When the University of Nebraska–Lincoln shifted to remote instruction last spring, thousands of students traveled home to finish out the semester away from campus.

Despite the physical distance that separated the Husker community, one-to-one connections between students, instructors and staff persisted.

Those connections are the inspiration behind a new TV spot and website created by the Office of University Communication in collaboration with Academic Services and Enrollment Management, featuring testimonies from nine undergraduates who were positively impacted by the efforts of university faculty and staff during the start of the pandemic.

“Our students tell our story better than anyone,” said Andrew Swenson, director of enrollment marketing. “At Nebraska, we believe every person and every interaction matters, and we are excited to share how the Husker community lives out our values through these stories.”

The “One-to-One” TV spot will air on the Big Ten Network this fall, replacing the university’s Grit and Glory PSAs that usually run during Husker football games.

The website, one-to-one.unl.edu, contains individual video testimonies from each of the nine students, who represent a wide range of majors and colleges.

“I was surprised that my professors were able to really make the transition easier than I thought it would have been. Everyone did something special and unique depending on the class,” said actuarial science major Matthew Ringler. “I think Nebraska did a fantastic job, and I don’t really see how anyone could really top that.”

Ramarro Lamar, a political science major who graduated from the university last spring, said his instructor’s personalized approach helped him during the transition to remote learning.

“The understanding was absolutely unbelievable. I felt like everything was just kind of catered toward the student, rather than toward the class,” Lamar said. “The biggest thing I’ve realized coming here, especially coming from a bigger city, was that people actually want to get to know you. People actually care about you.”