Meet the Scholars
2023 Cohort
Zehra Almaleki
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln East High School
Major: Computer Science
Activities: MENA
Evin Anderson
Hometown: Dakota City, NE
School: South Sioux City High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: eSAB, Society of Women Engineers, Engineers Without Borders
Keirsten Colton
Hometown: Imperial, NE
School: Chase County High School
Major: Architectural Engineering
Zach Corey
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Creighton Prep High School
Major: Civil Engineering | Minor: Environmental Engineering
Activities: Engineers Without Boarders, Newman Center
Seth Dobrusky
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln Southwest High School
Major: Computer Engineering | Minor: Cybersecurity
Internship Experience: LES in Lincoln, NE
Activities: IEEE, Freshman Engineering Student Council
Lizzie Evans
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Marian High School
Major: Environmental Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: SWE, Tri Delta Sorority
Krishnaraj Ganesan
Hometown: Sidney, NE
School: Sidney High School
Major: Software Engineering
Activities: Aerospace Club, Indian Students Association
Lauryn Hodges
Hometown: Papillion, NE
School: Papillion-LaVista High School
Major: Construction Engineering | Minor: Construction Management
Activities: SWE, Race to Build
Corbin Hough
Hometown: Ralston, NE
School: Ralston High School
Major: Civil Engineering | Minor: Construction Management
Internship Experiences: Thiele Geotech (2023), Benesch Engineering (2024)
Activities: ASCE
Kareem Hudson
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Millard North High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Activities: Formula SAE
Samantha Johnston
Hometown: Columbus, NE
School: Scotus Central Catholic High School
Major: Electrical Engineering
Activities: Society of Women Engineers, Sammy Superheroes Junior Board
Trent Kisker
Hometown: Trenton, NE
School: Hitchcock County High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Activities: Aerospace Club
Jamie Krab
Hometown: Ogallala, NE
School: Ogallala High School
Major: Chemical Engineering | Minor: Environmental Studies
Activities: American Institute of Chemical Engineers, eSAB, Engineers Without Borders, SWE, Intramural Sand and Court Volleyball
Joshua Martinez
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln High School
Major: Computer Science
Activities: Hawks FC
Alieka Matzner
Hometown: Grand Island, NE
School: Grand Island Senior High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: Honors Program, VEX Robotics, Aerospace Club
Emma McManus
Hometown: Bellevue, NE
School: Bellevue West High School
Major: Biological Systems Engineering | Minors: Biomedical Engineering, Mathematics, and Spanish
Internship: Buffet Cancer Center in Omaha, NE
Activities: Engineering Ambassadors, Husker Pantry Volunteer
Lila Mock
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Millard North High School
Major: Civil Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: SWE, SALT company
Madeline Oetting
Hometown: Gretna, NE
School: Gretna High School
Major: Civil Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: ASCE
Tyra Onyango
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha Central High School
Major: Software Engineering
Activities: SWE
Wendy Pacheco-Menjivar
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha Bryan High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Kathleen Peklo
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Marian High School
Major: Software Engineering
Activities: Husker Racing - Baja SAE
Shaw Reh
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha Benson High School
Major: Environmental Engineering
Activities: Engineers Without Boarders, ASCE
Alexander Rice
Hometown: Springfield, NE
School: Skutt Catholic High School
Major: Chemical Engineering
Caitey Ruzicka
Hometown: Orchard, NE
School: Saint Marys Catholic School (O'Neill)
Major: Civil Engineering
Internship Experience: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Pickstown, SD
Activities: ASCE, Concrete Canoe Club, Figure Skating Club
Grant Ryan
Hometown: Wahoo, NE
School: Bishop Neumann Catholic High School
Major: Architectural Engineering
Activities: FRESCO, Delta Chi Fraternity
Shreenaya Sanjeevi
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Millard North High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: eSAB, Lunabotics
Kashau Scott
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha Burke High School
Major: Construction Management
Activities: NSBE
Heather Smith
Hometown: Fremont, NE
School: Fremont Senior High School
Major: Chemical Engineering
Activities: SWE, AlChE
McKenzie Thayer
Hometown: Fremont, NE
School: Fremont Senior High School
Major: Computer Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: Society of Women Engineers, eSAB, Aerospace Club
