One’s best friend died of a brain tumor at the age of eight.
Another came to the U.S. from Kathmandu just one and a half years ago.
A third is No. 3 in her class even though English is her second language.
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“These students from across the metro have similar career interests and this program gives them an opportunity to meet and learn together,” said Lyn Wallin Ziegenbein, executive director for the Peter Kiewit Foundation, who interviewed students for the program. “I was just amazed at their academic strengths, passion and desire to pursue careers in science.”
The alliance is a partnership between UNMC, eight metropolitan area school districts and an educational service unit (ESU). The first class — which represents 17 different high schools — will start coursework this fall.
The class is geographically and economically diverse, with 37 percent of the students qualifying for free-and-reduced lunch programs.
The students were among 80 applicants to the program and were selected through a lottery drawing.
The alliance lets high school juniors and seniors take college-level courses in preparation for health care careers.
The courses — specifically designed for high school students — will be taught by UNMC faculty on the medical center campus. Most of the courses offered in this program will be eligible for dual enrollment credit with the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO).
The Sherwood Foundation, the Omaha Public Schools and the UNMC College of Medicine Alumni Association provided funding for the alliance.