31 minute read
AROUND THE TOWER
by LoperPride
Work begins on University Village housing, tennis projects
e next two additions to the University of Nebraska at Kearney's University Village development are beginning to take shape. Construction started this fall on the Element 30 housing project, and earthwork is underway at the site of a new indoor tennis complex.
Planned in four phases over ve years, the $48 million Element 30 housing project includes 230 total units – a combination of apartments, 10-plexes and townhomes. e $14 million rst phase includes 86 units, as well as a clubhouse, outdoor swimming pool, indoor and outdoor gyms, carriage house, attached garages and courtyard. is phase is targeted for completion in June 2021.
ere will also be a 5,000-square-foot retail space with a restaurant planned as the anchor business.
e project is a publicprivate partnership between UNK and Grand Island real estate developer Scott Rief. His company, Millennium Development, will build, own and manage the housing. UNK is leasing the land to Millennium.
e indoor tennis complex will be built along North Railroad Street on the south edge of University Village.
UNK and the city of Kearney are partnering on this project, which has an estimated price tag of $8.5 million. e donordriven project will be paid for primarily with private contributions and a $1.125 million grant awarded to the city by the state’s Civic and Community Center Financing Fund.
e city will construct, own and operate the sixcourt tennis complex, and UNK will provide operational and maintenance support.
A proposed oor plan for the facility includes the six indoor courts, o ces for UNK tennis and Kearney Park and Recreation, a meeting room, lockers and a reception and lobby area.
Construction should begin this fall, with an expected completion date of February 2022.
Regional Engagement and Alumni Center approved for UNK's University Village
e University of Nebraska Board of Regents approved a project in December that will connect academics, government and business while strengthening Kearney’s role as a regional hub and portal to greater Nebraska. e public-private partnership will add a Regional Engagement and Alumni Center to the University of Nebraska at Kearney's University Village development.
Chancellor Doug Kristensen called the $15.6 million project a “centerpiece and anchor” for University Village that will attract talented students and faculty to UNK, bring new businesses to the city and bene t employers across the state.
e two-story, 49,000-square-foot facility west of the Village Flats residence hall is slated for completion in summer 2022.
It will feature meeting, conference and public gathering spaces designed to accommodate both large and small events, as well as state-of-the-art technology capable of connecting people from across the world through virtual meetings and presentations. e building could host career fairs, campus and community events, lectures, public hearings, government meetings and countless other engagements.
e rst of several o ce buildings planned at the 104-acre University Village development, the Regional Engagement and Alumni Center will also serve as a destination for professional rms, public and private agencies and nonpro ts looking to lease o ce space in central Nebraska.
UNK will own and occupy approximately 24,000 square feet, and the UNK Alumni Association and University of Nebraska Foundation, currently located at 214 W. 39th St. in Kearney, will also call the building home.
At the age of 17, Jeremey Gee ew on a plane for the rst time, making a 1,400-mile trip by himself from Oceanside, California, to attend the University of Nebraska at Kearney. is was the beginning of a journey that would lead him to his future career as a math teacher and coach and would spark his sense of wanderlust.
Gee, who is currently a math teacher at Cherry Creek High School in Colorado, said choosing a college came down to academics, athletics and scholarship opportunities.
“I was looking for a school that had a good criminal justice, math or teacher preparation program,” Gee said. “I hadn’t declared a major when I arrived, but I knew I wanted to be in one of those elds. I was also looking for an opportunity to run track, so I made a list of schools that o ered those opportunities.”
UNK was on that list, and while researching the campus and talking to admission representatives, Gee decided that the opportunities UNK o ered pushed the university higher until it was his top choice. “After applying, I got a call from an admissions counselor at least once a week,” he said. “I thought if they are this supportive before I arrive, it is going to be amazing when I get there!”
Gee didn’t visit UNK’s campus before moving to Kearney his freshman year in 1994, and the shift from California to Nebraska was quite a culture shock. In addition to living in a new state, UNK’s campus wasn’t as diverse as his hometown. But he quickly made friends and established relationships with mentors in both the athletics and the math departments that became like family and helped with his transition.
By SHONNA HILL - UNK Alumni Association
Jeremey Gee ’99
Adjusting to college life also proved to be a struggle. A healthy student-life balance wasn’t easy to accomplish for Gee. “Freshman year was a challenge for me academically,” he said. “I was so distracted with sports, being a long way from home, general studies class sizes, freshman activities and work; classes just weren’t a priority for me.”
