PEO: Summer 2022 Participants & Program Additions

The one-of-a-kind Husker Post Eligibility Opportunity (PEO) scholarship has helped Husker letterwinner graduates increase their career marketability, personal development and intellectual growth through internships, graduate school, and study abroad experiences since its inception in 2015. To date, the PEO program has assisted 340 Husker alumni in their postgraduate career pursuits and has been able to award over $2.4 million in scholarship funding through the generosity of Nebraska Athletics donors. During the Summer 2022 semester, 22 Husker alumni (14 internships, 5 graduate school, and 3 international experiences) from 12 different Husker teams utilized the $7,500 PEO scholarship which is guaranteed to all Husker letterwinners who graduate and exhaust their athletic eligibility at Nebraska. A total of $128,923 in scholarship funding was awarded to the letterwinner participants in the Summer 2022 semester.

The PEO program has also announced two new additions to the program beginning in the Fall 2022 semester. In the program's history, PEO funding was only permitted to be awarded for graduate school experiences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. However, due to new NCAA legislation, the PEO program can now be awarded for graduate school experiences at ANY institution in the country and across the world. "I'm so excited that the PEO program can now fund graduate school experiences for letterwinners who want to use the funding at different institutions. This opens up even more opportunities for the athletic department to help our student-athletes well beyond their time here at Nebraska," shared PEO Program Director, Tom Lemke.

Additionally, Husker letterwinners eligible to use the PEO scholarship now have the additional option of using the funding for entrepreneur endeavors to start a business or continuing operating an already established business they began as a student-athlete. Participants using PEO for this option will be required to regularly meet with a professional mentor who will assist them as they navigate through the demands of starting and running a business. These added additions to the PEO program will continue adding immense value to an already unmatched postgraduate scholarship program. 

Summer 2022 Participant Testimonials

Sinclaire Miramontez, Soccer, Internship at the National Women's Soccer League Players Association (NWSLPA)

"The PEO program is so impactful to student athletes once they leave Nebraska as it is a way to continue to support the athletes that have given their time representing the University and shows that UNL is invested in all of their athletes as people and in their professional working careers. Nebraska has provided me with an outstanding alumni network to continue to help me progress forward professionally and that will continue to impact me as I get older."

Mark Freyhof, Cross Country, Master of Agricultural Engineering at UNL

"I appreciate the donors and people that support the PEO fund since they are not only concerned with our time as student-athletes at the University of Nebraska but also our time after we have completed our athletic endeavors at the University of Nebraska. Overall, my master's degree allowed me to explore many exciting research areas within agriculture including robotics, automation, and cybersecurity.  The PEO program was very helpful in supporting me as I finished my degree."

Anna McDonald, Swimming & Diving, Study Abroad in Granada, Spain

"This experience opened my eyes to the ways other people live across the world. Being confronted with new customs, a new language, new ways of thinking, and new ways of living was an incredible experience for me! It also allowed me to gain confidence in my Spanish speaking abilities, which is very helpful for the career path I am pursuing."

Matt Sichterman, Football, Master of Engineering Management at UNL

"I was able to connect and collaborate with a plethora of other engineers with different backgrounds and expertise. It allowed to learn a lot about management and gave me a glimpse into physical engineering roles and how that relates and differs from Software Engineering. Thank you so much for supporting student athletes at Nebraska. We are lucky to have the best fans, support staff, and donors in the country – and anyone who's been a student-athlete at Nebraska knows that we mean it when we say it. PEO is a clear example."

For questions about the PEO program, please reach out to PEO Director, Tom Lemke.