Hannah Tlamka
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln Pius X High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Activities: Newman Center
Claudia Vasquez
Hometown: Grand Island, NE
School: Grand Island Senior High School
Major: Construction Management | Minors: Business and Real Estate
Activities: SWE
Kaitlyn Vuong
Hometown: La Vista, NE
School: Papillion-LaVista High School
Major: Architectural Engineering
Activities: SWE, ASU
Anna Woodshank
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: North Star High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: Honors Program, AXP in Aerospace Club
Elianah Wunderlich
Hometown: Seward, NE
School: Seward High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Activities: Horticulture Club
Sergio Zavala
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln High School
Major: Electrical Engineering and Physics
Activities: UNL Men's Choir, Volunteer at the UNL Gender & Sexuality Center
2022 Cohort
Makenna Addleman
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln Southeast High School
Major: Biological Systems Engineering
ActivitiesZ: Society of Women Engineers, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Precision Water Team
Eric Andersen
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln East High School
Major: Software Engineering
Activities: Husker Racing - Baja SAE
AJ Barfield
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha Burke High School
Major: Construction Management | Minor: Business
Activities: President of National Society of Black Engineers (Scott Campus Chapter), Black Excellence, College of Engineering Voters
Oscar Bernabe
Hometown: Grand Island, NE
School: Grand Island Sr. High School
Major: Construction Management | Minors: Business and Spanish
Internship Experience: Whiting Turner in Las Vegas, NV
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, studied abroad in Brazil, Nebraska College Preparatory Academy (NCPA), Peer Mentor for NCPA, Race to Build
Lucia Chavez
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha Central High School
Major: Construction Management | Minor: Spanish
Activities: Treasurer for the Mexican American Student Association, Circle K International
Brandon Fuentes
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha Bryan High School
Major: Electrical Engineering
Activities: IEEE
Tyler Gaspers
Hometown: Norfolk, NE
School: Norfolk Catholic High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering | Minor: Biomedical Engineering
Internship Experience: Norfolk Iron and Metal in Norfolk, NE
Activities: Honors Program, Quarter Scale Tractor UNL, Husker Motorsports: Formula SAE, Barbell Club
Sydney Haffener
Hometown: Kearney, NE
School: Kearney Senior High School
Major: Biological Systems Engineering
Internship Experience: New Horizons Orthotic & Prosthetic LLC in Kearney, NE
Activities: Engineering Ambassadors
Ashley Hernandez-Najera
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha Central High School
Major: Civil Engineering
Internship Experience: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Omaha, NE
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, Engineers Without Boarders, Mexican American Student Association, and Society of American Military Engineers
Audrey Hill
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Millard North High School
Major: Civil Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Internship Experience: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Omaha, NE
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, Treasurer of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Engineering Ambassadors, PC3
Hayley Hogan
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln Southwest High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, Learning Assistant
Hannah Howren
Hometown: Papillion, NE
School: Papillion-La Vista High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, Engineering Ambassadors, Husker Racing - Baja SAE
Joy Ruth Johnson
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
Home School
Major: Chemical Engineering
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, studied abroad in Costa Rica
Karley Kaiser
Hometown: Blair, NE
School: Bennington High School
Major: Construction Management
Internship Experience: Commonwealth Electric Company in Omaha, NE
Alison Konz
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln Pius X High School
Major: Chemical Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: SWE, Tri Delta, Newman Center
Sophia Mace
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha Mercy High School
Major: Biological Systems Engineering | Minor: Energy Science
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, Engineering Ambassadors Network, American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Biological Systems Engineering Student Advisory Board, Engineering Pathways Mentor, and Dean’s Leader.