However, despite a roller coaster of a rst year, there were both positives and negatives that came from it. “I learned that it didn’t matter how bright of a student I was, my grades didn’t re ect that. I often share this story with my current students because it’s a good reminder that grades aren’t just given but earned,” he said.
Learning how to set priorities and declaring math as his major helped focus Gee.
His sophomore year, Gee was a member of the track team, and after speaking with football players from his dorm and coaches regarding scholarship opportunities, he tried out for and made the team. Being a member of two UNK athletic teams had a major impact on his life, helping him with his academic focus and time management skills.
Gee had a stellar athletic career at UNK, where he was a standout in both football and track. As a defensive back in football, he was a four-year starter, earning all-conference honors as a senior. In track, he served as the team captain and was an RMAC all-conference standout in the jumping events and as a member of the 400- and 1,600-meter relays, setting two school records in 1998. In 1999, Gee graduated from UNK, where he was the rst AfricanAmerican student to earn a Bachelor of Science in mathematics. Since then, he has traveled not only across the country, but also around the world, teaching and coaching. “To say my journey has been interesting is putting it lightly. From Oceanside to Kearney, to coaching at Harvard University, to teaching in England and now Colorado, it’s been an adventure,” he said.
rough all his travels, one thing remains the same: his love for teaching and helping his students accomplish their goals. He routinely recalls his experiences at UNK and how they shaped his teaching style. “I often think back to my freshman year and the life skills I learned when I, now as a teacher, try to inspire, motivate, or in uence a student,” he said.
Looking back, Gee’s advice to current students is to “take advantage of the family atmosphere at UNK.”
UNK Confronts a Growing Issue in Early Childhood Education
By KRISTIN HOWARD - University of Nebraska Foundation
Sarah Collins, a sophomore from Omaha, knew she wanted to be a teacher long before choosing the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
She expected a standard arc of education classes to prepare her with method and theory, then a semester of student teaching to get real-world experience to launch her career in the classroom. Instead, she began working with students almost right away with a job at the LaVonne Kopecky Plambeck Early Childhood Education Center at UNK.
Collins is delighted with the change of plans.
“ is job has been such a light in my life, and applying here was truly the best decision I have made as a college student thus far,” she said.
e Plambeck Center opened in November 2019 in University Village, a mixed-use, urban-village development that's located just south of UNK's main campus. e center provides developmentally appropriate early education for up to 176 children from infants to 6-year-olds, including those with special needs. It features 11 classrooms dedicated to three research-based philosophies for early childhood education.
e Plambeck Center’s facility also serves as a lab where students from UNK and the University of Nebraska Medical Center prepare for their future careers through experiential learning activities, such as classroom observations, practicums, internships, student teaching, diagnostic testing and research.
Interim Director Chelsea Bartling ’09 manages the center’s day-to-day operations, collaborating with various campus departments and community organizations on learning, child development and research initiatives.
“At the Plambeck Center we encourage our college students to come and learn through interactions with the children and teachers here at the center,” Bartling said. “Hands-on experiences with early childhood students provide our future educators a valuable learning experience that tandems the university teaching. It puts the practices learned into play and helps to guide our future educators in their teaching journey.”
Collins said the learning is constant, and UNK and UNMC students are included in many aspects of the center.
“I was recently promoted to teacher’s assistant and have been involved in lesson planning and have had experience being the lead instructor when the lead teacher is not in the room,” she said.
In addition to serving Kearney-area families, the Plambeck Center addresses a statewide need for developing early childhood educators in a hands-on setting that exposes them to the best teaching methods.
“We know there’s a severe shortage of high-quality early childhood education providers,” said Bartling. “ at’s been a big issue, especially for rural Nebraska. It is important for our future educators to continue their educational journey, as students still need highly quali ed teachers to teach even amongst the teaching challenges that our society is currently facing.”
It’s a workforce need and a community need, she said, noting that child care and early education are among the top priorities for employees and businesses looking to move into a community.
“As individuals come to town, child care is one of the rst things they look for. We as a center and business need to be ready to help support families,” said Bartling.
Kearney residents and UNK graduates Jennifer ’99 and Chuck Rowling ’03 recognize the advantages of the Plambeck Center’s educational approach.
“Our family has been fortunate to have all three of our children attend the Plambeck Center,” said Jennifer Rowling. “ e excellent teachers and students who work with the children daily are the true heart of the center and do an amazing job providing the early childhood education that sets these children apart from their peers. Learning through play and exploration is so important for children, and the center has gured out how to incorporate fun and learning daily.
e center’s role in educating early childhood teachers and other professionals is expected to address a growing need across Nebraska.
rough 2026, the Nebraska Department of Labor projects that there will be an average of almost 2,300 job openings for child care workers each year and a cumulative 12% expansion of total employment in this occupation between 2016 and 2026.
