A new cohort of Nebraska students will prepare for careers in the health field.
Wayne State College is excited to welcome its newest cohort of Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) students. This fall, 52 rural Nebraska students are joining the RHOP program at Wayne State to pursue their goal of becoming a healthcare provider.
The Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) offers a comprehensive suite of benefits designed to support aspiring healthcare professionals. Students are selected from rural Nebraska and receive a full-tuition scholarship at Wayne State, eliminating a significant financial barrier to their education. Upon successful completion of their undergraduate studies, they are guaranteed admission to a specific health program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC), providing a clear pathway to advanced training.
The program emphasizes practical experience through exposure to rural healthcare settings and practices and includes opportunities to visit UNMC and area healthcare facilities, which builds familiarity with their future working environment. Mentoring from faculty at Wayne State and UNMC provides invaluable guidance and support, while a specialized curriculum and interaction with fellow health pathways students prepare them for the rigors of UNMC's programs. At Wayne, participants also benefit from learning from experts who have mentored numerous previous RHOP students, access to state-of-the-art learning labs, and a campus environment that recognizes and nurtures their potential.
“Nebraska high schools do a tremendous job preparing young minds for careers in science and medicine.” said Dr. Ron Loggins, dean of the School of Science, Health, and Criminal Justice at Wayne State. “Wayne State is proud that these talented students have chosen RHOP at Wayne to launch their careers. This year we are excited to share that students pursuing studies in the fields of dentistry, physical therapy, and physician assistant will be enrolled in our new Biomedical Science program.”
“Students choose RHOP at Wayne State because of the college's proven track record of academic excellence and thoughtful mentorship,” added Loggins.” This year Wayne State has added a pre-public health track for students. Here at Wayne, these students will major in One Health Studies, a new degree program that prepares students for the variety of challenges faced in supporting public health.”
Also new this year, the Wayne State Foundation established the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) Endowment Fund to raise funds for additional scholarship opportunities. These new funds will help Wayne State recruit and retain the most qualified students for this unique program.
RHOP at Wayne State currently supports the health fields of Dental Hygiene, Dentistry, Medical Laboratory Science, Medicine, Nursing, Occupational Therapy, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Public Health, and Radiography.
Students selected for RHOP for the Fall 2025 semester:
Dental Hygiene
Norfolk – Aspen Fischer
Stanton – Kelby Pohlman
Dentistry
Plymouth – Alex Paxton
West Point – Campbell Knutzen-Snodgrass
Wisner – Sydney Porter
Wood River – Reagan Zessin
Medical Lab Sciences
South Sioux City – Jesus Navarro
West Point – Kathryn Jansen, Allie Kaup
Medicine
Cozad – Larkyn Malcom
Firth – Brigham Schoenbeck
Grand Island – Megan Boyd
Hebron – David Johnson
Red Cloud – Mariah McDole
Wakefield – Jazmin Paredes
Waterloo – Bryce Larsen
Wayne – Rylin Hall
Nursing
Battle Creek – Ellyson Ottis, Samantha Wemhoff
Fremont – Kaylie Herman, Peyton Timm
Hebron – Cambria Kunc
Laurel – Julia Johnson
Norfolk – Lindsay Herley, Izabella Wood
Ravenna – Ava Vogt
Seward – Bree Geschke
Sidney – Keira Neumann
Wausa – Colton Baue
West Point – Diego Onate
Occupational Therapy
David City – Sara Schmid
Genoa – Lauryn Melcher
Gretna – Amanda Marsh
Norfolk – Sydney Kuchar
Oakland – Brennan Ahrens
Polk – Courtney Carlstrom
Pharmacy
Clarkson – Brianne Kuhr
Dakota City – Lila Winya Waste Bolles
Hartington – Lauren Bernecker
Omaha – Cassandra Coenen
South Sioux City – Autumn Porter
Physical Therapy
Emerson – Sean Krusemark
Norfolk – William Harrington
Osceola – Bransen Lavaley
Rosalie – Samuel Dick
Physician Assistant
Fremont – Aislinn Miller
Public Health
Clarkson – Rosslyn Villeda-Guillen
Radiography
Madison – Abigail Guzman
Milford – Raeleigh Kremer
Norfolk – Scarlett Babl
Wahoo – GraceAnne Ryan
Wayne State constantly explores new possibilities for healthcare partnerships in addition to RHOP to ensure students have a wide variety of fields from which to choose.
Learn more about RHOP at www.wsc.edu/rhop.