Bio Nebraska and the Bio Nebraska Foundation are proud to announce the first recipients of the newly established Bio Nebraska REACH Scholarship. Each student will receive a $5,000 scholarship for the 2025–2026 academic year.
REACH Scholarship Recipients
- Ashley Llewellyn (Papillion) – University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Isabelle Vargas (Omaha) – University of Nebraska at Omaha
Launched earlier this year, the REACH Scholarship was created to empower students studying a bioscience field who are nearing the completion of their undergraduate degrees and need additional financial support to cross the finish line. It complements Bio Nebraska’s existing scholarships, including the Marylinn Munson STEM Scholarship and the Women in Bioscience Scholarship, and reflects the organization’s continued investment in retaining and growing a diverse and talented bioscience workforce.
“We are excited to support these two outstanding students as they prepare to take the next steps in their bioscience careers,” said Rob Owen, Executive Director of Bio Nebraska. “The REACH Scholarship was designed to bridge the gap for students who are close to completing their degrees but still face financial barriers. By investing in their success, we’re strengthening the future of Nebraska’s bioscience sector.”
“Financial stress remains one of the leading reasons students leave college before earning their degrees — often just steps from the finish line. That’s why establishing and supporting the Bio Nebraska REACH Scholarship is so meaningful.” said Marylinn Munson, a biotechnology professional. “By providing a $5,000 boost to women completing bioscience degrees in Nebraska, we’re helping ease that burden and create lasting impact in the lives of future scientists and innovators.”
The REACH Scholarship is open to students in a bioscience-related field who are enrolled at a Nebraska college, community college, or university, and have either achieved junior standing in a four-year program or completed more than 50% of a two-year degree program.
About the Bio Nebraska Foundation
The Bio Nebraska Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization focused on workforce development and education affiliated with Bio Nebraska. The Foundation aims to aid in the development of a highly educated and diverse Nebraska workforce by providing scholarships to Nebraska students and educational programming for professionals interested in advancing their careers in biosciences. Bio Nebraska is a nonprofit trade association tasked with supporting, promoting, and catalyzing the biosciences in Nebraska.
About Bio Nebraska
Founded in 2005, Bio Nebraska is a non-profit trade association dedicated to supporting and promoting Nebraska’s bioscience sector and ensuring the sector grows and thrives. Bio Nebraska is the only organization in the state representing over 100 bio-related entities in the human health, medical device, animal health, agriculture, renewable fuels and industrial biotech sectors, as well as educational institutions and service providers.