Mentoring & Scholar Programs

The Mary Eliza Mahoney Mentoring Program aims to address immediate and ongoing recruitment and retention needs of nursing students from underrepresented and first-generation populations. The mentoring program will assist students who are struggling academically to remain in the program and will provide students with professional role models to build relationships designed to retain nurses in Nebraska. Professional mentorship is important for all nursing students but is particularly important for students from communities currently underrepresented in the nursing profession.

This program is modeled after the Dotson Bridge and Mentoring Program at Simmons University, initiated in 2009. The purpose of the UNMC mentoring program is to implement a proven mentoring model in the College of Nursing that is aimed at simultaneously transforming the trajectories of academically at-risk students, recruiting nurses from communities most in need and encouraging nursing graduates to serve those same communities.

Each student will be assigned an experienced nurse mentor with individualized support every week. Students will be expected to participate in a community service project each year to foster civil responsibility and reinforce the expectations of a professional nurse.  The “Mahoney Scholars” will have opportunities to participate in specialized workshops, study groups, and leadership programs. MEMMP will be housed in the UNMC College of Nursing and led by a program director who is committed to mentoring undergraduate students. Each campus will have a dedicated space with computers and whiteboards to facilitate learning. Additional resources include:

• Workshops focused on academic learning skills, content development, organizational skills and stress management;  
• Writing skills development; 
• Graduate assistant and peer-led study groups focused on learning, networking and relationship building successfully; 
• Annual leadership development program to support transition from education to practice;  
• Study space with computers to facilitate group tutoring; and 
• Support tools on how to take exams.

• Open to BSN Students on all five campuses
• Competitive opportunity for up to eight students
• 150 hours of clinical experiences will be in primary care settings
• Students will be required to complete a one-credit-hour elective each semester, totaling three credit hours, which focuses on Primary Care

If you are interested in being considered for this program, please download this application form.

Once complete, submit to Tyler Szymanski. If you have any questions, please contact Tyler via e-mail or at 402-559-4117.

Consideration for this opportunity may consist of an interview.

Acceptance to this program is contingent upon acceptance to the UNMC College of Nursing BSN program.

Open to BSN Students on all five campuses opportunity for up to 25 students.

Students will be immersed in clinical experiences in school nursing settings.

Students will be required to complete a one-credit-hour elective each semester to total four credit hours, which focuses on school nursing.

Each accepted student will receive stipends of $1,500/semester beginning in Spring, ‘24 and continuing with Summer, ‘24; Fall, ‘24, and Spring, ‘25. This would be a total of $6,000 for each student.

Grant funding will cover tuition and fees for the program and a stipend for books and learning materials.

If you are interested in being considered for this program, please apply at this Link.

If you have any questions, please contact Tyler Szymanski or at 531-215-9353.

Consideration for this opportunity may consist of an interview or additional information collection beyond initial application.

Acceptance to this program is contingent upon successful completion of semester one courses within the UNMC College of Nursing BSN program.