Nebraska Foundation Awards $408K in Healthcare Scholarships

Ten Nebraska students are heading to college this fall with full support to chase their dreams in healthcare, and their rural community couldn't be prouder.

The Lexington Community Foundation announced the 2026 winners of the Norall Scholarship, a program that's been changing lives in Dawson County since 1998. Dr. Lee Norall created the trust with a simple vision: help local students become healthcare professionals who might one day return to serve their neighbors.

This year's winners are pursuing everything from dentistry to physical therapy to nursing. Lazaro Adame-Lopez, Hannah Scharff, and Yarely Simental are all heading into dental programs. Makaia Baker and Ellarey Harm will study physical therapy. Miranda Gomez is pursuing pharmacy, while Molly Dowling, Abrianna Reynosa, and Joselyn Valadez-Abundiz chose nursing. Bridny Lorenzana rounds out the group with biology studies at the University of Nebraska Kearney.

The scholarship removes a huge barrier for students who want to help people but worry about paying for school. Healthcare degrees require years of expensive education, and rural students often face tough choices between their dreams and their budgets.

The Ripple Effect

Since its founding nearly three decades ago, the Norall Scholarship has awarded $408,590 to Dawson County graduates. That's not just impressive numbers on paper. It's dentists filling cavities, nurses holding hands during scary moments, and physical therapists helping people walk again.

Rural America faces a serious healthcare shortage. Small towns struggle to attract doctors, nurses, and specialists when big cities offer higher salaries and more opportunities. The Norall Scholarship fights that trend by investing in homegrown talent who already love their community.

Many past recipients have kept their promise to return home after graduation. They're now practicing in the same towns where they grew up, treating neighbors they've known their whole lives. That local connection matters when someone's scared or hurting.

The foundation's approach is working because it understands something important: the best way to ensure rural communities have healthcare is to grow it from within. These ten students already know what their hometowns need because they've lived it.

Dr. Norall's gift keeps giving, creating a cycle of care that strengthens with each graduating class.