Outstanding in Every Field: 2025 Graduate Student of the Year Awards

The University of Nebraska at Kearney’s Office of Graduate Studies and Academic Innovation has honored four exceptional students with the 2025 Graduate Student of the Year Awards.

In past years, only one student was selected for this honor. This year, to better highlight excellence across all academic areas, awards were given to one outstanding graduate student from each academic college, along with an overall university award.

Kristen Wetovick – 2025 UNK Graduate Student of the Year

Kristen Wetovick of Fullerton completed her bachelor’s degree in multimedia from UNK in 2023. She returned to UNK in 2024 to pursue a master’s degree in Learning Design and Technology.

Now in her second year, Wetovick holds a 4.0 GPA, is a graduate assistant for the Learning Design and Technology program, is already published in an academic journal, and has presented research more than ten times on her own and with faculty advisors.

Her research on Artificial Intelligence in higher education earned her the top spot at UNK’s 2024 Three-Minute Thesis (3MT) competition, where she competed as a first-semester graduate student. She later represented UNK in St. Louis, Missouri at the Midwest Association of Graduate Schools’ regional 3MT competition.

“Her recognition is testament to the quality of her research and skills in sharing her work with non-specialized audiences,” wrote Professor of Communications Dr. Mary Harner.

Despite a packed schedule, she still finds time to lead and serve across the UNK community.

Wetovick served as president of the UNK Graduate Student Association during the 2024 – 2025 academic year and is actively involved in the UNK AI Task Force, the Learning Design and Technology Program Team, and the Inclusive Excellence Task Force.

Her many opportunities at UNK have propelled her into her career at Kearney’s Intellicom as a web designer and marketing expert before officially completing her degree.

She credits her academic and professional growth to her UNK mentors and family.

“They are just my biggest supporters,” Wetovick said. “Without their unending love and support, I would not have been able to pursue grad school or all the new opportunities that have come up along the way.”

Chloe Dakan - 2025 Graduate Student of the Year, College of Business and Technology

Chloe Dakan is a familiar face in UNK’s College of Business and Technology. The Kearney native will graduate this May with her Master of Business Administration, just over a year after earning her bachelor’s degree in business administration degree in 2023, also from UNK.

As a graduate assistant for the College of Business and Technology, member of the Graduate Student Association, and program coordinator for the College of Business and Technology’s Living Learning Community Chloe wears many hats – and wears them well.

“Chloe embodies the qualities that define an outstanding graduate student – intellectual curiosity, leadership, professionalism, and a genuine commitment to advancing her field and supporting others,” wrote Dustin Favinger, director of the MBA program.

From leading student tours of local businesses to advocating for fellow graduate students during Graduate Council meetings, studying abroad in the Czech Republic, and serving as an unofficial CBT social media influencer, Dakan has left her mark at UNK.

This May, she’ll wear her final hat at UNK as she crosses the commencement stage, but she’ll wear a new hat as Treasury Management Officer for Pinnacle Bank in McCook.

Jarod Owen - 2025 Graduate Student of the Year, College of Education

Jarod Owen’s passion for speech-language pathology was born from tragedy.

After his grandfather suffered from a stroke, the Kearney native saw firsthand how speech therapy could restore communication and independence in an individual. That difficult experience shaped his goal to “to contribute to the growth and development of this incredible field.”

After graduating with his undergraduate from UNK in Communication Disorders in 2023, Owen enrolled in UNK’s Speech-Language Pathology M.S.Ed. program and is set to graduate this semester.

During his time in the program, Owen completed four clinical placements, maintained a 4.0 GPA, worked as a graduate assistant in the Department of Communication Disorders, and presented his research locally, regionally, and nationally.

At the 2023 UNK Student Research Day, he earned the Calvin T. Ryan Library Award for his research on bilingual individuals who stutter – a project that a DELFIN international student researcher continues to this day with Owen serving as a mentor.

He credits his UNK professors for helping him reach his full potential.

“I think many times people think of their favorite teacher being someone from elementary, middle, or high school,” said Owen. “But the professors I've had have been some of the greatest educators I've ever had.”

Kattie Sadd – 2025 Graduate Student of the Year, College of Arts and Sciences

More than 1,500 miles away from campus, Trenton, Maine-based graduate student Kattie Sadd is proof that UNK’s online graduate programs are empowering students to make a difference in their own communities.

Originally from Beaver City, Sadd earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism from UNK in 2017. She returned more than five years later as a graduate student for the fully online Public Communication M.A. program.

Sadd balanced a full class schedule while maintaining her business and working as a graduate research assistant for the Department of Communication. She also has a heart for serving and volunteers her time at a local homeless shelter.

Her drive to help underserved populations began during her time in Washington D.C., where after finishing a late restaurant shift, she passed a man curled up under a bus stop bench trying to stay warm.

“I simply could not sleep that night,” Sadd said. “I ventured out into the rain to give the man a pillow and blanket to stay warm.”

This small act grew into a lifelong passion.

Sadd has worked closely with faculty on multiple research projects, some including underserved populations. She has since conducted her own study focused on the unhoused population in her rural community, has co-authored a study that has been accepted for publication, and has traveled to New Orleans to present her work alongside UNK faculty.

“From start of the program until now, how much I've learned, how much I feel like I've grown, and how much my confidence has grown in my own research abilities and writing abilities is tenfold, like a number I can't even express,” said Sadd.