Ms. Moneypenny

Pancakes and Laughs

When our resident good guy and colleague, Dennis Casey, Asst. Director of the Union, put out the call for volunteers for this year's "Breakfast with the Chancellor," we simply couldn't refuse.  Along with Monkeys Code and Design, (see Two Monkeys blog), we worked the beverage station and had a blast serving up juice and coffee to a couple hundred UWP midnight pancake snackers.  My face started to hurt from smiling so much!  Am I the only one, or was the live music absolutely fantastic???  I wanted to Salsa, but then I saw another staff member TRYING to and I was reminded that old farts should reserve that for their living rooms!  But anyway...

You already know, I am a mere amateur when it comes to picture-taking, but you are sure to recognize your friends in the picture above.  I also tried to get a pic of a student getting his caricature drawn...well, ok, I'm a downright miserable picture-taker. I'm working on it.

So, good luck as you finish up your finals this week.  If you have a chance, check back here for an update on the Alumni Garden Tour.  Our gardeners and volunteers are meeting tonight for a pre-event rally.  I'll have some more lousy pictures for you!

For you today, a bouquet of iris from my garden.  It's just about the only thing blooming right now, but what a promise for spring!

Pre-Health Celebration a Success

I hope every UW-P student someday experiences complete joy in their chosen career--at least once!  Then you will feel what I feel being part of this great campus. 

I have a high-octane colleague, Helene, who, working with the faculty of our biological sciences department, put on one fantastic party last night--all in an effort to reconnect our pre-health alumni with the campus, and honor three of their former UWP faculty who made their careers as doctors, researchers and medical technologists possible.  On top of it, our guests (and even those who couldn't make it), wrote thousands of dollars in checks for UW-P scholarships--something I know will perk up your ears!

Some UWP pre-health students (in the picture below) were on hand to take alums to tour our new laboratory facilities.  (You ought to consider doing that yourself sometime.)  Do you recognize any of them without jeans and t-shirts? 

A great evening, a GREAT program and one more reason to be glad that  I am a UWP alumna!

Hollaback To Your Faculty!

I know that the campus community is anxious to hear which students won UW-P scholarships this year.  As soon as all students have completed their Confirmation of Acceptance letters, our PR guy is ready to do news releases to the local papers, The Daily Communique, and the hometown papers of those students from outside the area.  The university has no control over when those newspapers will choose to print that information, but at least they will have it.

In the meantime, STUDENTS, if you have accepted a UW-P scholarship, let your faculty know!  Especially those faculty who wrote recommendations for you!  They are as anxious to know as you were!

And just because I always like to give you a picture if I can...here's one that says quit-complaining-about-the-weather-today-it-could-be-worse!  This picture was taken just six weeks ago!

Lousy Picture, Great Program

On Sunday, April 27, 2008, seventy-five UWP juniors and seniors were given Academic Achievement Awards. Hosted by the Awards and Ceremonies Committee, and presented by department faculty, this annual event recognizes the university's top academic scholars for 2007-2008. An Achievement Award is the most prestigious undergraduate award the university gives, and requires that the recipient have a minimum 3.5 GPA and be nominated by her/his major department.

Congratulations Student Scholars!  For more information, and a list of this year's recipients, look for a future article on the university's web news page: The Daily Communique.

Student Showcase Today

Congratulations to all UW-P student scholars who are exhibiting their research projects, presenting papers, internship results, and performing today in Main Place!

In its 3rd year, The Student Showcase makes visible the many long hours of meaningful effort that you have put into your projects.  The posters are works of art in themselves.  It's stunning to see the caliber of research and performance in which you are engaged.  You make the campus proud!

Congratulations are also in order for the Information Technology Practice Center as they celebrate their 10th Anniversary.  What an incredible resource!

Gardens, Students & Scholarships

This summer, June 21st to be exact, seven UW-Parkside alumni invite you to come and see their home gardens on a self-guided tour.  Ordinarily, this type of event may not interest those of you in the so-called "Millennial" set, but you'll definitely be interested to know that the purpose of this summer solstice event is to raise $$$ for UW-P scholarships!

The picture to the right is one tiny snapshot of part of an extraordinarily beautiful garden slated to be on the tour.  In fact, it tickles me to tell you that this is the garden of our very own Men's Soccer Coach (he and his wife are both UW-P alumni!). Theirs is a garden with soul!

So, even though you may not personally be interested in "garden-touring," chances are you know someone who is!  Kindly direct them to UW-P's Alumni Garden Tour web page for more information and tickets.  It's going to be a great event, and the end result will be more scholarship dollars in the pockets of our students!

