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Student Commencement Stories: December 2021

Learn more about these amazing UNO graduates-to-be as they read a letter to their younger self.

Friday, Dec. 17, will mark the end of a successful journey for more than 1,000 Mavericks as they make the transition from UNO student to UNO alumni during the December 2021 Commencement Ceremonies.

Each of our members of the Class of 2021 is a true Maverick in their own way. From the metro area to locations around the world, from certificate programs to terminal degrees, or from first-generation to multi-generation, our students carved their own path to reach their educational goals. Yet, they all have one thing in common: they are all Mavericks, and once a Maverick, always a Maverick.

About This Year's Student Commencement Stories

Each story below features one of the December 2021 Commencement Student Marshals reading a letter to their younger self as they approach graduation.



Eugene Lu

College of Arts and Sciences

Read Eugene's letter (PDF)

All About Eugene

Learn more about Eugene Lu, graduating from the UNO College of Arts and Sciences.

Where were you born?

Quebec, Canada

What was your previous school before coming to UNO?

I went to Millard West High School and then the University of Toronto before UNO.

What is one support service you used while at UNO?

I used the UNO Math Science Learning Center.

What is one event you attended or participated in that sticks out to you from your time at UNO?

I attended the free food events which were pretty good.

What is one thing that you love about UNO?

I love the professors and how helpful they were.

Now that you are graduating, what is your dream job?

I would love to be a physician.


Bryan Botkin

College of Business Administration

Read Bryan's letter (PDF)

All About Bryan

Learn more about Bryan Botkin, graduating from the UNO College of Business Administration.

Where were you born?

Omaha, Nebraska

What was your previous school before coming to UNO?

Millard South High School

What is one support service you used while at UNO?

I'd say the support service I used the most was advising. I switched my plan several times within the College of Business Administration. I eventually had to seek out an advisor from the College of Arts and Sciences to get my BA in Economics, and have been communicating with a graduate advisor the last year because I'm in the economics 4+1 program. Other than that, I also utilized the finances and scholarships services as well as the H&K building.

What is one event you attended or participated in that sticks out to you from your time at UNO?

I'd say the most memorable campus event I went to would have to be the Glo-Dance back in Fall 2019. Even greater than that though was the tons of memories I made at Scott Court while living at Scott Court my freshman year. This was where I was inspired to join Pi Kappa Alpha by my RA and I've had an unforgettable time in my fraternity since then.

What is one thing that you love about UNO?

One thing I love about UNO is how customizable your education is. I was about to go into my first semester undeclared, but last-minute chose a business degree with triple finance concentrations. Then I removed the finance and added an economics concentration, which eventually turned into a second economics bachelor's. Then I took an interest in Spanish and wanted to get better at math, so I added them as minors. Finally, just a year ago I heard about the 4+1 program so I enrolled in it, and now I'm 1/4 done with my master’s. Moral of the story: you really don't have to know what you want to start things off. Your initial decision doesn't dictate your college career, you can keep adding to it and making it truly unique in whatever ways you like. That flexibility and large variety of opportunity is what I love about UNO.

Now that you are graduating, what is your dream job?

I'm not so convinced that I have a dream job yet. I definitely want to start my own business, but I'm unsure about any specifics beyond that. For now, I'm going to finish the last 3/4 of my economics masters degree with the hopes of networking and learning as much as I can about the world and what we can do to make it better.


Samantha Hundt

College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media

Read Samantha's letter (PDF)

All About Samantha

Learn more about Samantha Hundt, graduating from the UNO College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media.

Where were you born?

Des Moines, Iowa

What was your previous school before coming to UNO?

Glenwood High School & Iowa Western Community College (physical therapy major)

What is one support service you used while at UNO?

I talked to my academic advisors about everything from academics to finances, and mental health. They were always so supportive and amazing resources.

What is one event you attended or participated in that sticks out to you from your time at UNO

My senior BASA exhibit show in the library! It was so cool to create a personal artist statement and see my work on display at the school!

What is one thing that you love about UNO?

I love a lot of things about UNO, but my absolute favorite thing is the sculpture studio. I learned so much in that building and having all of the tools and machinery to create whatever I wanted made a HUGE impact on my body of work and my dreams as an artist. I never thought I would be welding or making furniture and it ended up being my favorite thing ever! (Not to mention Dave Helm is the BEST.)

Now that you are graduating, what is your dream job?

I’ll be certified to teach art for K-12. I’ve now had experience teaching at every age level (and loved them all!) but I think I’m leaning toward wanting to teach high school. I love creating art and sharing my passion with my students.


Kelsey Stearns

College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

Read Kelsey's letter (PDF)

All About Kelsey

Learn more about Kelsey Stearns, graduating from the UNO College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.

Where were you born?

Mesa, Arizona

What was your previous school before coming to UNO?

I went to Des Moines Area Community College before coming to UNO.

What is one support service you used while at UNO?

Counseling services and I had support in the financial office receiving UNO Advantage Scholarship.

What is one event you attended or participated in that sticks out to you from your time at UNO?

Allies for Sign Language group; we would get together in person (before COVID) then we virtually met to sign and eat together with UNO students learning sign language and Deaf/Hard of Hearing people in the community.

What is one thing that you love about UNO?

The atmosphere. It's a beautiful campus with really nice buildings, landscaping, and a sense of pride while being on campus. I love the diversity that UNO has, the students are what make the University so wonderful.

