Honoring Legends

The Gerjerts Family

Many UNI alumni will remember sports legends "Cubby" Lybbert and Hon Nordley. Cubby was a 1952 national champion wrestler. Hon coached basketball. Both were named to the UNI Athletics Hall of Fame. Payten Javellana Gerjerts, '04, knew them as grandpa and great-grandpa, respectively.

"While I never met my great-grandpa," says Payten, "I have heard stories of his work ethic and kind nature. While others knew Grandpa as 'Cubby,' I knew him best as Grandpa. The memories I have of my grandparents (including grandmas) and what UNI meant to them inspired me and Kyle ('04) to name the Hon Nordley and Gene Lybbert Athletic Training Scholarship in their honor. The scholarship will give back like they did so well in their careers at UNI."

Payten works at Athletico Physical Therapy in Chicagoland. She says she has the privilege of working with nearly 400 athletic trainers in the company. She is passionate about the profession of athletic training, which is due in part to her experience at UNI. Payten says, "Our athletic training students take full class loads and do observation and training hours in the afternoons and weekends to sit for their national exam. Being able to offset just a small amount of their financial burden seemed like a neat way to give back to the University."

When Payten and Kyle drafted their will as young parents, they wanted to provide for their children's future and direct part of their estate to institutions that had made an impact on their upbringing. Payten says, "It didn't take us long to decide that UNI would be one of those special places."

If UNI holds a special place in your heart, consider leaving a legacy that helps future students through a planned gift to the UNI Foundation. Contact Jane Halverson at (319) 273-4665 or jane.halverson@uni.edu to get started.