Melvin Jones Scholars

Kerra Russell Author

05/20/2021 Added

11 Plays

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This video includes testimonials from Jones Scholar Alumni sharing their personal experiences as participants in the Learning Community and how being a Jones Scholar helped them adjust to UNL.

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[00:00:00.590]Hi, my name is Larissa Rodney.
[00:00:02.710]I'm originally from Omaha, Nebraska
[00:00:04.360]and a Jones Scholar Alumni class of 2009.
[00:00:07.750]While at UNL, I did major in sociology
[00:00:10.390]with a minors in ethnic studies and humanities in medicine.
[00:00:13.430]I did go on to receive my master's degree in public health
[00:00:16.240]at the University of Nebraska Medical Center,
[00:00:18.320]and I currently work
[00:00:19.320]for the Drug Enforcement Administration in Washington, DC.
[00:00:23.210]My role as the Sole Community Outreach Coordinator
[00:00:26.040]for my division which covers all of DC, Maryland
[00:00:28.330]and Virginia, is to be responsible
[00:00:30.490]for all of the partnerships prevention efforts
[00:00:32.710]and Programming efforts for the DEA.
[00:00:35.630]When I'm not providing the public
[00:00:36.880]with information about drug trafficking,
[00:00:38.630]current drug trends and drug prevention initiatives,
[00:00:40.910]I also ran my own business as a hairstylist.
[00:00:44.210]One of the best things about being a Jones Scholar Alumni
[00:00:46.790]is that these friends are forever
[00:00:48.620]and they're literally like family.
[00:00:49.920]We still talk to this day.
[00:00:52.090]Hi everyone, my name is Leroy Ford,
[00:00:54.070]I'm from Kansas City, Missouri.
[00:00:55.550]I entered into the Melvin Jones Scholarship Program in 2009.
[00:00:58.400]When I was an undergrad at UNL,
[00:00:59.860]I majored in communication studies
[00:01:01.530]and got a minor in ethnic studies.
[00:01:03.440]I currently work in the field
[00:01:04.620]of Student Affairs in Higher Education
[00:01:06.070]where I serve as the Assistant Director of Residence Life,
[00:01:08.260]at the University of California, San Diego.
[00:01:10.470]You should become a Jones Scholar for a couple of reasons.
[00:01:12.530]One, the relationships and the connection
[00:01:14.290]that you're gonna make with the fellow scholars
[00:01:16.350]are gonna turn into
[00:01:17.183]some lifelong friendships and relationships.
[00:01:19.270]Some of the folks that I'm closest to to this day
[00:01:21.180]are folks that I lived with my first year
[00:01:23.530]in the Jones Scholars Program.
[00:01:25.040]Secondly, the staff and the faculty
[00:01:26.720]that you're gonna be able to interact with
[00:01:28.170]in the Program are unmatched.
[00:01:29.700]They truly care about you
[00:01:30.900]and your success at the university.
[00:01:32.620]I always knew that I could rely on them
[00:01:34.320]and I always knew that they cared.
[00:01:36.080]And they're also gonna be in your corner
[00:01:37.570]for the rest of your time at UNL and beyond.
[00:01:40.850]My name is Mary Simali and I'm from Lincoln, Nebraska,
[00:01:42.883]and I'm a proud Jones Scholar, class of 2008.
[00:01:46.450]I graduated from the University of Nebraska Lincoln,
[00:01:48.840]with a degree in finance.
[00:01:50.140]Then I went to law school and now I work for
[00:01:52.150]the United States Department of Housing, Urban Development.
[00:01:54.860]You should be a Jones Scholar
[00:01:56.010]because the Jones Scholars Community provides you resources
[00:01:59.120]and opportunities to get involved
[00:02:00.837]with both the University and the City of Lincoln,
[00:02:03.850]from the moment you step on campus, go big red.
[00:02:09.140]My name is Marlina Thorton,
[00:02:11.190]I am from Lincoln, Nebraska.
