In a family of University of Nebraska–Lincoln alumni, Turner Plugge decided to keep his studies in his hometown of Kearney, Nebraska. The sophomore at the University of Nebraska at Kearney studies business administration with an emphasis in finance and hopes to become a financial adviser post-graduation.

A recipient of the College of Business and Technology Community Scholarship, Turner lived and studied with other members who received this award during their freshman year. Receiving this scholarship not only allowed Turner to immediately have a community of support during his first year away from home, but also allowed him to connect and grow with other like-minded students.

Scholarships like Turner’s are essential in helping students achieve their educational goals and giving them access to opportunities they might not otherwise have. They are a great resource for

students who have financial difficulties and assist in reducing the load of tuition expenses, allowing students to concentrate on their studies and personal development.

“Not worrying as much about money and really focusing on diving deep into what I’m studying has been very helpful,” explained Turner.

The scholarship also gave him access to a group of peers with comparable academic and professional interests. During his first year of college, Turner shared housing and educational opportunities with other scholarship recipients, building a community where he could work together, share ideas and gain knowledge from his peers.

“The Business and Technology Community Scholarship has really propelled me forward and allowed me to afford the classes that I really want to take,” explained Turner. “It’s been extremely helpful to me while giving me a track to do what I really want to do.”

Turner said the realization hit him on his senior scholarship night: “Everyone at first just sees money in their account, but in that moment, I realized that this support was changing my life.” Being able to focus on his classes and build a web of connections has allowed Turner to more vigorously pursue his aspirations of becoming a financial adviser.

Turner continued, “Without support from alumni and donors, a lot of kids like me wouldn’t make it to where they want to be.”

Providing support to the University of Nebraska and its students provides brighter opportunities for the UNK community and creates a web of generational trust between past and present Lopers. Please consider making a donation today to help us provide more opportunities like these to UNK students.