Preschool teaching alone is expected to have more than 100 openings per year and a 9% total employment growth during this decade.
e Nebraska Department of Education conducts its annual Teacher Vacancy Survey in PK-12 schools each fall. Its 2019 survey showed early childhood education sitting 10th among 15 endorsements with a shortage of educators — the fth straight year it has been identi ed as a shortage area.
UNK’s Early Childhood Inclusive Teaching Field Endorsement Degree program, which is among the largest in the state with more than 250 students, is playing a key role in building this skilled workforce. Students at the Plambeck Center are also being trained for all di erent types of classrooms. In January, the center opened its Montessori Early Childhood classroom, which will enable more teachers to complete credentials in Montessori and support LaVonne Plambeck’s complete vision.
Mark Reid, Ph.D., who took the reins as dean of the College of Education in 2020, re ected on the impact Plambeck’s passion for education has had at UNK.
“Many thanks go out to Dr. LaVonne Plambeck, for whom the center is named,” Reid said. “Her enthusiasm and generosity were imperative for this aesthetically and functionally beautiful facility to become a reality. In addition to the traditional classrooms, one of the spaces has been fully out tted for Montessori teaching, for which Dr. Plambeck has an international reputation. At UNK, we are always looking for and improving the best and e ective ways to prepare our teachers.”
Bartling said, “As a graduate from the Early Childhood Inclusive Endorsement program at UNK, I feel that the program and those hands-on experiences of the university child care center played a huge role in where I am as an administrator and former preschool teacher/ special educator.”
Bartling’s UNK teaching and administration experience has come full circle. Collins is at the beginning of her journey but loves what her future may hold.
“One day, when I was working with the pre-K students, I spent the last half hour of the day working directly with a few of them on writing the alphabet. ey were so excited about learning and displaying their knowledge, and it really made an impact on me,” said Collins. “ at spark in their eyes — that’s what all of this is about. is moment painted a picture of what my future will be like.”
Piano man: By TYLER ELLYSON - UNK Communications
Mick Johnson Plays Important Part at UNK
A grand piano has roughly 12,000 individual parts.
The vast majority of those pieces are tucked inside the cabinet, where a series of felt-covered hammers and tightly wound metal strings produce the instrument’s distinctive sound.
It takes a skilled professional to keep such an elaborate apparatus in perfect harmony.
Johnson, the piano technician at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, plays an important part in the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance. It’s his job to care for the approximately 55 pianos on campus – plus one at the Museum of Nebraska Art in downtown Kearney – ensuring the instruments are in tiptop condition for rehearsals and performances.
Johnson says tuning a piano is “just like solving a puzzle.” Most modern pianos have around 230 strings that must be carefully adjusted to keep the instrument in tune. When regulating the touch of a piano, there are more than 35 individual adjustments for each key, all of which are interrelated.
“If even one of those adjustments gets messed up, it becomes very obvious in how the piano feels and responds,” Johnson said.
To make the process even more challenging, Johnson chooses to tune each piano aurally, with assistance from an electronic device.
“Aural and electronic tuning both have their merit, but there is a level of refinement that can only be achieved with the trained ear,” he said.
Johnson, who can tune a piano in about an hour, has an extensive musical background to lean on.
“When I was around 4 or 5, my folks would put on records and I could figure out the chord progressions by ear,” he said.
The North Platte native started playing the drums in elementary school and continued to pursue his passion after enrolling at UNK (then Kearney State College).
In addition to performing with the college’s Pride of the Plains Marching Band and Jazz/Rock Ensemble, Johnson and a few buddies formed their own rock band, The Untold. The band members, all music majors, took classes together and lived in the same off-campus apartment.
“We spent our college years playing every weekend,” Johnson said.
They even had their own tour bus, an old 88-passenger school bus that made countless trips to gigs across Nebraska, Kansas and eastern Colorado.
After graduating in 1991 with a degree in music business, Johnson traveled the country as a professional musician before returning to Kearney in 1995. That’s when he met Wes Hird, who held Johnson’s current job for 23 years.
“I heard through the grapevine that Wes was looking to take somebody on to train because he had to go in for heart surgery,” Johnson explained.
The rocker with hair extending to the middle of his back called the clean-cut piano technician and they instantly hit it off.
