Skip to main content
University of Nebraska Omaha logo University of Nebraska Omaha
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY

Students Faculty Staff Community
APPLY MY UNO DIRECTORY
Students Faculty Staff Community
  • About
    About UNO
    • Leadership
    • Mission and Strategic Plan
    • Accreditation
    • Our City: Omaha
    • Facts & Figures
    • News
    • Events
    • Organizational Units
    • Campus Safety
    • Buildings and Maps
    Get Started
    • Apply
    • Campus Visit
    • Contact Us
    Front view of UNO's ASH building
    Get Started Today

    Apply Now
  • Academics
    Majors and Programs
    • Undergraduate Programs
    • Master's Programs
    • Doctoral Programs
    • International Programs
    • Online Programs
    • Class Search
    Colleges
    • College of Arts and Sciences
    • College of Business Administration
    • College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media
    • College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences
    • College of Information Science & Technology
    • College of Public Affairs and Community Service
    • Graduate Studies
    Resources
    • Catalogs
    • Academic Calendar
    • Library
    • Advising
    • Academic Affairs
    • Registrar
    • Academic Support
    • Request Transcript
    Top view glance of calendar showing August 2024
    Deadlines Are Approaching

    View year-at-a-glance calendars that include term start and end dates, and school holidays.

    Academic Calendar
  • Cost & Aid Backback to Main menu
    • Undergraduate Tuition
    • Graduate Tuition
    • Financial Support
    • Cost of Attendance
    • Undergraduate Scholarships
    • All Scholarship Information
    • Military and Veterans Benefits
    • Consumer Information
  • Admissions
    Get Started
    • Apply
    • Complete Your FAFSA
    • Schedule a Campus Visit
    • Request Info
    Admitted Students
    • Orientation
    • Enrollment Deposit
    • Transcripts
    • UNO 101
    • New Student & Family Events
    Cost & Aid
    • Undergraduate Tuition
    • Graduate Tuition
    • Financial Aid
    • Cost of Attendance
    • Scholarships
    • Military and Veterans Benefits
    • Consumer Information
    Admissions
    • Undergraduate Admissions
    • Transfer Students
    • Graduate Admissions
    Students walking together on campus for a tour
    Visit UNO's Campus

    Schedule a Tour
  • Student Life
    Campus Life
    • Event Calendar
    • Athletics
    • Campus Dining
    • Student Housing
    • Campus Recreation
    • Milo Bail Student Center
    • Parking and Transportation
    • Campus Safety
    Involvement and Leadership
    • Student Organizations
    • Student Government
    • Career Services and Internships
    • Spirit and Tradition
    • Student Leadership, Involvement, and Inclusion
    Support
    • Academic Support
    • Maverick Advising Center
    • Accessibility
    • Durango's Advancement & Support Hub (DASH)
    • Student Service
    • Student Safety
    Resources
    • Health Services
    • Military-Connected Resources
    • Student Conduct and Community Standards
    • Division of Student Life and Wellbeing
    Students participating in a beading craft activity
    Get Involved on Campus

    See Events Calendar
  • Engagement
    Students
    • Student Service and Leadership Collaborative
    • Find Volunteer Opportunities
    • Maverick Food Pantry
    • Voter Information
    • Internship Opportunities
    • Career Services
    • Student Resources
    • Become an Engaged Scholar
    Faculty and Staff
    • Faculty Senate
    • Center for Faculty Excellence
    • Staff Advisory Council
    • Faculty Resources
    • Engaged Research
    • Service Learning Academy
    • Community-Based Learning Courses
    Community
    • Campus Resources
    • Service Learning Academy
    • Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center
    • Promote Volunteer Opportunities
    • Promote Internship Opportunities
    • Rent Office Space
    • Senior Passport Program
    • Community Engagement Partnership Initiative
    Office of Engagement
    • Connect to Campus
    • Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center
    • Service Learning Academy
    • Rent Office Space
    • Samuel Bak Museum: The Learning Center
    • Partner With Us
    • Senior Passport Program
    • Nebraska Business Development Center
    • Community Partners on Campus
    Student volunteering with a food bank
    Connect with Us

    Contact the Office of Engagement
  • Research
    Student
    • Research and Creative Activity Fair
    • Graduate Research (GRACA)
    • Student Conference Travel Fund
    • Undergraduate Scholarly Experience (FUSE) Fund
    Faculty
    • Grant Databases
    • External Funding
    • Awards and Committees
    • Office of Sponsored Programs
    Research at UNO
    • Office of Research and Creative Activity
    • Research News
    • Centers and Institutes
    Students giving presentations on research projects
    UNO Pushes Innovation Forward

    Read UNO Research News
  • Athletics
    Men's Teams
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Golf
    • Hockey
    • Soccer
    • Swimming & Diving
    • Tennis
    Women's Teams
    • Basketball
    • Cross Country
    • Golf
    • Soccer
    • Softball
    • Swimming & Diving
    • Tennis
    • Track & Field
    • Volleyball
    Game Day Resources
    • Purchase Tickets
    • Team Schedules
    • Buy Maverick Gear
    Baxter Arena
    • Calendar
    • Tickets
    • Directions & Parking
    • Clear Bag Policy
    • Public Skating
    Hockey player walking out on the ice arena
    Cheer on our Mavericks!

    Buy Tickets
  • Alumni Backback to Main menu
    • Alumni
    • Transcripts
    • Thompson Center
  1. UNO
  2. News
  3. 2016
  4. 05
  5. Student Earns Department of Defense Internship, Scholarship

Student Earns Department of Defense Internship, Scholarship

  • contact: Sam Petto - University Communications
  • phone: 402.554.2704
  • email: unonews@unomaha.edu
  • search keywords:
  • scholarship
  • award
  • information assurance
  • IT
image

OMAHA – Amber Makovicka just wrapped up her first year at UNO and she already has her next three summers accounted for, plus a few years of work guaranteed after that.

