Durango’s Advancement and Support Hub spreads seeds of change through donor support

“Donors to DASH are giving hope without knowing who they’re giving hope to and I think that is so impactful. It’s like they have the seeds of wildflowers in their hands they’re throwing them in the air.”

By Noah Johnson

College is hard enough.

Even under the best of circumstances, the academic demands and mental workload that come with pursuing higher education affect every student. When life gets in the way, those stresses compound.

Enter Durango’s Advancement and Support Hub. Located in the Milo Bail Student Center, DASH has served as a beacon of hope for students at the University of Nebraska at Omaha since its launch in January 2024.

For Rachael Jensen, executive director of DASH, each day provides a new opportunity to make a life-changing impact. Through its four pillars, DASH provides holistic support for its students, ranging from financial support and scholarship opportunities to providing basic needs and peer mentorship.

“One day, I had a student who needed to solve a $10,000 overdue balance and another student who was about to be homeless,” she said. “Our goal as a team is to think through all of the different pathways we can take to bring stability to these students. By discussing options in a nonjudgmental space, we get the opportunity to provide hope and empowerment – both key components for social mobility.”

A critical piece of DASH’s work is centered around educating the students who come through its doors, many of whom are first generation or come from a background with limited experience navigating higher education. In doing so, Jensen and her team are helping students overcome barriers and setting them up for long-term success.

“The crux of our work is making sure we are asking the right questions and helping our students connect with the resources they need on campus and in the community,” Jensen said. “A lot of our students are first-generation students, or they might have parents who went to college, but things have changed since then.”

The work is difficult and often begins with meeting students at a high stress point. However, to see them walk away from DASH with a plan for their future makes the work worthwhile, according to Jensen.

“We know that we’re doing something right,” she said.  “We can see it when a student returns to celebrate their journey, reframing the struggle as a milestone.”

That hope can come in a variety of ways. Whether in the form of scholarships, several of which are funded through the University of Nebraska Foundation, basic needs or education, DASH is establishing itself as a crucial resource for UNO students.

“Every day is different, and every student is different,” said Madeline St. Clair, Maverick Food Pantry manager. “DASH is the connector – both to on-campus and to community resources. We are so grateful for Omaha’s vast philanthropic community.”

With such a diverse array of resources available to students, the need for support from donors is constant. By making a gift to support the services provided through DASH, Jensen said donors are planting seeds of change.

“Donors are giving hope without knowing who they’re giving hope to, and I think that is so impactful,” she said. “It’s like they have the seeds of wildflowers and they’re just throwing them in the air, allowing the DASH team to provide strategic care and watch them bloom.”

That support can change someone’s future. Jensen has seen it firsthand.

“Education changes futures,” she said. “Thanks to the support of our donors, these students see themselves as Mavericks. These donors are constantly giving hope, and because of that, our community is only going to get stronger.”