A few months after Hird took Johnson under his wing, the apprentice left his full-time job at Yandas Music to devote more time to piano tuning, maintenance and repair. Within a year, he had his own business, Action Piano Services.
A registered piano technician with the Piano Technicians Guild, Johnson works with a variety of clients through his business. He’s tuned pianos at private residences, schools and churches, as well as Nebraska Wesleyan University and Hastings College, and he completes full restorations and rebuilds at his home shop.
When Hird retired, Johnson followed in his mentor’s footsteps by joining the UNK staff in 2007.
“It just seemed like a good fit for me,” Johnson said. “It’s a great job. I like this town. And I have fond memories of this school. Some of the best times of my life revolve around my days here at UNK.
Johnson also enjoys his time on the stage.
After a seven-year hiatus, he resurrected his music career in 2014 when he joined Blackberry Winter, a classic rock band formed in the early 1970s at Kearney State College. Johnson, a guitarist, percussionist and vocalist, is a member of the spinoff groups Blue Plate Special and the dB Duo, as well.
In his free time, the piano technician and musician can be found at various performances on campus, but he admits his career has “ruined” him as an audience member.
It’s also what makes him so good at his job.
Odalys Cruz Aims to Inspire Students in Her Hometown
By TYLER ELLYSON - UNK Communications
In Schuyler, Nebraska, population 6,300, half of the residents were born outside the United States. Only 53% of adults ages 25 or older completed high school, and just 9% went on to earn a bachelor’s degree. e Colfax County community is a safe haven for people from across the world who left their home countries in search of a better life. Odalys Cruz’s story begins here. e daughter of Guatemalan immigrants, Cruz was born in New Jersey and raised in Schuyler, where her mother, Isabel, works at the Cargill beef-processing plant, the city’s largest employer. Like so many others in town, Isabel never had the opportunity to pursue an education in Guatemala. She was forced to quit school in the third grade so she could help support her family. “She tells me that story all the time,” Cruz said. “She cried and cried because all she wanted was to go to school.” Cruz’s parents recognized the value of education, and they wanted their children to take advantage of an opportunity they didn’t get. “My parents always pushed me to get good grades, because that’s all they could understand,” Cruz said. “ ey knew that getting good grades meant I was learning.” And Cruz loved to learn. A self-described “nerdy kid,” the highlight of her summers was shopping for back-to-school supplies. at meant it was almost time to return to the classroom. She also used her uency in both English and Spanish to help her parents understand the lessons she brought home each day. “It was exciting for me to teach them what I was
Odalys Cruz shares her love for learning with students at Schuyler Middle School. The 24-year-old returned to her hometown in 2018 after graduating from UNK. (Photo by Todd Gottula, UNK Communications)
learning,” she said.Cruz enjoyed school so much, she didn’t want to leave. And there was one career that would allow her to stay in the classroom. “I realized I can share my love for learning with students,” Cruz said. “If I’m a teacher, I never have to say goodbye to school.”
During her senior year at Schuyler Central High School, Cruz joined a friend who was visiting the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Cruz knew UNK had a strong teacher education program, but she’d never seen the campus located 2 1/2 hours from her hometown. “UNK was something I hadn’t ever experienced. I think I had been on a college campus maybe once or twice because of high school activities,” Cruz said. “It was almost like a di erent world to me. It was exciting.” Her excitement continued to grow as she discovered all the ways she could get involved at UNK. When she was o ered a Bilingual Educators Scholarship through the O ce of Multicultural A airs, Cruz knew she wanted to be a Loper. At age 17, the rst-generation college student was ready to leave home and begin the next chapter in life. “It was a big move, but we knew the scholarship was too good to pass up,” she said. Cruz t right in at UNK, where she was a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, Hispanic Student Association, Kearney Association for Bilingual Educators and several other organizations. e campus tour guide and dean’s list student was named a homecoming royalty nalist in 2017. “I made a lot of connections with a lot of di erent people at UNK,” Cruz said. “If I could go back to being a college student solely for the purpose of reliving those years, I would. My years at UNK were honestly some of the best times.” UNK also had a big impact on her teaching career, fueling her passion for education and solidifying her decision to follow this path. “I appreciated the teacher education program at UNK because we were able to learn things in class, then apply this knowledge in an actual K-12 classroom,” she said. As a freshman and sophomore, Cruz was part of e Language Project, a national program that o ers Spanish language programs for kids. She taught students at four di erent elementary schools in Kearney. Cruz gained additional classroom experience at Kearney Catholic High School, Gibbon Public
Schools and Horizon Middle School in Kearney, where she completed her student teaching. She called her adviser, Patsy Bruner, a “huge in uence” on her teaching style. “She was very helpful while guiding me through everything, and she really got to know me,” Cruz said of Bruner, a teacher education lecturer who retired in August 2018. “I felt like I wasn’t just a kid in college going through the steps. I was being prepared to impact others.” Amy Nebesniak, an associate professor in UNK’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics, was another mentor. “She really taught me how to teach math and gave me a great philosophy,” said Cruz, who earned a bachelor’s degree in middle grades education with emphases in math and Spanish. She graduated cum laude, with a 3.73 GPA, in May 2018.
