Nebraska AHEC Graduates 55 Scholars to Serve Underserved Areas
The Nebraska Area Health Education Center Scholars Program, based at UNMC, recently graduated 55 students.
The two-year program, part of a national initiative, prepares health professions students to serve in rural and urban underserved areas of the state.
The 2026 class of AHEC Scholars includes health professions students in such fields as dentistry, medicine, pharmacy, physical therapy, physician assistant, nursing and radiological technician programs. Graduates represent health profession programs at Clarkson College, Creighton University, Union Adventist University, UNMC and Western Nebraska Community College.
The AHEC Scholars Program is part of the Nebraska AHEC Program, which is based in the UNMC Department of Family Medicine. This year marks Nebraska AHEC’s 25th anniversary, celebrating a legacy that traces back further than the program’s official 2001 launch. Find more on the program and the 2026 report here.
The 2026 graduates include:
Clarkson College
Radiography Program
Bridgeport – Rilee Carrier
Creighton University
Pharmacy Program
Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico – Erwin Ruiz Morales
Mayaguez, Puerto Rico –Linoshka Mercado Lopez
Union Adventist University
Physician Assistant Program
Omaha – Kristin (Pivonka) Radke
Lincoln – Nancy Tran
University of Nebraska Medical Center
College of Allied Health
Physical Therapy Program
Bancroft – Kelsey Larsen
Loup City – Ashley Dearmont
Mason City – Trey Nelson
Norfolk – Hayden Wolf, Katherine (Meuret) Rohrich
Omaha – Mallory (Freilich) Stone
Shelby – Zachary Pandorf
Physician Assistant Program
Blair – Michaela Ott
Kearney – Alec Sawicki
Lindenhurst, IL – Tara Erickson
Madrid – Quinn Koop
North Liberty, IA – Stephanie LeBlanc
Thornton, CO – Logan Taylor
College of Allied Health — Kearney
Physical Therapy Program
Columbus – Emma Brandt
Dwight – Lexis Haney
Madison – Lauren Pfeifer
Stromsburg – Amanda Giannou
Physician Assistant Program
Axtell – Brooklynn (Christiancy) LeClair
Hartington – Abbe Morten
Norfolk – Ashleigh Avecilla
Omaha – Ashley Wilkins
Tryon – Aubrey Schultis
Radiologic Technology Program
Fullerton – Ethan Ciancio
College of Dentistry
Dentistry Program
Fremont – Emily Carlson
Gujarat, India – Shraddha Patel
Marquette – Bradley Schoch
O'Neill – Kendra Kozisek
College of Medicine
Medicine Program
Arnold – Lydia (Connell) Hesseltine
Bellevue – Austin Osborn
Bhimdatta, Nepal – Ayush Chataut
Brainard – Micaiah (Vrbka) Uhrmacher
Columbus – Paige Jeffryes
Tripoli, Libya – Nour Elrokhsi
Omaha – Abigail Sharp, Mitchell Westberry
Plainview – Austin Choat
Sidney – Makenna Douglas
Wausa – Thea (McFarland) Rosberg
College of Nursing – Panhandle Division
Nursing Program
Manila, Philippines – Steffi Geline Tactacan
College of Pharmacy
Pharmacy Program
Hartington – Lauren Wintz
Hickman – Noah Bratt
Kansas City, MO – Alyssa (VanGilder) Butler
O'Neill – MaKenzie Parks Sidak
Sidney – Morgan Jaggers
Western Nebraska Community College
Nursing Program
Alliance – Druid Swires