Nebraska Area Health Education Center Scholars Program graduates 51 students

The Nebraska Area Health Education Center Scholars Program, based at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, recently graduated 51 students.

The two-year program, part of a national initiative, prepares health profession students to serve in rural and urban underserved areas of the state.

The 2023 class of AHEC Scholars includes health professions students in dentistry, nursing, paramedic, pharmacy, physical therapy, physical therapy assistant, physician assistant, medicine, radiologic technology and speech therapy. The graduates represent health profession programs at Central Community College, Northeast Community College, Regional West Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology, Southeast Community College, University of Nebraska at Kearney, University of Nebraska Medical Center and Western Nebraska Community College.

During the two-year program, students engaged with a variety of health professionals, community leaders and potential employers. They gained insight into health care issues, cultural and environmental factors, and community resources in Nebraska to better understand future patients and communities they will serve.

The AHEC Scholars Program is a part of the Nebraska AHEC Program, which is based in the UNMC Department of Family Medicine. The program is designed to continue working with rural and underserved communities across the state through five AHEC centers that collectively serve all 93 counties. Regional AHEC centers include Nebraska Panhandle AHEC in Scottsbluff, Northern Nebraska AHEC in Norfolk, Central Nebraska AHEC at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, Southeast Nebraska AHEC at Southeast Community College and Omaha AHEC at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

The 2023 graduates included:

Central Community College

Emergency Medical Technician Program

Albion — Austin Bader

Northeast Community College

Nursing Program

Fremont — Oscar Garcia

University of Nebraska Medical Center

College of Allied Health

Physical Therapy Program

Beatrice — Andrea Zulauf

Columbus — Emily Hand

Fremont — Zachary Smrcina

Wayne — Lindy Sandoz

Physician Assistant Program

Fremont — Brant Ridder

Hemingford — Natalie Gasseling

Lincoln — Dakota Judds

Lusk — Kelcy Bentley

Minden — Tysen McDowell

Omaha — Andrew Olvera

Radiologic Technology Program

Elkhorn — Kate Gusse

Omaha — Fatima Garcia-Vargas

Polk — Delaney Carlstrom

Trenton — Kyleigh Scott

College of Dentistry

Dentistry Program

Grand Island — Sydney Armstrong

Hastings — Sophia Pankratz

Lincoln — Jordan Brozek, Wilson (Edward) Hardy

College of Medicine

Neligh — Kelsey Green

Norfolk — Geena Tangeman

North Platte — Hannah Wesslund

Omaha — Katherine Weaver

College of Nursing – Northern Division

Saint Paul — Valaree Busse

College of Nursing – West Nebraska Division

Nursing Program

Crawford — Kelsey Tighe

Grand Island — Beverly Yax

Grant — Hailey Snyder

Kimball — Madison Wynne

Mitchell — Alyssa Dishman

Sidney — Macie Rolls

Phoenix, AZ — Jasmine McAliley

Glendive, MT — Shelby Wetz

College of Pharmacy

Fairbury — Macy Ohlde

Merna — Jesica Spanel

Omaha — Emily Evans

Papillion — Anhnguyet Vu

Randolph — Caitlin Lemmons

Schuyler — Kellie Kroeger

University of Nebraska Kearney

Speech-Language Pathology Program

Kearney — Maddie Drozd

North Platte — Katherine Montgomery

Lyons, KS — Carrisa Sanchez

Regional West Medical Center School of Radiologic Technology

Scottsbluff — Emily Schmidt

Southeast Community College

Physical Therapy Assistant Program

Humphrey — Colton Engel

Lincoln — Wyatt Scott

Odessa, MO — Samantha Houston Brown

Western Nebraska Community College

Nursing Program

Alliance — Yenisey Heredia, Brytni McLaughlin

Hemingford — Jacobi Stumpff

Mitchell — Holly Anderson

Scottsbluff — Allyson Gion

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