Glowing with Gratitude

February 19, 2024

By Dean Larry Gossen, Ph.D.

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I cannot express often enough how grateful I am for the outpouring of support for NCTA during the recent Glow Big Red campaign. The show of support for our students and campus needs by our alums, friends, and supporters continues to excite me.

During the 24-hour day of giving, NCTA ranked 12^th out of the 42 groups represented in the total amount given. We had 63 individuals make a contribution to one of three funds that are focused on students. Our total this year was $17,260. All gifts will make an impact on students in multiple ways.

One option donors had for giving was to the Curtis Aggie NCTA Scholarship Fund. This fund successfully matched the $1,000 challenge of Steven and Heather Stettner of Palmer, Nebraska. The NCTA Alumni Association created this scholarship years ago to support students whose parents were alumni of UNSTA or NCTA.

A second giving option that was also available was the NCTA Scholarship Fund. The fund also reached the $1,000 match challenge set forth by Warren and Terri Jo Bek of Ord, Nebraska. Both of these funds will provide scholarships directly to NCTA students for the 2024-25 academic year.

Donors could also choose to support the NCTA fund, which is used to support the greatest needs of the college and students. The money raised this year will go directly to support the Aggie Cupboard. The Aggie Cupboard serves students with personal needs related to food insecurity, personal care products, clothing, or school supplies.

I want to especially thank Rex and Heidi Hansen and the North 40 Chophouse in North Platte for their generous support by providing gift certificates to their restaurant as incentives for larger gifts.

Even though the day of giving is over, your continued support of NCTA through scholarships or donations to the Student Success and Activity Center fund is always welcome and appreciated. The University of Nebraska Foundation can be contacted through Kristen Houska, kristen.houska@nufoundation.org if you have any questions or would like to make a donation.

Part of the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a two-year institution with a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology, and related industries. NCTA is known for its affordable tuition, high job-placement rate for its graduates, and student teams' success in competitive activities, including crops judging, ranch horse events, livestock judging, shotgun sports, stock dog trials, and intercollegiate rodeo. The college is consistently ranked as one of the best two-year schools in the nation.