Scholarships fuel dreams for students through UNK Fund

By Noah Johnson

A scholarship can make a life-changing difference for students looking to achieve their dreams by pursuing a college degree.

That difference can be seen on the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s campus. Through the University of Nebraska at Kearney’s Student Scholarship Fund, students within any college can receive general scholarship support.

These scholarships, funded through generous gifts toward the UNK Student Scholarships Fund, provide the spark for students like juniors Michaela Hegemann and Clarisa Lopez Chojolan to pursue their passions.

A Second Chance

Michaela Hegemann’s road to finding her passion has had plenty of obstacles.

Hegemann, a Dodge, Nebraska native, began attending UNK in 2020. Her freshman year of college was clouded by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Hegemann was a pre-medicine major as a freshman with the hopes of eventually becoming a doctor. However, her education was interrupted as a sophomore.

“During my sophomore year of college, I ran into some pretty difficult personal experiences that pushed me off track with my classes,” she said. “That really messed up my scholarship.”

Hegemann earned a University of Nebraska Regents Scholarship as an incoming freshman. Due to the disruption in her classes the following year, Hegemann was forced to take time away from school. When she tried to re-enroll in classes this fall, Hegemann found a hold on her account.

That’s when she learned about student scholarships provided through the UNK Fund. After working with UNK’s financial aid office, Hegemann received the critical funds necessary to get her education back on track through a UNK Fund scholarship.

“I was able to use this scholarship from the UNK Fund to cover the money that I owed so that I could register for classes this fall and continue my education,” she said.

Now, Hegemann is back to pursuing a career in the medical field as a pre-nursing major. While her path has been untraditional, Hegemann said she was grateful for the support that allowed her to continue her education.

“These gifts truly made it possible for me to continue doing what I want to do in life,” she said. “I wouldn’t have been able to be in the position that I’m in today without this scholarship.”

Setting an Example

Clarisa Lopez Chojolan had a dream of being first.

Lopez Chojolan emigrated from Guatemala and grew up in Grand Island, Nebraska. She is the oldest of her family and chose to attend UNK because of the opportunities it provided first-generation students.

“I wanted to set an example for my brothers and my other cousins who are younger than me,” she said.

Lopez Chojolan is a criminal justice major with a minor in business and management. She hopes to use her education to pursue a career in child protective services. Eventually, Lopez Chojolan said she hopes to open her own business.

“I would love to open my own restaurant someday,” she said. “My dad ran his own business and I really enjoyed helping with that.”

The resources available at UNK are helping Lopez Chojolan achieve those dreams. As a first-generation student, she said the university played an important role in helping her acclimate to college life.

For Lopez Chojolan, the support she received as a scholarship recipient from the UNK Fund eased the financial stress that served as a potential roadblock to higher education for her.

With her mother being the only working family member as Lopez Chojolan prepared for college, she knew financial support would be necessary in order for her to pursue her dreams.

“I think a lot of people decide to give up on their dreams of attending college because they don’t have the money to get there,” she said. “Thankfully, I heard about this financial support, and it really helped me.

Thanks to the support of generous donors, Lopez Chojolan is able to pursue her dreams of attaining a college degree and setting an example for her family.