Student heading to medical school thanks donors for their help
Scholarships gave him the time to achieve his dreams, UNL senior tells Burnett Society donors.
As he looks back on his undergraduate years, UNL senior Ethan Monhollon now sees how scholarships gave him the time he needed to reach for his goal of medical school.
And to reach for the stars – literally.
Monhollon will graduate in May with degrees in biochemistry and biological systems engineering. He and his wife, Melissa, will move to Omaha soon because he will join UNMC in August as a first-year medical student.
He told a group of about 100 University of Nebraska donors the other day how scholarships gave him the time to volunteer at the People’s City Mission’s Free Clinic in Lincoln, where he assisted physicians and nurse practitioners in all aspects of critical care.
“I gained a deep satisfaction in serving patients,” he told those donors – members of the Burnett Society who’d gathered at Embassy Suites downtown for their annual luncheon.
“Like many of you, I believe our purpose is to provide opportunities to help others achieve and succeed,” he said. “Clinical medicine is my opportunity to serve and educate in a way I have come to love.
“And I am looking forward to applying the knowledge I will gain during my education to serve patients in need.”
With the burden of paying for his education alleviated, he said, he was able to focus on the examination, essays and interviews he needed to do to get into medical school.
Scholarships also gave him the time to be part of the UNL Microgravity Team, a select group of engineering students who work closely with NASA engineers to design, build and test research projects that further the knowledge of spaceflight.
“I am extremely proud to have attended the University of Nebraska and have personally seen the impact its donors have on the quality of student education,” he said. “Your actions have certainly left a significant influence on my experience at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
“Thank you for the support you have shown me and many others as we work to achieve our goals. Not only are you supporting students in their academic pursuits, but you are investing in their future.”
He looks forward to the day, he said, when he can give back to students, too.
The Burnett Society is a University of Nebraska Foundation giving society that consists of people who have planned to leave a gift to the university.
If you would like to join the Burnett Society, or learn more about it, please contact the University of Nebraska Foundation’s Kim Waller at 402-458-1144 or 800-432-3216.
