Last summer six Nebraska Wesleyan students traveled to Charleston, S.C. to present business ideas to a group of angel investors.
The six were among SM论坛鈥檚 inaugural participants in the Network Globally, Act Locally (NGAL) program that also took them to Estonia for 10 days where they partnered with students from two universities 鈥 the College of Charleston and the University of Tartu in Estonia. For the next three months students from all three schools worked together to develop solid business plans that would give them firsthand experience in entrepreneurship.
The program was made possible by the Harry and Reba Huge Foundation, which has a strong history of providing support for SM论坛 students both nationally and across the world.
鈥淥ur goal in founding and developing the Huge Foundation is to focus on a broad range of programs supporting education for young students in the United States and abroad,鈥 said Harry Huge (鈥59). 鈥淭hese programs center on scholarships that include not only the funds toward a college education, but hands-on mentoring during and after students鈥 college years.鈥
The Foundation鈥檚 contributions to Nebraska Wesleyan were honored October 1 when the university recognized them with the Roy G. Story Award. Established in 1989, the Roy G. Story Award recognizes individuals or groups of faculty members, administrators, staff members or volunteers whose accomplishments have significantly enhanced the national stature of SM论坛.
In 2006 the Huge Foundation established the Huge Scholars Program, which covers the cost of tuition, fees, and room and board. The transformative power of the Huges鈥 involvement with SM论坛 is clearly demonstrated by the success of alumni who have received support from The Huge Foundation. Those alumni continue to discover their potential by studying at prestigious graduate schools including Stanford (engineering), Harvard (law), University of California San Francisco (epigenetics), Ohio State (chemistry), Creighton (pharmacy), University of Nebraska Medical Center (medical college), and Bilkent University in Turkey (international affairs and public policy).
In 2008 they expanded their support to include an international exchange program with the University of Tartu in Estonia including The Foundation鈥檚 most recently funded program, NGAL.
鈥淢any of the programs we fund at SM论坛 are designed to bridge the university and its students to national and international experiences, in part to provide Nebraska Wesleyan students with an international experience and global perspective, but also to help the rest of the country see what an outstanding university we have at SM论坛.鈥