Nebraska Area Health Education Center Scholars Program Graduates 51 Students

The Nebraska Area Health Education Center Scholars Program, based at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, recently graduated 51 students.

The two-year program, part of a national initiative, prepares health profession students to serve in rural and urban underserved areas of the state.

The 2023 class of AHEC Scholars includes health professions students in dentistry, nursing, paramedic, pharmacy, physical therapy, physical therapy assistant, physician assistant, medicine, radiologic technology and speech therapy. The graduates represent health profession programs at Central Community College, Northeast Community College, Regional West Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology, Southeast Community College, University of Nebraska at Kearney, University of Nebraska Medical Center and Western Nebraska Community College.

During the two-year program, students engaged with a variety of health professionals, community leaders and potential employers. They gained insight into health care issues, cultural and environmental factors, and community resources in Nebraska to better understand future patients and communities they will serve.

The AHEC Scholars Program is a part of the Nebraska AHEC Program, which is based in the UNMC Department of Family Medicine. The program is designed to continue working with rural and underserved communities across the state through five AHEC centers that collectively serve all 93 counties. Regional AHEC centers include Nebraska Panhandle AHEC in Scottsbluff, Northern Nebraska AHEC in Norfolk, Central Nebraska AHEC at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Southeast Nebraska AHEC at Southeast Community College and Omaha AHEC at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

The 2023 graduates included:

Central Community College

• Emergency Medical Technician Program

  • Albion — Austin Bader

Northeast Community College

• Nursing Program

  • Fremont — Oscar Garcia

University of Nebraska Medical Center

• College of Allied Health

• Physical Therapy Program

  • Beatrice — Andrea Zulauf

  • Columbus — Emily Hand

  • Fremont — Zachary Smrcina

  • Wayne — Lindy Sandoz

• Physician Assistant Program

  • Fremont — Brant Ridder

  • Hemingford — Natalie Gasseling

  • Lincoln — Dakota Judds

  • Lusk — Kelcy Bentley

  • Minden — Tysen McDowell

  • Omaha — Andrew Olvera

• Radiologic Technology Program

  • Elkhorn — Kate Gusse

  • Omaha — Fatima Garcia-Vargas

  • Polk — Delaney Carlstrom

  • Trenton — Kyleigh Scott

• College of Dentistry

• Dentistry Program

  • Grand Island — Sydney Armstrong

  • Hastings — Sophia Pankratz

  • Lincoln — Jordan Brozek, Wilson (Edward) Hardy

• College of Medicine

  • Neligh — Kelsey Green

  • Norfolk — Geena Tangeman

  • North Platte — Hannah Wesslund

  • Omaha — Katherine Weaver

• College of Nursing – Northern Division

  • Saint Paul — Valaree Busse

• College of Nursing – West Nebraska Division

• Nursing Program

  • Crawford — Kelsey Tighe

  • Grand Island — Beverly Yax

  • Grant — Hailey Snyder

  • Kimball — Madison Wynne

  • Mitchell — Alyssa Dishman

  • Sidney — Macie Rolls

  • Phoenix, AZ — Jasmine McAliley

  • Glendive, MT — Shelby Wetz

• College of Pharmacy

  • Fairbury — Macy Ohlde

  • Merna — Jesica Spanel

  • Omaha — Emily Evans

  • Papillion — Anhnguyet Vu

  • Randolph — Caitlin Lemmons

  • Schuyler — Kellie Kroeger

University of Nebraska Kearney

• Speech-Language Pathology Program

  • Kearney — Maddie Drozd

  • North Platte — Katherine Montgomery

  • Lyons, KS — Carrisa Sanchez

Regional West Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology

• Scottsbluff — Emily Schmidt

Southeast Community College

• Physical Therapy Assistant Program

  • Humphrey — Colton Engel

  • Lincoln — Wyatt Scott

  • Odessa, MO — Samantha Houston Brown

• Western Nebraska Community College

• Nursing Program

  • Alliance — Yenisey Heredia, Brytni McLaughlin

  • Hemingford — Jacobi Stumpff

  • Mitchell — Holly Anderson

  • Scottsbluff — Allyson Gion