Cruz was still student teaching when Michelle Burton, then the principal at Schuyler Middle School, called her out of the blue. Burton knew all about Cruz, and she wanted the UNK student to interview for a teaching position at the middle school. “I hadn’t even submitted an application,” said Cruz, who was aware of the opening but unsure about returning to Schuyler. “I felt like I still had a lot of growing up to do before I went back home,” she said. Cruz eventually agreed to the interview – her rst for a teaching position – and was o ered the job on the spot. “It all happened really fast,” she said. “It was such a great interview, and I felt like this was something I couldn’t pass up.” e 24-year-old made an immediate impact at Schuyler Middle School, where she’s taught seventh-grade math and Spanish since fall 2018. Jesse Zavadil, a former assistant principal who took over for Burton in June, called Cruz a hard worker whose positive attitude and openmindedness create an engaging classroom experience for students. “It’s really easy to come into a school and just teach your students the same way it’s always been done, but Ms. Cruz has been willing to try more innovative teaching practices and get students talking about math,” Zavadil said. “She really has done a great job of nding new ways to reach students.” Cruz has already become a leader at the school, according to Zavadil, who noted that her upbeat, approachable style is appreciated by her co-workers. e Schuyler Middle School principal is so impressed by Cruz that he nominated her for the Nebraska Association of Teachers of Mathematics (NATM) Rookie of the Year award, which she received in September. Presented during the association’s annual conference, held virtually this year, the award honors Nebraska math teachers in their rst three years of service who demonstrate passion and excellence in math education. “When I saw NATM had an award for newcomer of the year, I instantly thought of Ms. Cruz,” Zavadil said. Cruz, who started attending NATM conferences during college, had a di erent reaction. “I was very shocked. It almost feels like imposter syndrome,” she said. “ ere are so many amazing teachers out there.” at may be true, but few nd the perfect t like Cruz has at Schuyler Middle School, where 89% of the students are Hispanic or Latino. Because she’s from Schuyler, Cruz is able to develop an instant connection with her students. ese relationships are her favorite part of teaching. “I really like to get to know the kids and form those relationships with them. en the content comes,” she said. “It’s so cool to see that growth and witness those aha! moments.” Cruz, who also coaches volleyball and is part of a community STEM committee, now realizes how important it is for her to be back in her hometown. She wants to serve as a role model for students from similar backgrounds, inspiring them to continue their education and pursue their dream jobs. “I think it’s so important for students to have people to look up to, and I hope to be that person in Schuyler,” said Cruz, whose younger sister Nayeli currently attends UNK. “ at’s why this is where I’m meant to be.”
