GIVING BACK TO CHANGE LIVES

UNO CBA Alum Leonard Sommer discusses what drives him to give back to UNO and its students.

Leonard Sommer has witnessed first-hand exactly how a college degree can change a life.

As a first-generation college student, Sommer graduated in 1976 from CBA with his bachelor of science in business administration degree with a concentration in accounting. He then embarked on a career as a CPA that is still going strong today.

“UNO changed my life,” Sommer said. “The college degree in accounting opened up many doors in accounting in the CPA world.”

“I never forgot the UNO experience. I've always appreciated it, and I'm very, very grateful for what it afforded me and the opportunities that I've been able to take advantage of in my career."

Because of those opportunities, Sommer has felt the pull to give back to the institution that helped him get to where he is today. As a young alum, he worked with the Alumni Association to call other UNO alumni and try to raise funds for the greater university.

“It [raising funds] was hard, but rewarding, for me that planted the seed to be more strategic about my giving,” Sommer said.

“THIS WAS A STEP IN THE PROCESS OF DOING MORE. I FOUND THAT ONCE SOMEONE GIVES ANY AMOUNT TO THE UNIVERSITY, THEY ARE INVESTED IN GIVING MORE.”

And so, Sommer and his late wife, Kate, also a UNO graduate, decided to do more. They put together a fund for the Accounting Fraternity Beta Alpha Psi that allows students to travel to events. The hope is that the fund has a greater impact on the student; they can travel, meet people, and perhaps make connections that will prove important for their later careers.

“We wanted students to know that we have their backs. We are trying to put students in the position to be successful and hopefully remove any barriers to seeking an education,” he said. “We want them to see that the value of a college education is immeasurable.”

When CBA opened the Rod Rhoden Business Innovation Center, the new addition to Mammel Hall in late 2021, Sommer and his family decided to make a larger gift to the school to create a space for students, faculty, and staff to come together. It’s called the Sommer Family Mezzanine.

“It was an honor to be able to do it, it felt good to me to have a place for everyone to come together, just a quiet space, where everyone was comfortable,” he said. “At first, I was not sure wanted a name on the space. As I thought about it, it seemed to me that if seeing a name on this space would encourage others to make a gift, then it was worth it. And it also was a way for me to publicly thank UNO for all they’ve done for me.”

“UNO is a very large institution, but it is all about the people that work there and come through the institution and experience all that it has to offer,” Sommer said.

“The great thing about the school of accounting and its faculty, business community and students, is there are opportunities to be better individually and collectively.

“WE HAVE THE COMMON GOAL OF HAVING THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE BE ALL THAT IT CAN BE FOR THE STUDENTS.

“There are a lot of needs that are not easily financed through the public resources in a public institution so those of us that are in a position to help need to recognize that there are things that we can and should do to elevate the quality of the educational experience.”