Pictured at the 2025 True Potential Scholarship Fundraising Dinner in Omaha are (L-R): Karen Pesek, program director and co-founder; scholarship-winning students and past graduates Erendira, Miriam (LPNs), Ruth (health science), Karly (accounting), Mayra (social work), and co-founder Ross Pesek.
By Jonathan Turner, Hola Nebraska
Karen Pesek and Jane Shanahan are both generous, strong-willed women who have dedicated years to help Latino students succeed.
Pesek (director of finance at Pesek Law Firm in Omaha) with her husband Ross founded True Potential Scholarship, and Shanahan and her husband Steve have been its biggest financial backers. The scholarship helps young immigrants reach their potential through quality, affordable education.
Since 2014, thanks to the generosity of local individuals and organizations, True Potential has awarded hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to 300 immigrants in Nebraska and Iowa. It has partnered with every community college in the state and is supported by grants from the Omaha Community Foundation, the Mexican Consulate in Omaha, and the Jesusita y Santos Baros Courage and Fortitude Fund.
True Potential Scholarship supporters Jane and Steve Shanahan (left and right), with program co-founders Karen and Ross Pesek.
“One thing I deeply admire about Jane is how she consistently shows up in community spaces,” Karen Pesek said. “I have learned that beyond financial support, simply being present is what often gives people hope and reminds them that they matter.”
Ross and Karen were able to attend college because scholarships helped them take their first steps. Ross started at Central Community College and later continued his education at Wayne State College and the University of Nebraska College of Law. Karen also attended Central Community College and Wayne State with scholarship support.
True Potential was created to pass that opportunity on to students who have the drive, the commitment, and the courage to keep going, even when the usual paths to financial aid aren’t available, the scholarship website says. “We focus on helping students access quality, affordable education and move forward with confidence—one class, one credential, one milestone at a time.”
Ross and Karen continue serving their community through their work at Pesek Law and through ongoing community initiatives, including a free legal clinic and leadership focused on local growth and access. Karen’s philanthropy stems from what she learned growing up about those who carry a “fire in their belly,” like her immigrant parents, owners of La Popular, one of Nebraska’s first grocery stores dedicated to Mexican staples.
True Potential supports students who for whatever reason aren’t eligible to use public funds to go to school, Karen said. “This includes many immigrants who are processing their immigration paperwork, which as I am sure you know, may take years. We focus on supporting people who know education is the surest path forward, but lack the systemic support to get started.
“Through True Potential, we pay for full tuition and fees at any community college in Nebraska,” the scholarship is valid for one year, and students can renew annually, she noted. They also have limited scholarships to the Nebraska State College System after students complete an academic transfer degree from a community college.
They have two rounds of scholarships per year, one in March and one in October. Recently, True Potential granted 27 scholarships and expects to give about four more this fall.
“At the heart of True Potential is a belief: potential is real, and it deserves a path forward,” its website says. “When we invest in students, we invest in stronger families, stronger communities, and a brighter future for everyone.”
Steve and Jane Shanahan, former owners of a mechanical and electrical business in rural Nebraska, have retired and dedicated themselves to advocacy work, specifically in support of the Latino community and other minority groups in Nebraska. After selling their business in 2018, the Shanahans embarked on a journey to explore Jane’s Mexican heritage and shed light on the experiences of early migrants.
In 2021, Steve and Jane established the Jesusita and Santos Courage and Fortitude Fund, named after Jane’s grandmother and mother, respectively. The fund aims to provide support and opportunities to Nebraska Latinos. Furthermore, Jane realized her vision of creating a bilingual website where Nebraska Latinos could share their stories.
Through their research and efforts, Jane and Steve discovered relatives in Mexico with the help of a friend and an adventurous individual who tracked down family members in Zacatecas.
Jane, as a descendant of immigrants (her mom died in 2012), hopes that by sharing her story, she can inspire others to embrace and share their own narratives. “At True Potential, we know a little bit about Courage and Fortitude, the values of those strong women who uprooted their families in search of a better life,” Pesek said.
“I wanted to honor my mom and my grandma and then the courage and fortitude that it took for them to journey up here in the United States, with all the prejudice and judging that they’ve had from others and just honor them rather than putting our name on it,” Shanahan said.
Around 2014, Jane (who lives in Lincoln, Neb.) reached out to the Peseks, who were looking for donors. “I wanted to help undocumented kids,” Jane said of True Potential. “I think it’s a tremendous help with their education, their lives. They always want to make their parents proud, so that’s why they really want to go to college and strive for better education, a better life.
Jane Shanahan of Lincoln, Neb., was honored in April for her support of El Centro de las Americas, which supports the Latino community through advocacy and representation.
The Shanahans are major sponsors for the True Potential annual fundraising dinner each spring, which attracts over 300 people and has grown every year. This year, it will be June 30 at the Metro Community College Fort Campus in Omaha.
Shanahan was recognized with an award for her support in Lincoln in April from El Centro de las Americas, which supports the Latino community through advocacy and representation.
Donations are accepted online or by check payable to True Potential and mailed to Matters On Tomorrow, PO Box 5573, Lincoln, NE 68505. The scholarship’s donation guide lists tuition support in practical amounts: about $120 for one credit hour, $360 for one three-credit class, $1,440 for a 12-credit semester and $2,880 for one full year of tuition. Donations support students who are not eligible for federal financial aid as they pursue quality, affordable education.
Applications are accepted twice a year — March 30 and October 30.
You are eligible if you meet all four of the following requirements:
* You are not eligible for federal financial aid
* You live in Nebraska or Council Bluffs, Iowa
* You completed at least your senior year of high school in a U.S. public school or earned a GED in the U.S.
* You plan to attend a community college in Nebraska or Council Bluffs, Iowa, and are a recent high school graduate or adult learner returning to college
For more information, visit truepotentialscholarship.org.
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