Luke is NCTA staff leader, award recipient

By NCTA News

A well-known cliché fits a well-known Curtis woman. Vicky Luke wears many hats.

Luke is a wife, mother, grandmother, volunteer, outdoorswoman, animal lover, and one who enjoys riding horses and raising Labradors with her husband, Dave Luke.

Professionally, her career at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis calls for various duty hats, as well.

Currently, her job titles at NCTA include assistant registrar, financial aid liaison, and VA certifying official.

Duties span from tracking grades and requirements for each student’s academic standing to filing reports for the University of Nebraska and the U.S. Department of Education.

She also leads the graduation committee and events associated with academic awards. Each detail, large or small, is addressed including the stage, photography, décor, diplomas, programs, and more.

Vicky is on the front line for Student Services, interacting with any individual who registers for one or more classes through NCTA, including high school students taking courses for dual credits.

“She is a trustworthy shoulder for our students making this often-difficult transition to college life,” said Kevin Martin, a friend and co-worker in the NCTA Welcome Center.

Every student on campus knows Vicky and her office’s location at the Nebraska Agriculture Industry and Education Center on the southeast corner of campus.

“The care for, and of, the students goes outside of the office,” adds one of Luke’s colleagues. “As one student told me, ‘Vicky’s heart for each individual student that walks through the door is apparent.’ She goes above and beyond to help students to be successful.”

In May, as the 2020-21 academic year ended with an outdoor commencement amid another pandemic-era graduation season, Luke was named the recipient of the “Excellence in Service Award.”

Awards Committee Chair Mary Rittenhouse said the staff award recognizes outstanding contributions in support of the NCTA campus, faculty, staff, and student body.

An award nominator credited Luke for the many roles she tackles on campus.

“Without Vicky and her years of knowledge, we come to a screeching halt if she is not here,” he said.

Over the course of her 24-year career at NCTA, Vicky has worked in the Assistant Dean’s Office, maintained hundreds of college and student records, and served on numerous campus committees.

Currently, she is chair of the NCTA Staff Senate, where she leads the monthly sessions of non-faculty staff members from all departments and units of the college. With that role, she also serves on the Dean’s Council and on the Academic Council.

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 for the success of student teams 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.