[00:02:13.610]I entered UNL the fall of 2007,
[00:02:17.390]and I majored in broadcasting and news editorial.
[00:02:20.290]And I currently work for the University.
[00:02:23.530]Being a Jones Scholar helped me learn
[00:02:25.720]how to advocate for myself,
[00:02:27.620]and the importance of developing relationships.
[00:02:31.590]Advocating for yourself is a lifetime skill.
[00:02:34.130]People are not always going to give you what you deserve
[00:02:37.400]or what you need.
[00:02:38.880]Being a Jones Scholar helped me to develop the confidence
[00:02:42.320]I needed to use my voice to go after certain opportunities
[00:02:46.420]and get the support I needed to succeed.
[00:02:49.440]In addition to that, the Program also encouraged me
[00:02:51.940]to build bonds and network with people
[00:02:55.760]inside campus and outside of campus.
[00:02:58.350]And those relationships were vital
[00:02:59.940]not only to me as an undergraduate,
[00:03:02.500]but also post-graduation in my career.
[00:03:10.110]Hi, Menescu Selemus and I'm from Lincoln, Nebraska.
[00:03:14.038]I was part of the Iota class for the Melvin Jones Scholars
[00:03:17.290]at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.
[00:03:19.090]I majored in global studies and economics.
[00:03:22.880]Currently I'm a graduate student studying public policy
[00:03:25.530]at the University of Michigan in Arbor,
[00:03:27.790]but prior to my graduate studies,
[00:03:30.150]I was Community Organizer in Lincoln Nebraska
[00:03:32.390]working on building leadership and civic connection
[00:03:35.400]at the neighborhood level.
[00:03:37.300]My favorite part of Melvin Jones Scholars
[00:03:39.340]has been the Community,
[00:03:41.180]having the chance to not only work with mentors,
[00:03:43.760]but also have a community of peers that I lived with
[00:03:46.580]for two years really helped me build a connection
[00:03:49.650]and a community at UNL.
[00:03:51.670]UNL is a big school, and it's a big powerful institution
[00:03:54.940]and being able to have access to the wonderful resources
[00:03:58.620]but also the type of Community
[00:03:59.750]of the Melvin Jones Scholars Program
[00:04:01.870]helped me feel at home and connected to University.
[00:04:05.680]I hope that you join Melvin Jones Scholars Program
[00:04:08.178]these and other staff,
[00:04:09.040]and the current community of students
[00:04:11.150]are working really hard to make it a home
[00:04:12.530]for you as well.
[00:04:13.850]Thank you for your time, and I hope that you join us.
[00:04:17.310]Hi, I'm Leandra Guy, and I majored in hospitality,
[00:04:21.210]restaurant and tourism management.
[00:04:23.550]I am now the owner of L.Guy Event Planning and Design, LLC.
[00:04:28.700]The best thing about the Jones Scholar is a Community.
[00:04:33.520]It is a Community where I felt like I belonged,
[00:04:36.780]and I gained so many new friends in the process.
[00:04:41.160]They exposed me to new cultures through events.
[00:04:45.760]I am a first generation student,
[00:04:48.340]and they provided me with great support during college
[00:04:52.380]and tools during college as well.
[00:04:56.860]Hello, my name is David Orosco Garcia,
[00:05:00.913]I'm from South Omaha, Nebraska.
[00:05:03.100]I was part of the Zeta class of Melvin Jones.
[00:05:06.480]My major in college was biology, started off pre-med
[00:05:09.650]but then switched to psychology later on.
[00:05:11.660]So real quick, cause I don't have too much time.
[00:05:14.250]So yes, how has Melvin Jones Scholars helped me?
[00:05:18.230]So the biggest thing for me, I think,
[00:05:20.270]was helping with the culture shock that I felt
[00:05:22.700]once I got to UNL coming from Omaha South High,
[00:05:25.830]which is predominantly Latino,
[00:05:27.650]you hear a lot of Spanish, a lot of Hispanic culture
[00:05:31.020]going to UNL, which is predominantly white.
