CAS students serving as HALO mentors

Photo Credit: Nora Husein conducts a science experiment during her after-school club in 2019
Wed, 06/23/2021 - 08:38

University of Nebraska–Lincoln students with majors and minors in the College of Arts and Sciences have been selected to lead Nebraska children in grades K-12 in summer activities through the new Huskers After-School and Summer Learning Opportunities (HALO) program.

The program is a collaboration among the University Honors Program, Student Affairs, Nebraska Extension, and Beyond School Bells.

“This program was designed to give UNL students the opportunity to contribute to Nebraska’s recovery from the pandemic—to help young people whose learning has been interrupted by school closures,” said Jeff Cole, network lead for Beyond School Bells, Nebraska’s statewide after-school network. “UNL students can be just the type of mentors and club facilitators we need to help renew and accelerate learning and growth in the year ahead.”

Honors students have led after-school clubs in Lincoln schools for several years. The new expansion was made possible through CARES Act funds provided to the university.

“I am so excited to see our after-school programs grow this summer,” said Patrice McMahon, director of the Honors Program. “[UNL students] come away feeling not only fulfilled, but also prepared with new skills they didn’t have before. This is exactly what the Honors Program hopes to do — help prepare students for real-world experiences that help the community and benefit our society.”

HALO participants will be able to tailor their after-school programs according to their interests or major in school.

  • Jillian Bierbower / Malone Center / biological sciences major, psychology minor
  • Jessi Burd Calvert Elementary political science minor
  • Dulce Garcia Malone Center political science minor
  • Grace Gugel Elliot Elementary ethnic studies minor
  • Avery Hadley Perishing Elementary psychology major
  • Ella Hagen Goodrich Middle School psychology major
  • Ethan Halman-Gonzalez Riley Elementary environmental studies major, philosophy minor
  • Trenton Hammond Holmes Elementary / biological sciences major, communcation studies minor
  • Dylan Hiser Holmes Elementary biological sciences major, humanities in medicine minor
  • Sandhya Karki Randolph Elementary psychology and sociology minors
  • Simreen Kaur Bethany Summer Day Camp / computer science major, biological sciences and mathematics minors
  • Erin Kelly Lefler Middle School chemistry minor
  • Nikita Mansinghani Clinton Elementary mathematics minor
  • Claire Martin Campbell Elementary microbiology major, biochemistry and psychology minors
  • Ray Nierman McPhee Elementary mathematics major, physics minor
  • Layla Omari Culler Middle School political science major, communication studies minor
  • Vanessa Reiser 4H and Extension biological sciences major
  • Lauren Rothgeb Lefler Middle School biological sciences and Spanish majors, biochemistry and history minors
  • Divsirat Singh Holmes Elementary / computer science major, mathematics minor
  • Jacob Spooner Perishing Elementary mathematics major
  • Malvika Vijju Huntington Elementary biological sciences and women's and gender studies majors
  • Abriana Wilson Park Middle School Spanish minor
  • Allison Zetterman Huntington Elementary biological sciences major, humanities in medicine minor