Cesar Torres Mulgado
Educational/School Psychology PhD · Defiance, Iowa
Cesar is dedicated to making schools better for teachers and students.
As a fourth-year PhD student, he works in the UNL Empowerment Initiative Lab. Started by Dr. Susan Swearer, the lab works with Lincoln Public Schools students to address situations of bullying behavior.
The lab takes an altered approach to these behaviors. Instead of placing students who participate in bullying on suspension, the lab assesses their needs and provides them with healthy behaviors to model and mental health resources.
Bullying is a complex topic, and a multitude of models and factors can point to the micro and macro causes of the behavior. But rather than instituting punishment for bullying, Cesar looks to implement prevention tactics for future instances.
“As long as there's risk factors, we can also put protective factors and counterbalance that,” Cesar said.
When Cesar meets with students, he often sees a different side of them that doesn’t come through on their school referral reports. By showing unconditional support, he can connect with them on a new level and see a new side to their personality.
“When you meet with them, you meet such a wonderful student that's unlike anything you saw on the referral. Yeah, they have issues, but by giving them that one-on-one attention...it becomes a whole different conversation,” Cesar said.
In addition to working with students, Cesar also assists teachers through the Nebraska Department of Education. In his work there, he helps educators combat compassion fatigue — the feeling of caring so much for others that you forget to care for yourself. By showing them methods of self-care, Cesar is helping teachers so that teachers can help their students.
“I think it's like a holistic approach...if the teachers are educated and trained, they can provide good behaviors for the students and the students will engage a lot better,” Cesar said. “It's all about relationships.”
Aaron
Director of Cornhusker Speech & Debate · Lincoln, Nebraska
Since its inception 151 years ago as the Palladian Debate Society, the Cornhusker Speech & Debate team has grown into a nationally recognized program that regularly produces Big Ten and national champions.
Dr. Aaron Duncan is the director for Cornhusker Speech & Debate and has been with the team since 2005. When he first came to UNL, he was familiar with the group’s impressive history and their famous former teammates like speechwriter Ted Sorensen.
Aaron and his fellow coaches develop students from a variety of majors for speech and debate competitions. Students competing in speech perform prepared pieces ranging from persuasive and informative speeches to poetry performance. They may also compete in extemporaneous or impromptu speeches where they are given anywhere from two to 30 minutes to draft a speech based on a current event or quotation. Or, students may compete in the debate round, where they research a specific topic for the entire speech season and go head-to-head against other teams.
“We've debated agricultural policy alternative fuels, immigration policy, diplomacy with China,” Aaron said. “All sorts of different topics.”
This April, Aaron and the Cornhusker Speech & Debate team will host the best of the best speech and debate students from across the country at the annual National Speech Tournament. While the Huskers are excited to share their campus with their competitors, they also look forward to defending their status as one of the nation’s top teams. But while the awards and accolades are rewarding, Aaron loves speech and debate for more than just that.
“Teaching students that mindset of resiliency — to be process-focused, to do great research, to think critically and to strive for constant improvement, is really the outcome that we're seeking as an educational activity,” Aaron said. “And then most of all, we also just want it to be fun.”
Kevin
Program Coordinator at the Jackie Gaughan Multicultural Center · LIncoln, Nebraska
When Kevin was growing up, his grandmother always told him that “life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Kevin has taken that message to heart. It’s what drove him to work at University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s Office of Academic Success and Intercultural Services (OASIS), and he echoes its meaning each week at Dish It Up. Dish It Up is a space for the UNL community to gather and engage in meaningful dialogue. This summer, Kevin hosted special editions of Dish It Up for those who want to engage in conversations surrounding the injustices that have been inflicted on the Black community both historically and in recent weeks. While typical Dish It Up meetings have 25 to 40 attendees, more than 500 people registered for the first round of the special edition topic sessions. They’re conversations that force people out of their comfort zone and allow them to hear different perspectives and stories. “The conversations are important because in order to learn and grow from one another and from each other, we have to be able to listen,” Kevin said. Kevin said that the best way to be an ally is by asking questions. Programs like Dish It Up allow you to ask those questions, but you can also dig into them through podcasts, books and other educational resources. He encourages people to use their platforms and their abilities as best they can — from posting on social media, to donating funds, to volunteering with organizations that empower marginalized people. “Whether you realize it or not, we’re all in this thing together.” Kevin said, “We are all interwoven into the fabric of UNL....We’re all different colors and shapes and sizes and religious beliefs and political beliefs and, you know, hair colors and eye colors....So we’re all woven into this thing together, and so it is your responsibility to help somebody else.”
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.”