“I Just Felt The Joy of Learning”: Ian Allen’s UNO Experience

This Friday, more than 900 Mavericks will receive their hard-earned degrees at December Commencement. During the celebrations, they’ll hear from University of Nebraska biology major Ian Allen, who will be this year's student speaker.

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Like every student, Ian Allen’s college journey followed its own unique path. Though the direction of his path changed, his purpose never wavered.

After starting at the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2018 as an engineering major, Allen decided to take a gap year to better identify his true academic pursuits. While working for the Douglas County Department of Corrections as an inmate services associate, he realized that he had a passion for working with members of the community. After two years off from classes, he returned to college with his compass pointed one way: medical school.

Transitioning from engineering to biology can be tricky, and restarting school can feel daunting. But Allen felt nothing but support from his friends, family, and the UNO community who welcomed him back.

“It's just been support from every corner, and that really assuaged a lot of my fears on coming back to school, and those self-doubts,” Allen said. “And I'm really, really happy that I was able to find a place, and people took a chance on me.”

With his new biology major in motion, Allen flourished. He landed an internship as an autopsy assistant, as well as started working with Live On Nebraska’s tissue procurement team. While some may shy away from roles related to death, Allen sees them as an opportunity to provide respect to the deceased and help them live on – whether that’s through their tissue donations, or through telling their story with their autopsy findings.

Additionally, Allen volunteered at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in their Multi Organ Transplant Clinic. The scientific opportunities he found during his undergraduate years inspired his passion for medicine and provided him with a thorough understanding of scientific principles and clinical expectations.

Handling his courses, volunteer work, medical school prep, and internships wasn’t always a walk in the park. Luckily, Allen had guidance at UNO that he always knew he could count on in times of need. Offices like the Health Careers Resource Center and the Military-Connected Resource Center helped him handle issues with ease, allowing him to clear his plate and focus on his future.

“I just was astounded by the amount of support and the amount of investment that people take in their students here,” Allen said. “And it was so refreshing.”

As he looks ahead toward medical school, Allen feels inspired by the “pay it forward” ethos of the UNO community. Though his UNO journey comes to an end this December, he knows he’ll be taking the lessons he learned here with him wherever he goes.

“It's just anywhere you look, it's just people wanting to help. And that's so evident in our professors, and our instructors...” Allen said. “I just felt the joy of learning, and that made me better as a person."