Ms. Moneypenny

Without Our Students, It Wouldn't Be So Sweet

Here's the latest on our quest to raise 40 new scholarships for you:

“40 for 40” nears goal, next goal: surpass 40

UW-Parkside Director of Scholarships and the Annual Fund Cynthia Jensen writes:

"The UW-Parkside 40th Anniversary '40 for 40' Scholarship Drive has so far captured a total of $333,875 for UW-Parkside scholarships. Seventeen individual donors and four organizations have stepped forward to provide 37 brand-new scholarships, or to expand the number of awards made from their existing scholarship accounts. 

"Some of these new scholarships include awards to: A first generation college student, those with financial need, pre-medical, business, or music majors, or those with exceptional school or community involvement. But by far, the majority of new scholarships, will be open to students in any major with any class standing, supporting the Scholarship Program's long-term goal of opening the scholarship door to as many interested and achieving students as possible every year.

"In addition to the new, specific scholarships, 124 individuals have contributed $14,275 of the total. Eighty-six of those gifts went to the university's general scholarship fund and the remainder went to existing named scholarships.

 "A hearty thank you to all faculty, staff and retirees who have made gifts to the '40 for 40' drive. You know how important scholarships are to our students, and you understand the impact scholarships can have in helping our students reach their dreams of a college degree. But our work is not done! We intend to not only reach our goal of 40 new scholarships, but surpass it!

 "The '40 for 40' Scholarship Drive continues through this summer and into next fall. If you have been thinking about making a gift but have not yet had the time to do so, I would appreciate the opportunity to talk with you about making a gift to scholarships in a way that suits you best."

Cynthia Jensen's phone number is 262-595-3245 or she can be contacted at cynthia.jensen@uwp.edu by email.

Don't Forget the Gardens and Parks!

Just about one short hour away from campus you can enjoy a sweet little garden.  Janesville is home to the Rotary Botanical Gardens.  There you will find roughly 20-acres of Japanese, English cottage, french formal, alpine and water gardens (to name a few) where you can spend a couple of easy hours and get your fill of flowers, trees and shrubs.  The Rotary Gardens are a non-profit organization--just the kind I like to support.  You should too!  If you go soon, you still might be able to get in on their plant sale.  $2 for daylillies.  Can't beat that!

French formal.  The blue "tuteurs" are for sale as part of the Garden's fund raising efforts.  $100 each, unpainted.

The gardens are about two weeks ahead of our flowers in Kenosha.  All of there peonies were open on the day I visited a week ago.

 Go see for yourself and visit our friends in Janesville!

It's a Big Deal

Have you heard of The Beat?  It's the name of the UW-Parkside music student organization that just stepped forward to establish a scholarship during the university's "40 for 40" scholarship drive.  They are number 37 in the university's quest to raise those 40 new scholarships!

Representing the organization today, past President, David Ramsey, Jr. and newly installed President, Bradley Karas, signed the contract and delivered the dollars to establish The Beat Scholarship in Music.  That's right--like the Art Club and Latinos Unidos student organizations before them--The Beat has chosen to express their pride for the university, and their major, by establishing a scholarship here.  Through their scholarship they wish to acknowledge and encourage classmates--other music majors--as they work toward academic success and accomplishment. 

So, are they a bunch of rich kids?  Yes, they are rich in many ways, but not in dollars.  They ran fund raisers--they did it the hard way.  One student even put out a hat during his senior recital and donated the $86 he collected.  I am often overwhelmed by the generosity of the university's donors, but for this scholarship, I am inclined to cheer the loudest!  Parkside students never disappoint.  They are the university's greatest asset, bar none.

To The Beat, thank you!  It will be great fun to include you in the festivities when we celebrate the "40 for 40" campaign!

Congratulations Academic Achievement Award Recipients!

On Sunday, April 26th, it was the distinct pleasure of the university's Awards and Ceremonies Committee to host a reception for this year's Academic Achievement Award Recipients and their families. 

Academic Achievement Awards are given to students who are the very best in their class as determined by grade point average (3.5 or higher), scholarly research, or other outstanding intellectual pursuits.  Students are nominated by faculty from their respective disciplines.  This year's recipients are:

Kathryn	Austin	Art/Digital Art-Graphic Design
Nathan	Baker	English
Christy	Belsky	Business/Human Resource Management
Keith	Brandt	Business/General Business
Susan	Brey	Business/General Business
Ruth	Briones	Art/Digital Art-Graphic Design
Matthew	Capodarco	Biological Sciences
Joy	Cataldo	English
Justin	Chappelle	Geography
Sarah	Corso	History
Michelle M.	Dolnik	Geography
Jessica	Doome	Sociology/Anthropology
Ryan	Dunk	Biological Sciences
Karla	Echavarria-Lopez	MODL/Spanish
Katrina	Esser	English
Benjamin	Galbo	Business/Management Information Systems
Gonzalo P.	Gonzalez	Criminal Justice
Rochelle	Greco	English
Megan	Haberlein	Biological Sciences
Chad	Hendricks	HPEA/Sport & Fitness Management
Saul	Hernandez	Biological Sciences
Kelsey	Johnson	Applied Health Sciences
Emily	Juliani	Biological Sciences
Tyler	Kabat	HPEA/Sport & Fitness Management
Cynthia	Keller	Psychology
Heather	Knudson	Art/Digital Art-Graphic Design
Justin	Krahn	Communications
Danielle	Kroll	Biological Sciences
Michael	Maxwell	English
Rebecca	McBurney	Business/Human Resource Management
Matthew	Mitchell	Business/Marketing
Vladimir	Mocan	Economics
Ryan	Moede	HPEA/Sport & Fitness Management
Mallory	Monreal	MODL/Spanish
Larissa Soares	Monteiro	International Studies
Jason	Olley	Business/General Business
Laura M.	Paskiewicz	Criminal Justice
Lisa	Ponzi	Art/Digital Art-Graphic Design
Zahra	Qasem	Chemistry
Rachel	Redding	Business/General Business
Shane	Rondeau	Psychology
Lora	Schevikhoven	Business/Marketing
Kristin	Schmidt	Applied Health Sciences
Benjamin	Schwoerer	HPEA/Sport & Fitness Management
Kelly M.	Smith	Sociology/Anthropology
Cheryl	Tapia	MODL/Spanish
Amanda	Tomlinson	Biological Sciences
Jeremy	Topczewski	Art/Digital Art-Graphic Design
Richard	Vorpagel, III	History
Travis	Voss	HPEA/Sport & Fitness Management
Ashley	Westerlund	Applied Health Sciences
Jessie	Westphal	Biological Sciences
Kristen D.	Winter	Geography
Chi Ho	Wong	Economics

