Seventy-three eighth-grade students from 31 schools across Nebraska are attending the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s 13th annual Health/Science Meet June 9-11, for an educational and fun experience. The meet’s goal is to inspire students, especially those from rural communities, to pursue careers in health care. The students qualified for the meet by submitting science projects in regional science competitions earlier in the year.
“This helps us know a lot more about the many careers in medicine,” said Haley Mondt of Funk. “I respect what a lot of people do behind the scenes.”
The expense-paid meet exposes students to the health professions, medical research and patient care. Events include hands-on science activities, presentations about a variety of health science disciplines, touring UNMC, a team science competition and entertainment.
“We saw a lot of experiments and some other neat stuff,” said Brent Bartak of Ainsworth Middle School. “I learned a lot from this experience.”
Students interested in applying to attend next year’s eighth-grade Health/Science Meet should contact their science teacher, school counselor or principal in the fall.
Below is a list of all the students who participated. Identification of students in photos are left to right in alphabetical order of their last names (as listed below). Location of school/School name/Student/Students hometown.
Ainsworth — Ainsworth Middle School: Katie Appleman (Johnstown), Brent Bartak (Long Pine), Seth Davis (Ainsworth), Danni Dover (Ainsworth), Keanna Gross (Johnstown), Matt Hollopeter, Caleb Hoyt, Gina Imm, Michael Sholes and Derek J. Utemark of Ainsworth
Arapahoe — Arapahoe-Holbrook Public Schools: Hope Scott of Arapahoe
Blue Hill – Blue Hill Community School: Amber Himmelberg of Lawrence
Brady – Brady Public School: Helena Britt of Brady
Chadron — Prairie Home School: Jens Johnson of Chadron
Cody — Cody-Kilgore Unified Schools: Cassie Gunnink of Crookston
Dix — Potter-Dix Junior High School: Michael Livingstone of Potter
Elgin – Elgin Public School: Jeffery Dean Bush and Brett D. Mahnke of Elgin
Pope John XXIII Central Catholic High School: Janessa Eischeid and Jordan Engle of Elgin
Elm Creek — Phelps County R-4: Andrew Bergman and Lincoln Pearson of Holdrege
Ewing – Ewing Public School: Beau Fry and Sarah Schilousky of Ewing
Farnam — Eustis-Farnam Middle School: Kallie Craig (Farnam), Allie Keller (Eustis), Hilary Messersmith (Farnam), Ty Schurr (Farnam) and Kaitlyn Young (Eustis)
Funk — Funk Public School: Shawn Elliott and Haley Mondt of Funk
Giltner — Giltner Public School: Chris Boyd of Giltner
Grant — Grant Elementary Middle School: Lance Glunz, Jordan Johnson and Juliana Johnson of Grant
Hyannis — Hyannis High School: Dain Applegarth of Whitman and Alicia Hisel of Ashby
Imperial — Imperial Grade School: Miranda Knobbe and Scott Lakey of Imperial and Kerry Swanson of Champion
McCook — St Patrick Elementary: Alex McBride and Amy Jo Stone of McCook
Mitchell – Haig School: Chris Calvert of Scottsbluff
Neligh — Neligh-Oakdale Public Schools: Christy Kuhfal, Michael Sorensen and Jessica Werner of Neligh
Newman Grove — Newman Grove Public Schools: Kenzi Fowlkes of Newman Grove and Darrek Schmidt of Meadow Grove
North Platte — St Patrick’s Middle School: Krista Albers, Adriana Nicole Flores, and Jennifer Reed of North Platte
Omaha – Harry Andersen Middle School: Suresh Pavuluri of Omaha
George E. Russell Middle School: Jordan Lambrecht of Omaha
King Science and Technology Magnet Center: Christopher Wallace of Omaha
Peter Kiewit Middle School: Brittany Daily, Joe-Ann Moser, Anne Wang and Allen Young of Omaha
St Bernard Catholic School: Conor Barnes and Chris Regan of Omaha
Petersburg — Boone Central Middle School: Hailey Nicole Paulson (St Edward), Julia Temme (Petersburg) and Kelly Merten (Albion).
Roseland — Silver Lake High School: Mark Lutkemeier of Bladen
Springview – Keya Paha District #56: Alanna Ferguson (Springview), Cody Newtson (Sparks), Nikki Jo Nilson, Chelsea Nilson and Jordan Swim of Springview
Wayne — Wayne Middle School: Jeremy Ray Loberg (Wayne), Ambré Ruzicka (Wayne), Jake Teater (Carroll) and Andrea Wert (Wayne)