Congratulations!

Congratulations to the 105 students who were selected to receive a UW-P scholarship for next year--and an equal cheer goes out to the 35 others who are having their scholarships renewed!  You are sharing $325,693 dollars, the largest total annual scholarship award in UW-P's history!

I watched the scholarship committees agonize over making their selections.  It was clear to me that our faculty and staff feel great pride in our students' achievements.  More than one committee member remarked that it gets harder every year to make these decisions because the quality of applicants is so high.  For those who were selected, relish the moment.  For those who were not selected, you need to know that in no way does this diminish the value or appreciation of the outstanding effort you've put into your college education.

Some of you are balancing your studies with family and work obligations, enduring medical hardships, and, in other words, making extreme sacrifices because you know that it will all lead to a better life for you and your family.  Hopefully, this long view will mitigate the temporary disappointment in not being selected for a scholarship.  The faculty and staff are in awe of you, and we are glad you are here.  A scholarship, like an exam, is a single measure.  It's the sum, and not the parts, that are the true measure of your achievement. 

So, congratulations to all scholarship applicants.  Not all of you could be selected, but all of you are worthy.  UW-P is clearly the place where hard-working students come to get the job done.

Sincerely, Ms. Moneypenny

P.S. Letters to all applicants went out last Friday.  If you haven't received your letter yet, hang on, Friday's snow might have slowed things down. Music and Theatre Arts scholarships will be awarded as soon as auditions wrap up.

Things Are Happening

I know the waiting seems interminable; but I promise you, the scholarship selection committees are hard at work.  There are two committee members here right now.  A whole gaggle of them is expected in the scholarship office this afternoon.  They are agonizing and hand-wringing.  Last week I even saw a couple of them break out in a sweat.  It's just about this time that they turn to me and ask, "Could ya please take another look in the money closet and see if there's anything in the old shoebox that we overlooked"?   They want to give ALL of you a scholarship, if only that were possible.  So stay positive: hope is alive.

I did want to tell you about a new scholarship that has been added this year by Gregory and Barbara Miller.  Both are Parkside alumni, in fact, they met on campus when they were students.  They no longer live in Wisconsin, but they haven't forgotten their alma mater!  There will be many more new releases and stories later, but for now, let me just tell you that they recently endowed a scholarship which will yield a $5000 per year award.  The very best part?  Some lucky student in the current pool of applicants will be the first recipient!  Oh, life is good my friends.

Scholarship Review Underway

You have officially broken the record...scholarship applications are up 18% over last year!

Three hundred and ninety-four savvy UW-P students applied for scholarships this year.  As you read this, twenty-one scholarship selection committees are working their way through your applications.  As you might imagine, this will take a little time.  Patience is a virtue...yeah, right!

What I can tell you at this point is that, through the generosity of alumni and community leaders, we have added at least a dozen new awards to our roster of UW-P scholarships.  Nothing less than $1000 a year, most at the $2500 a year level, and FOUR at the full, in-state tuition level.  And that's not even mentioning the $10,000 UW-P Science Scholar NSF scholarships that are also under review right now. 

So, keep the faith!  The moment I know, you will know.  Check your mailbox when you get back from spring break.  Regardless of the decision, you will recieve a letter from me.  I'm rooting for you!

Just a little sunshine for you...!

So, What Now, You Ask?

Let me be the first to congratulate you on making the deadline!  There is a reason you applied for scholarships: you are motivated and take your education seriously. More importantly, you don't sit back and wait for things to happen.

IT'S SO IMPORTANT: If you get a call or email from Quyen or me, ignore us at your peril!  We're calling because you perhaps forgot to sign your application, or we have a question about something you've written.  This is a good time to put a spin on your callbacks!

If we have not called you, try not to call us--at least don't ask us if we've received your mailed-in application.  We're going to need a little time to sort out the HUNDREDS of applications we've received.  Otherwise, we're always happy to take your call you know.

Once we've got you sorted out, we will create a file for each of you and begin the process of gathering your transcripts and preparing spreadsheets for the selection committees to review.  They will begin their review about mid-February and submit their selections to the Scholarship Office on (or before) the Thursday before spring break.  The Awards Committee meets on Friday and gives its final blessing.

Whether you win a scholarship or not, you will receive a letter from me, no later than April 1st.   I wish the best outcome for each and everyone of you.  But, regardless of the outcome, I hope you know that the selection committees AGONIZE over their selections and probably lose some sleep, too.  You are held in the highest regard and your application will be given the greatest consideration possible.

Best wishes,

Ms. Moneypenny