The Information Assurance student will be busy, but she won’t have to worry about paying for college.

The Department of Defense is picking up the tab.

A Teacher’s Encouragement

Makovicka has always been interested in computers, but when she was younger she never thought she’d pursue a career in the field.

“I always thought, ‘Oh, I’m not good enough for that,’” she said.

That all changed when she started classes at Columbus High School.

An electronics teacher recognized Makovicka’s interest, and pushed her with extra projects that the rest of the class didn’t have to do.

“It was very uplifting and it very much encouraged me to pursue it,” she said.

She took that experience with her to a community college, where she was the only female student in her IT classes.

“I never felt ostracized,” Makovicka said. “I never felt like it was discouraging. I felt mainly encouraged.”

Searching for Scholarships

After earning her associate’s degree, Makovicka decided to continue her education at UNO.

But fall semester was still a few months away.

Her technology skills helped her land a summer internship at Nebraska Public Power District’s corporate headquarters in Columbus.

“I had a lot of free time, mainly because they didn’t always have projects for me,” Makovicka said.

That’s something she took advantage of, using downtime to apply for scholarships.

The Department of Defense’s SMART Scholarship caught her eye. (SMART stands for Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation.)

The scholarship covers all of a student’s tuition and education-related fees, and offers a $25,000 annual stipend as well as a separate health insurance allowance.

The student interns at a sponsoring facility for 10 – 12 weeks each summer during their college career, and then works for the Department of Defense as a civilian worker for as many years as they benefited from the scholarship.

Makovicka applied.

It would be months until she heard back.

New Opportunities

Makovicka started at UNO in August of 2015.

She wasn’t the only female student in her IT classes anymore. She was, however, in need of a major.

“I knew I wanted to go into IT, but I wasn’t sure which degree offered here would be the best fit for me,” she said. “After asking advice from other students and faculty, everyone said Information Assurance would be a good one.”

She also wanted to work on campus.

Information Services liked her resume, including the associate’s degree and an A+ CompTIA certification, a credential that certifies the skills necessary to support complex IT infrastructures.

Makovicka says she came to UNO for opportunity, and that’s what she got. She’s enjoyed her work study position with Information Services and she’s also established good relationships with professors.

In late February, another opportunity would pop up in her inbox.

The Interview and the Offer

The email told Makovicka she had made it to the next step of eligibility for the SMART Scholarship, something she’d almost forgotten about.

The email went on, telling her a sponsoring facility would be contacting her.

A few weeks later, the Portland District of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reached out to set up a video chat.

As if nerves weren’t enough, Makovicka ran into technical difficulties getting a video connection. They had to settle for a phone conversation.

“I thought I didn’t do that well because of being late from the video problems, and some things I thought I didn’t answer to the best of my abilities, but I guess I said the right things,” she said.

There was no contact for a few weeks until another email appeared in her inbox. She had been selected.

“It was very shocking at the time.”

A Maverick on the Move

Makovicka spoke with her parents and her long-term boyfriend. They agreed, it was a big commitment and a big opportunity – too big to pass up.

This July, Makovicka will travel to Portland for a two-day visit, and then start interning at the facility the following summer.

After her expected graduation in May 2020, she’ll be moving to Portland.

She’s nervous. She’s excited.

And she sums it up best: “It’s a very huge move.”

Related Links

Interested in Studying Technology? Learn More about UNO’s College of Information Science & Technology

UNO Student Set to Intern at Apple

iSTEM Program for Girls Awarded $200K Matching Grant

  • News Sections:
  • UNO News Center
  • Maverick Daily
  • The Bullseye
  • Campus Events

News Sections

  • News Center
  • Maverick Daily
  • The Bullseye
  • Campus Events

Featured Stories

  • 4,500 Students Named to UNO Dean’s and Chancellor’s Lists
  • UNO Hosts Ceremonial Groundbreaking for $17.1 Million Biomechanics Addition
  • UNO Celebrated Over 2,000 New Graduates at May 2025 Commencement
  • Terence “Bud” Crawford’s Commencement Knockout at UNO

Contact Us

If you have a story idea, news tip, or other question, please email the UNO News team at unonews@unomaha.edu.

About the Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications (MarComm)

Next Steps

  • Visit UNO
  • Request Information
  • Apply for Admission
  • The UNO Advantage
  • Our City (Omaha)

Just For You

  • Future Students
  • Current Students
  • Work at UNO
  • Faculty and Staff
  • A-Z List

Popular Services and Resources

  • my.unomaha.edu
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Buildings & Maps
  • Library
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Course Catalogs
  • Internships & Career Development
  • The Maverick Store
  • MavCARD Services
  • Military-Connected Resource Center
  • Speech Center
  • Writing Center
  • Human Resources
  • Center for Faculty Excellence

Affiliates

  • University of Nebraska System
  • NU Foundation
  • Buffett Early Childhood Institute
  • Daugherty Water for Food Institute
  • National Strategic Research Institute
  • Peter Kiewit Institute
  • Rural Prosperity Nebraska
  1. University Policies
  2. Privacy Statement
  3. Accessibility
  1. 402.554.2800

University of Nebraska Omaha
University of Nebraska Omaha, 6001 Dodge Street, Omaha, NE, 68182
  • ©  
  • Emergency Information Alert
  • MavsReport

Social Media


Omaha Skyline

Our Campus. Otherwise Known as Omaha.

The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity. Read the full statement.