Anya MacNabb
Hometown: Bellevue, NE
School: Papillion-La Vista High School
Major: Computer Science | Minor: English
Activities: UNL Poetry Slam
Abby Murray
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Millard South High School
Major: Biological Systems Engineering | Minors: Biomedical Engineering and Mathematics
Activities: Studied abroad in Italy, Engineering Ambassadors, Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES), Honors Ambassadors, Course Leader for CSCE 155N, Honors Program
Mike Peery
Hometown: Seward, NE
School: Seward High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering | Minor: Business
Activities: Treasurer for UNL Waterski Club
Jozy Piper
Hometown: Norfolk, NE
School: Pierce High School
Major: Architectural Engineering
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, Treasurer and Mentor for Architectural Engineering Student Leadership and Advisory Committee (AESLAC)
Teresa Plascencia
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha North High School
Major: Architectural Engineering | Minor: Construction Management
Activities: Architectural Engineering Student Leadership & Advisory Committee (AESLAC)
Estefany Puc Nieto
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha South High School
Major: Computer Science
Internship Experiences: InEight in Omaha, NE and Valmont in Omaha, NE
Activities: Engineers Without Boarders, Mexican American Student Association, Latino Economic Development Committee
Angy Raymundo
Hometown: Schuyler, NE
School: Schuyler Central High School
Major: Construction Management | Minors: Real Estate and Business
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, Engineering Ambassadors
Zainab Ridha
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln North Star High School
Major: Software Engineering | Minor: Mathematics
Activities: eSAB, NASA SUITS, Lied Center Student Council
Jade Romero
Hometown: Kearney, NE
School: Kearney Senior High School
Major: Computer Science | Minor: Japanese
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, studied abroad in Japan, Husker Racing - Baja SAE
Rachel Spawn
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Omaha Mercy High School
Major: Architectural Engineering
Activities: Architectural Engineering Student Leadership and Advisory Committee
Maryam Sule
Hometown: Bellevue, NE
School: Bellevue West High School
Major: Chemical Engineering | Minor: Engineering Leadership
Internship Experience: Rural Prosperity Nebraska at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, NE
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, VP of Inclusive Excellence with eSAB, Afrikan People Union, American Institute of Chemical Engineers, National Society of Black Engineers
Rayden Thompson
Hometown: Bellevue, NE
School: Bellevue East High School
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor
Thy Tran
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln Northeast High School
Majors: Electrical Engineering and Mathematics
Activities: IEEE
Ally Tranquilino
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Millard West High School
Major: Biological Systems Engineering
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, eSAB, BMES, SWE, Emerging Leaders, Tri Delta, and studying abroad in Spain for Summer 2024
Elly Vo
Hometown: Omaha, NE
School: Millard South High School
Major: Biological Systems Engineering | Minors: Biomedical Engineering and Mathematics
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, Teaching Assistant for BSEN 100, ASABE, BMES
Lexi Vohland
Hometown: Kearney, NE
School: Kearney Senior High School
Majors: Biological Systems Engineering and Pre-Med | Minors: Mathematics and Biomedical Engineering
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, studied abroad in Italy; Biomedical Engineering Society, ASABE, Engineering Ambassador
Mady Weinrich
Hometown: Lincoln, NE
School: Lincoln Lutheran High School
Major: Architectural Engineering
Colton Wright
Hometown: Elgin, NE
School: Elgin High School
Major: Construction Management | Minor: Business
Internship Experience: Whiting Turner in Columbus, NE
Activities: AGC, Intramurals
Ryan Yost
Hometown: Norfolk, NE
School: Norfolk High School
Major: Architectural Engineering
Activities: PKFEA Peer Mentor, UNO Jazz Band, Delta Chi Fraternity, Nebraska Acoustics Group