[00:05:33.490]It was a huge culture shock for me.
[00:05:35.580]And so I think that being able to meet the first
[00:05:41.520]I think professors of color I ever met
[00:05:45.060]and know that I was supposed to be there
[00:05:47.880]and I belong there and had having the support
[00:05:50.750]of my fellow diverse students that lived on my same floor,
[00:05:55.230]building study partners and study groups
[00:05:59.926]and just the encouragement that they as staff
[00:06:02.070]and as students gave me to keep pushing, keep fighting,
[00:06:06.740]and to remind me that I do belong there.
[00:06:10.340]I think that was one of the most helpful things.
[00:06:13.547]I think the staff that works
[00:06:14.580]for Melvin Jones Scholars are really committed
[00:06:17.580]to helping us as scholars,
[00:06:21.080]at times even joining in on different social justice events
[00:06:27.640]and things like that because they
[00:06:29.120]feel strongly in the same way we do.
[00:06:31.290]And so, yeah, so that sense of belonging
[00:06:33.570]was super important, sense of community.
[00:06:35.780]They helped us, we had a lot of like socials
[00:06:38.500]where we were able to be out together
[00:06:40.000]and have fun together, get to know each other in that way,
[00:06:42.660]being that we lived on the same floor
[00:06:43.633]it made it easy for us to have access to each other
[00:06:46.820]and go say, what's up to each other.
[00:06:49.210]I had a blast, I had a blast.
[00:06:50.790]I think one of the biggest things
[00:06:53.600]that helped me stick around and finish college
[00:06:56.320]was Melvin Jones Scholar, right?
[00:06:58.550]There's an, I don't think
[00:06:59.383]there is another learning Community like them.
[00:07:02.970]And because I trust and I really
[00:07:06.680]felt committed to the Program,
[00:07:09.270]I felt like I could do anything.
[00:07:11.110]And so Melvin Jones Scholars helped me
[00:07:13.410]increase my confidence as well.
[00:07:15.130]And just feel like I was part of
[00:07:17.080]something bigger than myself,
[00:07:19.140]especially as diverse first-generation
[00:07:21.090]low-income students like myself that Community,
[00:07:25.230]a sense of belonging is really what I needed.
[00:07:27.790]So I'll try the biggest thing.
[00:07:30.770]This Program is what kept me in college
[00:07:32.846]and helped me finish, which I'm very grateful now today.
[00:07:35.980]So, shout out to Melvin Jones Scholars, love ya.
[00:07:40.660]Hi everyone, Jeanette Sanchez here,
[00:07:42.470]I am originally from Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
[00:07:44.870]I was a Jones Scholar from 2009 to 2010,
[00:07:48.350]and a Jones Scholar Mentor from 2010 to 2011.
[00:07:53.000]I graduated from UNL in 2014
[00:07:55.370]with a business administration degree,
[00:07:57.910]I went to law school and I'm currently working
[00:07:59.910]as an Attorney in the Washington DC area.
[00:08:03.070]Oh, one of the best things about
[00:08:04.770]the Jones Scholar Community
[00:08:06.150]is the friendships that you create
[00:08:09.100]and that you keep even after college.
[00:08:12.840]So I don't think I would have gotten a chance
[00:08:14.840]and the opportunity to become so close to people
[00:08:17.210]especially during my freshman and sophomore year,
[00:08:20.080]without the Jones Scholar Community.
[00:08:23.360]Hello, my name is Widdey Lebrose,
[00:08:25.077]and I'm from Fort Worth Texas.
[00:08:27.110]I was in the Alpha class of Jones Scholars
[00:08:29.480]and I'm an Actuary currently,
[00:08:30.770]but my degree from Nebraska was in music education.
