Power of the Herd
KEARNEY – Twenty high school seniors from across the state will attend the University of Nebraska at Kearney as part of scholarship programs that prepare them for high-demand careers in law, government and public administration.
The UNK Department of Political Science selected 16 students for the prestigious Kearney Law Opportunities Program (KLOP), a partnership with the University of Nebraska College of Law that addresses the ongoing need for more attorneys in greater Nebraska.
Launched in 2016, the program recruits and trains students from rural Nebraska who are committed to practicing in these communities as professionals.
All KLOP participants receive a partial room waiver and tuition assistance during their time at UNK, with most scholarships covering the full cost of tuition. The program also offers academic support, including one-on-one mentorship from faculty and peers, along with professional development opportunities.
KLOP members connect with current law students, judges, attorneys and other professionals during on-campus events and frequent visits to the Nebraska College of Law in Lincoln, with these interactions leading to internships both locally and nationally. They’re encouraged to participate in undergraduate research and other experiential learning activities, including field study courses that allow them to learn about international human rights law during a two-week trip to Europe and the politics and law of the Civil Rights Movement during a one-week trip to the Southern U.S.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree at UNK, students are guaranteed admission into the Nebraska College of Law, provided GPA and Law School Admission Test (LSAT) requirements are met.
When the newest class of KLOP scholars arrives on campus this fall, a total of 56 students will be part of the UNK program.
“This highly accomplished class of incoming KLOP students comes from all areas of the state, which is really exciting,” said program director and political science professor Chuck Rowling, who serves as chair of the UNK Department of Political Science. “It is clear that these students are drawn to the intellectual rigor of this program, as well as the numerous experiential learning and professional development opportunities that will be available to them. I am excited to see the eventual impact these students will have on addressing the shortage of attorneys in rural Nebraska.”
The KLOP program is available to Nebraska students outside Lincoln and the Omaha metropolitan area. Participants can major in any academic area as long as they plan to pursue a law degree.
The following students will start the Kearney Law Opportunities Program this fall:
Evan Hermanson – Aurora
Katelyn Mitchell – Blair
Blake Hochstein – Bloomfield
Brynn Custer – Broken Bow
Jodean Chesley – Chadron
Riley Holling – Grand Island
Evan Reiber – Hastings
Mathew King – Holdrege
Emma Grube – Minden
Amanda Waggoner – Potter
Abigail Reyes – Red Cloud
Wyatt Benzel – St. Paul
Clara Guenther – Springfield
Luke Ludwig – Stuart
Brodie Panko – Syracuse
Macy Vrtiska – Table Rock
In addition to the KLOP scholars, UNK is welcoming the inaugural cohort of students selected for the Nebraska Good Life Opportunities Program.
That program was created last fall to inspire more students to pursue careers in government and public administration within the state. A partnership with the University of Nebraska at Omaha, it prepares participants for a variety of high-demand, high-wage positions, such as city managers, urban and regional planners, nonprofit managers, public policy administrators and economic development officials, among many others.
The Nebraska Good Life Opportunities Program covers the full cost of tuition, up to 120 credit hours, for in-state students admitted to UNK. Participants receive one-on-one mentorship from the UNK faculty director along with access to professional development and experiential learning opportunities. These include internships, paid research, membership in the student chapter of the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), regular interactions with city, county and state officials and visits to the UNO School of Public Administration to meet with faculty, staff and students there.
The program also features two significant field study experiences – a one-week trip to Washington, D.C., to learn about federal policymaking and a one-week journey through the Southern U.S. to study contemporary civil rights issues.
After completing their undergraduate education at UNK, participants are guaranteed admission into UNO’s Master of Public Administration program, as long as they maintain a GPA of 3.5 or higher. They receive preferred access to scholarships and graduate assistantships at UNO, as well.
“This is our inaugural class of Nebraska Good Life students, and I could not be more excited about it,” said Rowling, who also directs this program. “These are very talented students who aspire to work in the public sector after completing their undergraduate degree at UNK and earning their Master of Public Administration at UNO. I have no doubt that they will have a profound impact within their local communities and throughout the state once they complete their studies.”
The following students will start the Nebraska Good Life Opportunities Program this fall:
Oliver Herman – Clarks
Luke Olson – Gibbon
Titus Tracy – Gibbon
Andrea Melendez-Ramirez – Lexington
More information on the UNK scholarship programs is available at unk.edu/klop and go.unk.edu/goodlife or by contacting Rowling at 308-865-8171 or rowlingcm@unk.edu.
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