
Sixty Years of Love and Learning
A superintendent predicted who Alan Stanek’s future wife would be during a job interview. Sixty years later, their love story and commitment to education continue to change lives.
By contributing to the University of Nebraska, you become part of a vibrant community dedicated to making a lasting impact. Your generosity fuels academic excellence, groundbreaking research and community engagement, all of which shape the future of Nebraska and beyond. Every donation, no matter the size, helps create opportunities for students, supports innovative programs and enhances the university’s ability to address the challenges of tomorrow. Together, we can continue to inspire, educate and lead. Your support is not just a gift—it’s an investment in the future. Let’s make a difference, one story at a time.

A superintendent predicted who Alan Stanek’s future wife would be during a job interview. Sixty years later, their love story and commitment to education continue to change lives.

Burnett Society member Michelle R. Wright established a planned gift to support students at UNO after being encouraged to pursue her own education.

Kellie Theiss has made a planned gift to support student scholarships at UNL. She sees her investment as “passing the baton” to the next generation.

After 52 years of teaching, Richard Brown has established a scholarship to support students in subjects that are critical but vulnerable to budget cuts.

Claudia and John Reinhardt, DDS, are Burnett Society members who have established a planned gift to support the UNMC College of Dentistry in Lincoln. John is dean emeritus and a professor in the Department of Adult Restorative Dentistry at UNMC, and Claudia has had a long career in nonprofit and higher education communications.

Professor’s Advice Still Resonates as Donor Gives Back to UNL, UNK Terry and Deb Gibbs are Burnett Society members who have established a planned gift to provide scholarship support for nontraditional students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and to support a discretionary fund for the electrical engineering department at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Terry, a UNL graduate, led the aviation department at UNK and served at the university for 29 years. Deb attended nursing school

Margaret Kennedy is passionate about helping kids succeed. She has spent her life teaching kids with learning disabilities, and now she’s helping the next generation do the same.

Gail and Jim Anderson’s story begins on small farms in rural Nebraska, where they learned a strong work ethic that helped them succeed throughout their careers.

Don Chamberlain first fell in love with computer programming at UNL. After a varied career in the computer industry, Don decided to give back to future students at his alma mater.

Jennifer Jennings, Ph.D., has established a planned gift to support scholarships and experiential learning opportunities for students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Read her Q&A.