LOUIE'S PRIDE
INSIDE LOPER ATHLETICS
Donna Bamford – a ‘grandmother figure’ for UNK Athletics – supports students in many ways
By TYLER ELLYSON - UNK Communications
Donna Bamford has been a University of Nebraska at Kearney supporter for decades. She was in the stands in December 1963 when UNK — then Kearney State College — hosted Prairie View A&M in the NAIA playo s. “It rained. It sleeted. It snowed. It did everything that day. But they still won,” Bamford said with a chuckle, still questioning how a football team from Texas escaped the Nebraska elements with a 20-7 victory over the previously unbeaten Lopers. “I sat out in those bleachers all game,” she said. “It’s just something you do.” Bamford, a Kearney resident for nearly 60 years, never attended UNK. Her late husband, Jim, and four children didn’t either. But you’d never know that by talking to her. She can tell stories about trips to Kansas City for championship events or watching Loper legend Tom Kropp play football and basketball in the 1970s. To this day, Bamford remains one of UNK’s most loyal fans. “I just think you should support your hometown team,” she said of her dedication to the university. Bamford has done that and then some. In addition to being a regular at home sporting events — Athletic Director Marc Bauer is surprised when he doesn’t see her in the crowd — Bamford has personally contributed to the success of UNK Athletics in a number of ways. She’s involved with the Loper Football Backers fundraiser, which has generated nearly $2 million for student-athlete scholarships, and she helped create a fund to support UNK coaches. Bamford has also contributed to several capital projects, including
the Foster Field turf replacement, weight room improvements and women’s basketball locker room. This past September, UNK players, coaches and athletics sta gathered in the Health and Sports Center to recognize Bamford and celebrate her latest gift — a dedicated locker room for the women’s soccer and softball teams. “Donna truly believes in our mission of providing the best possible experience for all of our studentathletes while preparing them for life after college,” Bauer said during the ceremony. Formerly a sta locker room, the renovated space will be utilized by roughly 50 student-athletes during o season workouts and other team activities. “It looks amazing,” said UNK head softball coach Katie Ackermann, noting that a top-notch, oncampus facility will add value to the program and benefit recruiting. “We’re very grateful for Donna’s generosity.” Head soccer coach Chloe Roberts was equally impressed. “This is an awesome facility for our team to have. It helps the program in so many ways,” she said. “Words can’t express how thankful we are.” Bamford’s impact at UNK also extends into the classroom through an endowed scholarship she created for the construction management program. She and her husband Jim started Bamford Plumbing and Heating in 1958. Known as Bamford Inc. since 1971, the full-service fire sprinkler, plumbing and heating company remains family-owned. Lucas Dart, vice president of alumni relations and development at UNK, said, “Donna is the perfect example of a community member who sees the incredible value UNK adds to Kearney. She’s acted on that enthusiasm and used her resources to make a tremendous di erence on our campus, particularly for our student-athletes. We are incredibly grateful for her.” In perhaps her most important role, Bamford serves as a “grandmother figure” to many UNK students and coaches by opening her home to anyone who needs someone to talk to. She’s spent countless hours around her kitchen table listening, learning and building relationships. “I love these kids,” Bamford said. The feeling is mutual. “One of the things she tells me all the time is, ‘I want to see everybody do well.’ That shows me her heart is in the right place and she really cares about these student-athletes,” Bauer said. “She’s just so genuine. It’s a joy to be around somebody like that.”
Dick Collins ’76
Richard “Dick” Collins ’76 was the man behind the Loper athletic scenes. From 1976 to 2013, he was the University of Nebraska at Kearney equipment manager, and where he had the opportunity to mentor many students and athletes. His ability to listen, talk and remember each person's name was a gift. He loved everything about sports and rarely missed a Loper game before and after his retirement. Collins began his career in athletics as a student assistant in 1967, before heading to the U.S. Navy. The Ord native returned to campus in 1975 and graduated a year later with a Bachelor of Science degree in recreation. He was responsible for outfi tting all Loper teams, which numbered 10 when he began at then-Kearney State College. With the advent of women's sports, the number of teams grew to 17. In 2014, he married the love of his life, Shirley Johnson, after many years of bachelorhood. They loved attending UNK functions, their church and gatherings with family and friends. Collins was blessed with a wonderful family that included three stepchildren (whom he claimed as his own), Cindy and her husband, Kim Johnson; Scott and his wife, Kathy Johnson; and Brad and his wife, Diane Johnson. In 2015, he was inducted into the University of Nebraska at Kearney Athletic Hall of Fame. He was a member of the Athletic Equipment Manager's Association since its inception in 1976, and after 38 years, he became a lifetime member. In 1990, he helped design the current equipment room housed on the ground fl oor of the Health and Sports Center. In 2017, the space was named the Dick Collins Equipment Room in his honor. Collins died January 19 at the age of 73.
To donate to the Richard “Dick” Collins Memorial Scholarship Fund, please visit nufoundation.org/fund/01155210
— CHARLOTTE PERRY
For Charlotte, that place is the University of Nebraska. Even though she’s lived in the San Diego area for decades, the North Platte native established a fund to benefit the University of Nebraska at Kearney, because “Nebraska stays in your veins.” Before establishing her fund, Charlotte says she “put a lot of thought into where her money would do the most good.” In the end, that came down to future generations of UNK students, who will benefit from Charlotte’s thoughtfulness and estate planning for many decades to come.
— Charlotte Perry
Visit nufoundation.org/charlotteperry to learn more about Charlotte’s story. For more information about how you can include the University of Nebraska in your estate plans, email gift.planning@nufoundation.org or contact a gift planning officer at 800-432-3216.
