Your gift to this fund will decrease the financial burden on students involved in UNO MavForensics, allowing them to continue pushing the program to new heights.
At the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a powerful form of student expression is thriving.
It is not on the field or in a lab, but behind a microphone. The UNO MavForensics Team, a competitive speech and debate program, is more than just public speaking.
It is a life-changing experience for the students involved, and at the heart of it all is Amanda VonGoodrich, the program’s co-director.
“Forensics” often reminds people of crime labs, but its roots are far more ancient and poetic.
“Forensics comes from an old word meaning ‘truth telling,’” VonGoodrich explained. “It’s about oral advocacy and the power of words to inform.”
Under VonGoodrich’s leadership, the has blossomed into a nationally recognized group of students who compete in tournaments across the country and the globe.
“Last year, we competed in Ireland,” she said. “We are eyeing Greece in 2026.”
These high-level opportunities would not be possible without the support of the UNO Forensics Development Fund. The fund and donor support help cover travel, lodging, registration fees and supplies.
“Donor support directly goes back to students because it is the only way we can dream this big,” VonGoodrich said.
At its core, UNO Forensics is about giving students a platform to speak up and speak out. From social justice to pop culture, students craft speeches on topics they are passionate about. These students are not just thriving within the forensics community — they are setting standards across campus.
“They are typically the best of the best,” she said. “They are leaders in their classrooms, proactive thinkers, and future politicians, lawyers and educators.”
Contributions to the UNO Forensics Development Fund are vital to helping the MavForensics program continue to succeed.
“Those unfamiliar with the world of competitive speech, I invite you to follow us on social media or come to a showcase to see how hard these students work,” VonGoodrich said. “You’ll understand why it is worth supporting.”
For VonGoodrich, forensics is not just an extracurricular activity.
“There is no better student organization I can think of to donate to,” she said. “These students are extraordinary, and the support we receive truly changes lives.”
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