Graduate Profile | Virginia Gallner

Virginia Gallner, a Council Bluffs native, is not just a UNO honors student, she is also a refugee advocate, public speaker, music teacher and folk singer. The Omaha native will earn a dual degree in international studies and religious studies this May, while at the same time preparing to release her first full-length album in June. Gallner started her performing career in 2012 starting by playing brunches across the city, moving on to playing regular shows in Benson since 2013, as well as establishing mini tours in other parts of the state with one planned this summer on the east coast.

This past year she was nominated for an Omaha Entertainment and Arts Award for best blues musician. In addition to playing shows as a folk performer, she has been employed as a student worker in UNO's International Programs office since 2013, served on the TEDxOmaha board since 2015, joined an archeological excavation in Israel in 2016, has volunteered as an instructor for Omaha Girls Rock since 2016 and served as an intern with the Omaha Sister Cities Association this spring. After graduation, Gallner will be taking a year off to work on her music, but hopes to eventually pursue a career in intercultural communication.