Power of the Herd
KEARNEY – The University of Nebraska at Kearney is offering a new scholarship for pre-nursing students, thanks to a generous estate gift from the late Glenn and Pearle Lahaye.
Worth $10,000 over two years, the Lahaye Nursing Scholarship was created to provide additional financial support for central and western Nebraska students pursuing this health care profession.
It’s available to incoming students who plan to study in the pre-nursing program, with preference given to those from Sheridan, Keya Paha and Cherry counties or areas along and west of Highway 281. Students must have a high school GPA of 3.0 or higher and an ACT composite score of at least 20 to qualify. And they must plan to continue their nursing studies at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s College of Nursing.
UNK students currently completing their first year in the pre-nursing program are also eligible to apply for a $5,000 scholarship for the 2025-26 academic year.
The nursing scholarship is supported by a more than $600,000 gift from the Lahayes, along with funding from the Health Sciences Excellence Fund through the University of Nebraska Foundation.
“With the significant nursing shortage that continues in our state, we are extremely grateful for this generous donation from the Glenn and Pearle Lahaye Trust that will provide scholarships for pre-nursing students from central and western Nebraska for years to come,” said Peggy Abels, director of UNK Health Sciences. “The financial assistance provided by the Lahaye Nursing Scholarship will allow students to focus on academic success and gaining health care experience, thereby having a substantial impact on the success of these future nurses and the communities they will serve. Their generosity will have a lasting effect on the health care workforce in Nebraska.”
To apply for the Lahaye Nursing Scholarship, visit go.unk.edu/lahayescholarship. The application deadline is April 1.
For more information, contact Abels at 308-865-8260 or abelsp@unk.edu.
Currently, there are 200 students enrolled in the pre-nursing program at UNK. Over the past five years, 97% of UNK students applying to nursing school were accepted into a professional program.
Most of them choose to continue their education at UNMC, a longtime partner when it comes to training nurses to serve rural Nebraska. The institutions have been working together for more than two decades, going back to the days of Kearney State College.
More recently, they opened the $19 million Health Science Education Complex in 2015, allowing the UNMC College of Nursing to expand its undergraduate and graduate programs on the Kearney campus. The 46,000-square-foot facility also houses programs offered by the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions.
The second phase of that project – a $95 million Rural Health Education Building scheduled to open next year – will further address the ongoing need for nurses and other health care professionals in rural Nebraska. Located directly north of the Health Science Education Complex, the three-story, 110,000-square-foot facility allows UNMC to grow its nursing and allied health programs in Kearney while launching new programs to train physicians, pharmacists and public health professionals here.
The UNMC College of Nursing in Kearney admits nearly 90 students each year, with twice-a-year admission dates. There are UNMC nursing programs in Omaha, Lincoln, Scottsbluff and Norfolk, as well.
“The longstanding partnership between UNK and UNMC has transformed health care education in rural Nebraska, ensuring students have access to high-quality training right here in Kearney,” said interim UNK Chancellor Charlie Bicak. “The Lahaye Nursing Scholarship adds another crucial layer of support, helping pre-nursing students from central and western Nebraska pursue their passion for health care without financial barriers.”
Glenn and Pearle (Jones) Lahaye were both native Nebraskans born and raised in small, rural communities.
Originally from Burton, Pearle graduated from Keya Paha County High School in 1941 and spent most of her career working as a secretary and bookkeeper.
Glenn graduated from Rushville High School in 1939 and served as a dental technician and corporal in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He was stationed in Great Bend, Kansas, when the couple married there on March 20, 1944.
Following his military service, Glenn worked as a dental laboratory technician for five years before entering the banking business in Gordon and Merriman. The couple were part of the Gordon Jubilee Committee, and Pearle was a member of the Cherry County Extension Board.
In 1978, the couple moved to Minden, where Glenn was a member of the Masonic Lodge and American Legion. He also did clock repair work in the area.
Glenn passed away in 2002 at the age of 79, and Pearle died in 2022 at the age of 97. They’re both buried in Gordon Cemetery.
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