Alumni Enews, Winter 2019

Ask Ramarro Lamar about the key to his success at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and he’ll tell you about the importance of time management.

Over the past four years, the senior political science major from Chicago has balanced roles as a Naval ROTC midshipman, member of the Nebraska cheer squad and recording artist — all while being a full-time student.

“A lot of people ask me the question, ‘Man, you’re always busy. What don’t you do?’ My response generally is, ‘I don’t waste my time’ — so just having a high situational awareness of what you’re spending your time on, what you’re investing in and noticing what hat you’re changing into,” Lamar said.

At the core of Lamar’s passions is his military service. Having always loved leading and motivating others, he was inspired to join the Marine Corps by the organization's elite atmosphere and service-oriented mission.

“There’s not too many other occupations you can be in where the person to the left and right of you care more about you than they care for themselves,” Lamar said. “The amount of passion that individuals in the Marine Corps, and the military in general, have is so inspiring and so compelling. It’s like, how can one person be such a servant leader, so unselfish and put other people in front of themselves? I wanted to be a part of that.”

Lamar serves as the unit’s battalion executive officer, coming second-in-charge behind Nebraska's NROTC commanding officer. His weeks are packed with 5 a.m. physical training sessions three times a week, as well as drills and community service.

On top of an already-busy schedule, Lamar joined Nebraska’s spirit squad this fall as one of the university’s first male cheerleaders in more than a decade. It’s a role that he approaches with an equal amount of discipline and commitment.

“Being able to reincorporate stunting back into game day is something that we want to really have an impact on, so a lot of hours go into it, whether it's lifting, training or going over our repetitions constantly,” Lamar said.

Helping bring back an old Husker tradition has been a memorable way to round out his last year at Nebraska.

Alumni Spotlight: Lee-Ann Sims

Lee-Ann Sims, a December 2018 graduate of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln's College of Arts and Sciences, has been selected as a 2020 scholar for the Charles B. Rangel Graduate Fellowship program.

The Lincoln native and former global studies major is the second-ever Husker student to earn a Rangel fellowship, which seeks to mentor and support outstanding students to bring a more diverse perspective into the crafting and enacting of U.S. foreign policy.

Started in 2002 to honor Congressman Charles Rangel, managed by the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center at Howard University and funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of State, the fellowship provides substantial support to its recipients. In addition to financial support for a two-year master’s program in a field of study relevant to their chosen career in the State Department, fellows receive internship opportunities, including a summer in Washington, D.C., and an overseas internship at a U.S embassy or consulate; mentoring by a Foreign Service Officer; and entry into the Foreign Service contingent upon successful completion of the program. The award is valued at $95,000 over a two-year period.

Sims said she applied for the award because she is interested in bringing together her interests in language, culture, global security and foreign policy.

“As the daughter of a Jamaican immigrant mother and a black-American father, I know firsthand what it means to live at the edge of cultures, to recognize and respect sociological differences, and to shoulder the responsibility that comes with the privilege of possessing a number of unique socio-cultural identities,” she said. “Negotiating borders and boundaries, both visible and invisible, is for me second nature. It is also why diplomacy features prominently in my future career plans.”