Now that you are graduating, what is your dream job?

My dream job would be interpreting concerts, or mental health interpreting. Honestly, anything related to interpreting and serving the Deaf/Hard of Hearing community is all I've ever wanted since I was 12 years old. I'm about to become 30 years old on December 31st, so this is a dream come true.


Drew Griess

College of Information Science and Technology

Read Drew's letter (PDF)

All About Drew

Learn more about Drew Greiss, graduating from the UNO College of Information Science & Technology.

Where were you born?

Omaha, Nebraska

What was your previous school before coming to UNO?

Millard West High School. I also got 4 PE credits to transfer from the Community College of the Air Force.

What is one support service you used while at UNO?

I used the writing center all the time. It really helped me be successful. I also liked how helpful the Office of Military and Veteran Services were when it came to understanding and using my military benefits - I am in the Air Force National Guard as a Staff Sergeant.

What is one event you attended or participated in that sticks out to you from your time at UNO?

I helped with the HSCTF (High School Capture the Flag) competition in 2018. I helped with challenges, setup, and general management. I was the vice president at the time, so I was more there to help manage the volunteers that were willing to give their time to staff this awesome event. It showed me how much I enjoyed helping young people find their way in cybersecurity. I attended this competition as a high schooler back when I was at Millard West and it’s the reason I came to UNO. I am glad I got to potentially provide that same experience and motivation to high schoolers.

What is one thing that you love about UNO?

I loved living on campus at UNO. I met a bunch of people in the dorms that I now call my best friends. The rooms themselves were really nice compared to other colleges, they were very conducive to a positive learning environment while still giving the fun college experience I was looking for.

Now that you are graduating, what is your dream job?

Working in public service to improve cybersecurity.


Kelli Dodds

College of Public Affairs and Community Service

Kelli Dodds

All About Kelli

Learn more about Kelli Dodds, graduating from the UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service.

Where were you born?

I was born in Omaha and grew up mostly in Papillion.

What was your previous school before coming to UNO?

I graduated from Papillion-LaVista South HS in 2005.

What is one support service you used while at UNO?

My advisor, Jessica, has been absolutely invaluable to me! I first met with her about two years ago thinking I had a very long road ahead of me with all the mismatched credits I’ve acquired over the years, and she was able to piece them so nicely together into a very attainable Multidisciplinary Studies degree. She has guided me along the whole way and I’m so grateful for her help!

What is one event you attended or participated in that sticks out to you from your time at UNO?

As a non-traditional student who was mostly online and also works full time, I didn’t really make it to many events. I was, however, invited to join the Alpha Kappa Delta honor society and really enjoyed those meetings and events.

What is one thing that you love about UNO?

What I love about UNO is its accessibility. I work full time during the day, so online and evening classes have been the biggest elements that have made finishing my degree at all possible.

Now that you are graduating, what is your dream job?

I will likely stay in my current job for the foreseeable future, but my DREAM job would be a museum curator.


Kaitlin Fraser

Graduate College and the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences

Read Kaitlin's letter (PDF)

All About Kaitlin

Learn more about Kaitlin Fraser, graduating from the UNO Graduate College and the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.

Where were you born?

Lincoln, Nebraska

What was your previous school before coming to UNO?

I attended Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, Missouri prior to attending UNO.

What is one support service you used while at UNO?

While at UNO, I utilized the student health center on campus.

What is one event you attended or participated in that sticks out to you from your time at UNO?

This year, I attended two of the hockey games with my friends, which were really fun, especially since the team won during both games.

What is one thing that you love about UNO?

One thing I really like about UNO are the opportunities for both research and teaching. The access to these resources within such a supportive setting have allowed me to learn a lot during my two years here.

Now that you are graduating, what is your dream job?

After I complete my Ph.D., my goal is to be a college professor who educates students and mentors younger researchers.


Nick Juliano

Graduate College and the College of Public Affairs and Community Service

Read Nick's letter (PDF)

All About Nick

Learn more about Nick Juliano, graduating from the UNO Graduate College and the UNO College of Public Affairs and Community Service.

Where were you born?

Omaha, Nebraska

What was your previous school before coming to UNO?

I received my MBA from UNO prior to the Ph.D. program.

What is one support service you used while at UNO?

I used library services quite extensively.

What is one event you attended or participated in that sticks out to you from your time at UNO?

I always love attending UNO Hockey games.

What is one thing that you love about UNO?

I love how UNO is truly connected to the larger Omaha community.

Now that you are graduating, what is your dream job?

I have my dream job now – I am leading efforts to start a new nonprofit to help youth and families in Omaha.


Andrew Ruder

UNL College of Engineering

Read Andrew's letter (PDF)

All About Andrew

Learn more about Andrew Ruder, graduating from the UNL College of Engineering.

Where were you born?

Lincoln, Nebraska

What was your previous school before coming to UNO?

Pius X High School

What is one support service you used while at UNO?

One support service I utilized was the Wellness Center.

What is one event you attended or participated in that sticks out to you from your time at UNO?

I attended several UNO hockey games.

What is one thing that you love about UNO?

One thing I love about UNO is getting to learn from several great professors.

Now that you are graduating, what is your dream job?

My dream job is to be a structural engineer.

Read About UNO Alumni

Interested in learning more about other recent UNO alumni? Check out our "I Am the R.O.I." series, featuring seven Mavericks whose return on investment from thier UNO education has gone far beyond earning their degree.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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