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Sellentin Receives Decade of Difference Award

Sellentin Receives Decade of Difference Award
Tom and Nancy Osborne and TeamMates of Lincoln recognized Dr. Jerry Sellentin, lecturer for the Department of Management at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business Administration, for serving as a mentor through the Decade of Difference Award. Created by the Osbornes in 1991 with the vision of positively impacting students, TeamMates awarded 11 mentors for volunteering for 10 years at its annual Recognition Dinner on January 26.
 
“I believe in the mission of the Tom and Nancy Osborne TeamMates program and I wanted to help make a positive difference in a student’s success,” Sellentin said. “The most rewarding part is having the mentee show up for our hour together each week.”
 
Since serving the program, Sellentin mentored four different students. Two for a year-and-a-half and two for four years.
 
“Each student faced different challenges to work through while trying to move forward,” he said. “The experience was helpful for me to learn to have patience while guiding each mentee.”
 
Sellentin (right) in class with Tom Casady former Lincoln police chief
Sellentin (right) in class with Tom Casady former Lincoln police chief
With a mission to positively impact the world by inspiring youth to reach their full potential through mentoring, TeamMates provides a mentor for more than 7,500 youth across Nebraska and Iowa, including approximately 1,200 students in Lincoln. They award the Decade of Difference Award annually to individuals who served the program since formalized as a statewide program in 1998.
 
Other TeamMates honors awarded at the dinner included the Mentor Hall of Fame Award, Student Achievement Award and Facilitator Award of Excellence.

One aspect of the evening stood out to Sellentin. Unable to find transportation to the dinner, his current mentee walked more than a mile to attend.
 
“The fact my mentee refused to miss the award ceremony, even though he had a valid reason, made the night even more special,” Sellentin said. “He wanted to attend and see me get the award, and he knew having him there was important to me.”
Published: February 6, 2017