An NWU education, semester by semester

Year by year, semester by semester, we strive to offer all of our students the kind of quality liberal arts education for which Nebraska Wesleyan is so well known. We succeed because of the annual support of alumni, parents and friends of the university. The Archway Fund supports every aspect of an NWU education. It makes sure our academic departments have the resources they need, our athletes stay competitive season after season, and all of our students have access to life-changing experiences, both on and off campus.

Our students are already accomplishing great things this academic year, and they are looking forward to all that next semester holds.

This fall, theatre and mathematics major Eric Kimberly (’19) was the assistant stage manager on NWU’s production of Rocky Horror Show. In his time at NWU, Eric has experienced the joy of theatre from many different perspectives. He’s been a set builder, assistant stage manager, actor and, as of next semester, a stage manager and director.

“We have 12 faculty-directed productions, and upwards of 30 student-directed productions throughout the year,” he said. “Not only is this giving student directors an opportunity to direct their own full-length productions, but this gives actors a chance to try out different types of roles, and technicians and stage managers to be involved in plays and musicals from different periods and of varying complexities.”

Next semester he is looking forward to the opportunity to be the stage manager on the spring production of Noises off and make his directorial debut as part of his Directing II class.

Katie Krick (’18) has been spending most of this semester with her track and field teammates in the weight room in preparation for competition season. But it’s been the journey that has been the most impactful.

“My track and field experience at NWU has become more exciting, intense and fulfilling each year I have been a part of it,” said the communication major and All-American sprinter. “A personal goal of mine is to be supportive in all of my teammates’ specific events. There is a temptation on such a big team to stick to your own cliques, but I want to become a better supporter of those participating in jumps, throws, distance, etc.—to create a sense of unity and for each individual athlete to feel valued.”

Katie’s NWU experience has taught her not just to be a faster runner; it has taught her to be a more thoughtful teammate and friend. Her other major goal for next semester is to break the Division III All-Time Record. She says her team is only a few seconds away from breaking it and is confident they could do it this spring.

So far this semester, Benjamin Romero (’17) is most proud of having been elected the Multicultural Affairs and Minority Viewpoint chair of the Student Affairs Senate. He says that this has enabled him to translate his experiences abroad to the NWU campus and help bring people of different backgrounds together.

“I recently met a group of Malaysian students who were doing their undergraduate degrees at the University of Nebraska,” the economics major said. “Their English was broken but we were able to communicate efficiently in Mandarin. They discussed the difficulties of living in the U.S. with broken English and how it affected their ability to make friends.”

So Benjamin invited these Malaysian students and some NWU students over to his apartment. With Benjamin as their translator, they were able to communicate with each other, discuss issues and gain a better understanding of each other’s cultures.

“It’s a small thing but, who knows, it may have inspired someone in that room to create another dialogue with someone else and discover that our differences are merely superficial,” he said.

Next spring, Benjamin will be taking his LSATs and preparing for law school and a future career in international financial law. With the help of his classes, professors, student investment group and the Career Center, he says he will be well-prepared for the next stage of his journey.

Today’s Archway Fund gifts support educational resources and student experiences this academic year—theatre productions, athletic coaching and equipment, study abroad experiences, student organizations, the Career Center and much more. The opportunities we offer our students are extensive and diverse, but they all have one thing in common. They are not possible without you.