Academic Year

Through hosting drop-in hours and participating in outreach presentations and events, Luke McDermott supports undergraduates in learning about fellowship and research opportunities and provides strategies and resources to promote their success in achieving personalized goals.

You can call me:
Luke (he/him)

My academic or professional journey:

I am currently a senior here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln majoring in Political Science, Economics, and History with minors in French and Public Policy Analysis. Over the course of my undergraduate career, I have been building towards my dream of working on behalf of the American as a federal government lawyer. This led me to work for many fascinating places as a college student, including the Nebraska Unicameral Legislature, Digital Legal History Lab (as a UCARE student), U.S. House of Representatives, Roosevelt Network, a labor union, an NGO in Ecuador, and more! Many of these experiences would not have been possible without the support of nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships, including the Truman Scholarship, Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship, Phi Beta Kappa Key into Public Service Scholarship, Reagan Civic Leaders Fellowship, and Victory Institute Congressional Internship, to name a few. These incredible opportunities have led me to the Undergraduate Research and Fellowships office to support fellow UNL students in unlocking these experiences for themselves.

Where I call home:

Omaha, Nebraska (a former Mustang of Millard North High School). Runza ranch dressing, Lanoha Christmas displays, and many corn-flavored snacks are reminders of home.

My favorite hobby:
As a busy college student, it can be hard to make time for hobbies, but it is my goal to make more time for them this year. A few longstanding hobbies of mine include traveling to microstates (I've hit Monaco, Andorra, San Marino, and Vatican City, so far), baking healthy versions of sweet treats (think banana bread with protein powder), and the occasional Netflix binge watch. With my friends, you'll often find me at the Raising Canes on Cornhusker Highway.

A person/place/thing/idea that has had great influence on my life: 

As a first-generation college student, I am thankful to have parents who were so supportive of my education and development. My mother and father work every day with the goal to make education attainable and possible for me. This serves not only as a model for hard work and dedication in my life, but a motivation to live up to and pay back all that has been poured into me.