Your Gifts in Action

When did you last stop—really stop—to admire a tree? Today, the 150th annual celebration of Arbor Day, would be a great day to start.

After turning the tassel and taking one last walk through the arch, Nebraska Wesleyan University students officially become alumni. But what does that mean? What does it look like to be an alumni member of the NWU community?

Nebraska Wesleyan University boasts a long history of athletic excellence, best showcased by NWU’s top-10 national ranking for academic All-Americans across all divisions. Induction into the Nebraska Wesleyan Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes the best of the best.

Nebraska Wesleyan University’s campus is defined by its iconic arches, Old Main, and other housing and academic buildings that have been staples of the NWU experience for decades. Among NWU’s most recognizable buildings is the Cochrane-Woods Library, which has supported students and faculty in academic pursuits and leisure reading for over 50 years.

Nebraska Wesleyan gave Dennis “Denny” and Margaret “Cricket” McClatchey connections they’ve kept throughout their lives. Denny and Margaret did not arrive expecting to find each other—let alone any of the other relationships they hold close to their hearts. Nevertheless, their lifelong relationships with fraternity brothers, sorority sisters and Professors David Clark and Henry Blanke shaped their lives. Denny and Margaret want the ripple effects to continue, so they are laying the groundwork now for the legacy of their beloved NWU professors to live on even after Denny and Margaret are gone. Funded through a charitable gift annuity, the David Clark and Henry Blanke Endowed Scholarship will support future generations of NWU students.

Senior Melissa Hatch is living out every college student’s dream, to observe the effects of traumatic brain injury on chronic alcoholic rats.

Nebraska Wesleyan University aims to provide students with lasting experiences unmatched by other universities. Through invaluable resources, extensive efforts of inclusivity and diversity and an 11:1 student-to-faculty ratio, NWU strives to create an environment where all students thrive.

Most days, rising sophomore Emalie Wightman ’24 climbs the stairs of Old Main or returns to her dorm room in Johnson Hall with her mind on a macroeconomics exam, her partially drafted English essay, or how she will improve her short game in her next golf match.

A career in the performing arts requires confidence, experience and the courage to withstand rejection. Yet the glow of the spotlight draws a brave few, full of heart and passion, to the stage. Merrill Mitchell ’22 counts herself among the chosen.