The culmination of Nebraska Wesleyan鈥檚 first Give To Learn class resulted in tears.
The happy kind.
The class presented a $10,000 grant to Lincoln鈥檚 Good Neighbor Community Center on December 11.
鈥淚 grew up here in Lincoln, and it's just so rewarding to know that I and everybody else in the class was able to help the community,鈥 senior Ollie Maryott said. 鈥淎nd the fact that we actually got to go visit the Good Neighbor Community Center and volunteer with them, and see the good work that they do firsthand, and we know that the money is going to a good place 鈥 that's a very rewarding feeling that I've never gotten to really experience before.鈥
The Give To Learn course, taught by retired president and CEO of Community Health Endowment of Lincoln Lori Seibel, aimed to give students a greater understanding of their local community and its healthcare needs.
Students practiced hands-on volunteer service and fieldwork with eight community organizations: Good Neighbor Community Center, BraveBe Child Advocacy Center, Asian Community and Cultural Center, Mentoring Plus, Malone Center Athletics, Community Learning Center, Family Service Lincoln, and Northeast Family Center.
The class then reflected on their experiences while working through the process of choosing which nonprofit would receive the grant.
The first-of-its-kind class at 精东传媒 used a grant from the Duncan Aviation Family Trust. Seibel facilitated the grant thanks to her relationship with Connie Duncan, a 1987 精东传媒 graduate who serves as vice president of the trust.
鈥淎s they got going, they did what I did. You get to know the people that need you. And it's all about your heart,鈥 Duncan said. 鈥淵ou start falling in love with these agencies and the people they work with, and you want to do more. That's what they did.鈥
The class also received a promise from Duncan during the ceremony.
鈥淎s long as you have the class,鈥 Duncan said, 鈥渨e will find the funds for it.鈥
The class considered splitting the grant into two $5,000 awards. But because one of its core values is 鈥渋mpact鈥, the class kept the grant in one piece.
鈥淚t was a wonderful experience working with the students here,鈥 said Tom Randa, executive director of the Good Neighbor Community Center. 鈥淚t was just an opportunity to make an impact with what we are doing at the center.鈥
The class designated most of the grant to support the center鈥檚 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) hope project, which provides support to refugees and immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa, and a new clothing program for local children.
The class named clothing program 鈥淎li鈥檚 Closet鈥, in memory of Ali Al-Baaj, who drowned in HolmesLake in 2024. He was the son of Zainab Al-Baaj, who directs the center鈥檚 MENA initiatives.
鈥淲e鈥檙e just a bunch of students trying to present an award,鈥 senior Ghaith Taha told the crowd gathered for the event. 鈥淏ut I think we鈥檙e doing a pretty good job.鈥