Greene, Martensen awarded UNL Schuchardt Scholarship

University of Nebraska-Lincoln students Carleigh Greene, Tilden, a 2022 high school graduate of Elkhorn Valley Schools, and Riley Martensen, a 2022 graduate of Neligh-Oakdale Public Schools, have been named winners of the Schuchardt Family Scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year.

Greene, the daughter of Randy Greene of Tilden and Bobbi Jenkins of Oakdale, is a junior majoring in community health and wellness in the College of Education and Human Sciences. She is a member of the CEHS Student Advisory Board and works part time as a dietary aide at Emerald Nursing and Rehab Lancaster in Lincoln. In high school, she participated in basketball, volleyball, speech, one-act and student council, and was inducted into the National Honor Society.

Speaking from her Lincoln apartment surrounded by plants, she said she loved taking care of them just like she loves caring for people. To that end, she is working on a certified nursing assistant designation which she hopes will get her a fulltime job this summer and transition her into nursing school after graduation in 2026.

About the scholarship, Greene paused for a moment saying she wanted to choose her words carefully. "It helps relieve financial stress for me," she said, "and it means a lot coming from someone who lives near my hometown."

Martensen, the daughter of Jeremy and Staci Martensen of Neligh is a junior majoring in fisheries and wildlife management in the College of Agriculture Sciences and Natural Resources. In high school, she participated in volleyball, basketball, track and field, Future Farmers of America, one act and band, and was inducted into the National Honor Society.

On the run from class to one of the additional tasks she juggles, Martensen exclaimed, "Working two jobs can be difficult to balance with classes. Financial assistance allows me to focus more on school, keep my grades up, and hopefully get accepted into physician's assistant school" upon graduation in 2026

Martensen said wildlife and habitat conservation has always been one of her passions. This UNL major provides the sciences she needed to apply for post-graduate education to become a licensed medical profession. Currently, she works as an Emergency Medical Technician for Midwest Medical Transport in Lincoln and as a research assistant in the ecosystems stoichiometry lab where she studies mineral and chemical deposits in water samples taken from Nebraska lakes, rivers and streams. She also volunteers with the Campus Red Cross Club where she serves as chair of the First Aid Services Team which deploys university students and community members to be available for emergency care at events in Lincoln.

The scholarship is funded through the University of Nebraska Foundation by Rick and Jane Schuchardt of rural Elgin, both UNL first-generation graduates. With appreciation for the education they received in the early 1970s, the scholarships are designed for Antelope County students with preference given to those attending Elgin schools. If no students from Elgin schools are available, the scholarship competition reaches to nearby areas.

Given to incoming or current undergraduate students majoring in courses of study offered by CEHS and CASNR, candidates must have a minimum grade-point average of 3.0 and preferably demonstrate financial need.

To apply for 2025-2026 academic year funding, contact the dean's office of the respective colleges.