[00:08:34.230]Jones Scholars really helped me in many ways
[00:08:36.670]but most importantly, it gave me all the tools
[00:08:39.280]that I need to navigate the college experience.
[00:08:42.010]As a first generation college student,
[00:08:43.730]I did not know what all I was going to encounter,
[00:08:46.190]but Jones Scholars helped set me up for success
[00:08:48.360]with mentorships, friendships, academic skills,
[00:08:52.360]and it goes on and on and on.
[00:08:54.540]Without Jones Scholars,
[00:08:55.680]I don't know that I complete my freshman year
[00:08:57.850]and definitely not my degree, thank you.
[00:09:01.700]Hey everybody, my name is Maurici Guzman,
[00:09:03.840]and I am originally from Scottsbluff, Nebraska.
[00:09:07.740]I was a Jones Scholar in 2010 and 2011,
[00:09:11.050]so I was a student in 2010 and then a Mentor in 2011.
[00:09:15.850]At the time I was a journalism major
[00:09:17.950]at the University of Nebraska.
[00:09:19.870]And currently I am the
[00:09:21.240]Multicultural and International Student Support Director
[00:09:24.260]at Western Nebraska Community College.
[00:09:27.620]The Jones Scholarship Program helped me
[00:09:29.180]in so many different ways.
[00:09:30.840]I was coming from a small town,
[00:09:32.350]and so the university was a really exciting place,
[00:09:35.580]but it was also really scary.
[00:09:38.270]And so the Jones Scholarship Program
[00:09:40.190]really takes you under your wing
[00:09:41.850]and creates a family for you on campus.
[00:09:44.020]And you not only do you have professional staff,
[00:09:46.350]but you also have students from former classes
[00:09:48.100]that show you the ropes of the university
[00:09:51.220]and show you how things work,
[00:09:52.650]help you network, becoming your friends.
[00:09:55.320]So that was really, really helpful.
[00:09:58.570]We also got to travel with our Program.
[00:10:00.570]We got to go to Memphis, Tennessee,
[00:10:02.620]where we met Melvin Jones, his family
[00:10:04.770]and really got to understand his legacy
[00:10:06.470]and just how he impacted so many people across the country.
[00:10:10.410]So if you're looking for a family environment,
[00:10:12.710]if you're needing people to take you and show you
[00:10:17.750]how the university works and even beyond,
[00:10:20.440]because the Program has helped me as a professional,
[00:10:22.820]they do so many different, amazing things.
[00:10:25.350]And it's a great Program to be a part of,
[00:10:27.120]and I'm very proud to say that I'm a graduate
[00:10:29.315]of the Jones Scholarship Program.
[00:10:31.270]So thank you, bye.
[00:10:34.137]Hi, I'm Milka Johnson, I am from Omaha, Nebraska,
[00:10:37.050]and I was a Melvin Jones Scholar in class of 09.
[00:10:40.110]It was a beautiful opportunity
[00:10:41.460]to be able to be on Able eight,
[00:10:44.010]and my roommate and I, hi Beca, I love her dearly
[00:10:48.130]and we still keep in touch.
[00:10:49.640]I love, and what I love most about being a MJ scholar
[00:10:53.100]is that the opportunity to create meaningful relationships
[00:10:56.470]that impact, and also being involved within the community
[00:10:59.420]we always was able to volunteer.
[00:11:01.600]One particular event that we did every year
[00:11:03.680]was Safe Quarters,
[00:11:05.250]but the community really was funded by his family,
[00:11:08.080]creating those relationships and be able to get back.
[00:11:11.240]So thank you so much for Mama Jones
[00:11:13.070]for always giving back to me,
[00:11:14.440]even over the years when I got married
[00:11:16.150]she was still there supporting,
[00:11:17.750]so I just appreciate the staff and my faculty.
[00:11:20.200]And this is one of the greatest Programs
[00:11:21.860]that UNL has to offer.

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