professor of Practice of Arabic Language and Culture · Syria
As a hijabi Muslim woman in the middle of the United States, Abla really hasn't felt much different. She and her family have been graciously welcomed into the hearts, homes, churches and temples of the Lincoln community. Being away from Syria for 10 years, she's still surprised when people go out of their way to greet her with "salam alycom," which means "hi" in Arabic, or more specifically, "peace be with you." Efforts as small as these speak volumes to her. Half of her 10 years in Nebraska have been spent teaching at the university. She absolutely loves it, and she created a minor in Arabic studies that offers students three years of language and a new cultural experience. A couple of her courses are Love and Sexuality in the History of Arabic Culture and Women in the Qur'an, bringing Arabic culture to the classroom through media, authentic videos, poetry, music, dancing and food.
Don
custodial services · LIncoln, Nebraska
Today and every day, we’re thankful for our Husker community that is full of giving, dedicated people whose Husker pride runs deep. Don is one of those people. Over the past 45 years, he has gotten to know campus pretty well. As a member of the custodial services staff, he's kept City and East Campus spaces clean since he started working for the department in April 1975. But before Don worked at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, his father and mother were also staff members with custodial services. For a little while, the trio even worked alongside each other. And it doesn't stop there — Don's wife also worked for UNL for a number of years. According to Don's calculations, the family has worked more than 80 years for the university. The years add up even more when Don accounts for his more distant family members, like his uncle who worked in maintenance at the Nebraska Union post-World War II. Don's familial ties to the university are just as strong as the ties he's made with the campus community. Over the years he's been stationed in different halls, allowing him to make connections with faculty, staff and students as they cross paths during their daily routines. His time at the university has even afforded him some once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, like working on the set of "Terms of Endearment" when it was filmed on campus in the 1980s. Don has enjoyed the past 45 years, and he doesn't plan to retire anytime soon. "I hope to be here another at least four and a half to make it to 50," Don said, "And dependent on financial situations and health situations, I just might make it to 55 years."
Read all staff storiesTroy
Alumnus and Nursing Student · Gretna, Nebraska
Troy was surprised to learn that he’d volunteered with Husker Pantry for 5 semesters. The first-year nursing student has always just naturally gravitated toward serving others, dating all the way back to his Boy Scout days growing up.
“I was a Cub Scout when I was little and eventually got my Eagle Scout in high school, so service was always just on the forefront of everything I did when I was a kid.”
Troy came to UNL as an undergrad looking for service opportunities to supplement his interest in a career in healthcare. He eventually landed on pursuing a career in nursing, attracted to the idea of being the person who can work closely with patients to understand their specific needs and concerns.
“They say nurses are the patient’s advocate. So much of nursing is thinking about and talking to your patient and seeing what you can do to personally help them feel better and get back to their normal lives.”
This attention to everyone’s specific needs has made volunteering for the Husker Pantry a great fit for Troy, who says that it has broadened his understanding of different student experiences on campus.
“I’ve had a few different people tell me about their stories and why the pantry is a great resource for them,” he says. “A lot of the people who use the pantry also have dependents. it’s already hard being a student, but having dependents on top of that adds a whole other level.”
The Husker Pantry provides free food and personal items to UNL students, working to increase access to needed items and reduce stigmas around food insecurity. Troy and fellow pantry volunteers help to field incoming online orders, collecting and organizing items to get orders ready for student pickup.
Volunteering with the pantry is an easy way for students to give back on campus, says Troy.
“It can be as little as 2 hours a week, so it’s a great opportunity to get your foot in the door doing service on campus,” he explains. “I’ve been able to help all kinds of students just like myself who have a variety of different needs.”