(high note music)
-: Hi, my name is Derek Guyton.
-: My name is Kamryn Sannicks.
-: Hey, my name is Ibraheem Hamza
and I'm a first year medical student
at The University of Chicago.
-: Hi, my name is Hunter Traynor.
I'm a second year law student here
at the University of Nebraska.
-: Professor Combs, embodied
excellence, growth and service
by pushing students to find their full potential
and not giving up no matter how long that process took
-: Dr. Combs embodied what it meant to inspire a community.
The first sentence he ever said to me was
good afternoon scholar
a sentence, that not only indicated in expectation,
but also respect for my capabilities.
-: A few years ago, I had the pleasure
of learning from Dr. Combs
in his African-American politics class.
He embodied everything that you would want in an instructor.
He taught us scholars how to
hold true to our personal convictions,
but disagree with people
in a way that brought folks together rather
than push people apart.
And those lessons stick with me to this day
that made me a better student.
They made me a better citizen
and they made me a better person.
And I feel very fortunate
to have met and learned from Dr. Combs
-: Dr. Combs embodied the values of excellence, growth
and a service by uplifting his community
in his roles as a professor and as a pastor
during his tenure, he affected change
not only across campus, but throughout Lincoln.
When interacting with Dr. Combs,
everyone was known as a scholar.
If he began calling you by your name,
you knew you had made a great impact on him
and that you had earned a place in his heart.
Dr. Combs always fought for what he believed in
and worked tirelessly to make a difference.
In my time, knowing Dr. Combs
he always had words of wisdom and encouragement to offer.
And with admirable wit and character,
even if you didn't know him well
he would do whatever he could to help you.
Even if that meant just listening.
Dr. Combs was a friend, my mentor, and a great professor.
-: Dr. Combs was a scholar of the highest order
and worked diligently to elevate his students
to equal standing.
His influence will always be felt at UNL and beyond.
I am a legacy of Dr. Combs
and every patient I would treat as a physician
will have him to thank for it.
-: My name is Patrice McMahon.
I'm the director of the University honors program.
I am so excited
about this student led organization
that honors the work and life of Michael Combs.
Michael Combs was my colleague
in the political science department
at the University of Nebraska.
For about 20 years.
There were many things that I admired about Dr. Combs.
Mostly I appreciated his respect
for students and for teaching.
He always greeted his students as young scholars
for Dr. Combs. Everyone was a scholar in the making
even if they didn't realize it,
it was his mission, I think,
to ensure that everyone knew this
Dr. Combs was a fabulous teacher.
He was a great colleague and a really good person.
He also gave back to his community.
He was about community service.
I hope that every student
who becomes a Michael Combs honors scholar
will strive for excellence.
See everyone as complete people
and give back to their communities.
This is his legacy from my perspective,
and it is one we should all embrace.
And one, I will try my best to carry forward
-: Carry on the legacy.