Scholarship Letters Are Mailed!

Dear UW-P Students,

As it is on this day every year, there is much joy--and much sadness.  The scholarship office managed to get letters out to everyone who applied for scholarships this year--in fact, we just barely made the 3pm mail room deadline!  A third of you will come back from Spring Break to jubilantly celebrate your success in securing a scholarship.  Two-thirds of you will not.  I want to speak to those of you who will not.

How can I give you perspective on this?  Does it help to know that there were 19 different selection committees, and dozens of faculty (primarily) and some staff who, I know, are still feeling the gut-wrenching effects of having to chose one applicant over another?  Probably not.  Does it make a difference if I tell you that if we had the money, we could have awarded the 75+ of you who are now alternates?  Maybe.  Does it help you to know that if you are an alternate, your application stays viable up until the end of summer, should another scholarship become available?  We never stop working at it.

If nothing else matters right now, please know that many important people--people you admire and respect--have seen your application, noted your accomplishments, talked about you in favorable, and often, glowing terms.  You are a scholar--a scholarship award doesn't make that more true.

Keep up the incredible work you've been doing.  Know that education is its own virtue.  Know that the scholarship office (and alumni, faculty, staff and community) continue to work hard to bring more scholarship dollars to this campus for you.  You must apply again next year.

And when the day comes that you have found success in your own life and career (and you will), you will remember that there is value and purpose in supporting those who are striving to reach their potential, and you will, perhaps, call the scholarship office and make your investment in the next generation of students who are just like you. 

Another New Scholarship!

Head's up, Pre-Med students!  There is a new scholarship for you beginning... NOW!  Pre-Med students currently under review for next year's scholarship awards will be considered for:

The Dr. Gina M. Schueneman and Family Pre-Medicine Scholarship

Award: $1,000

Criteria:

• Full-time, degree-seeking.

• Declared major in a pre-medicine sequence.

• Requires a 3.5 GPA.

• Demonstration of school or community service.

• Preference for a student intending to pursue osteopathic medicine.

Dr. Schueneman is a 1998 UW-Parkside alumna.  She was also the Keynote Speaker at the 2008 Scholar and Donor Recognition Night at UW-P.  For those of you who received a scholarship that year, you will remember Dr. Schueneman's inspiring speech and her promise to start a scholarship for UW-P students.  She is true to her word.  Thank you Dr. Schueneman.

 

More Positive News

I really didn't like that big, red NO jumping out at you from my last post.  So I thought I better put something positive in front of you, something that will give you hope and bolster you through this process of waiting to hear whether or not a scholarship is coming your way next year.

So, here you go...The UW-Parkside Board of Trustees had their annual meeting last week.  Two Board members stepped up to announce that they are, each, establishing $1000 a year scholarships (with multi-year commitments).  We haven't worked out the details yet, so I'll fill in the blanks for you later.

Just know that, at a time when the unversity's endowments have taken a major blow to the solar-plexis (as has the nation), we have true advocates who know that, more than ever, education is paramount to our students, our communities, the region, and our nation.  More true gifts.

Monday is Too Late!

We've had a couple of phone calls from students asking if they can turn in their scholarship application on Monday because Feb. 1st is on a Sunday.

Answer:  Sorry, No.

If you turn your application in on Monday, it will be considered late.  We're here until 5:00pm today (Friday) and from 10:00am to 3:00pm tomorrow (Saturday).

Call if you have questions: 262/595-3245.

C'mon in!

You still have today and tomorrow to turn in your application in person.  As you can see, Hayley is waiting for you this morning!  So, c'mon in and get your scholarship chocolate and a smile from Hayley while you turn in your application.  She'll even check out your paperwork to make sure everything is in order.

First time visiting the Scholarship Office?

Take the elevator across from the old bookstore, go to the 3rd floor, then follow the signs from there.

We'll be here until 5:00pm today and tomorrow - Saturday - from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

You can also mail your application--just make sure it is postmarked by tomorrow (since the 1st is a Sunday).

It's All So Very Sweet!

Just when you begin to wonder HOW MANY new scholarships can UW-P students bear...there comes yet another one.  Or, to be exact: FOUR new scholarships.  Each has a value of $1,250.

UW-Parkside alumna, Mrs. Tomasek, and her husband, have just established The Tomasek Scholarship here at UW-P.  Believing in the value of the education she received, the quality of our faculty, and the incredible resource this campus is to our region, Mrs. Tomasek wanted to help make those same things available to you. 

Are you full-time?  Are you degree-seeking?  Do you have financial need?  Then you qualify to be considered for one of these scholarships.  You know what to do: apply.