The NDSU College of Engineering held its third annual Scholarship Celebration on Sept. 11. The virtual program celebrated the generosity of scholarship donors and the accomplishments of students.
“There is much competition among universities to attract and retain the best, brightest and most diverse students,” said Michael Kessler, dean of the College of Engineering. “That is why I have made student scholarships a fundraising priority for our college, with specific focus on impactful, four-year renewable scholarships for incoming freshmen.”
“Scholarships have really made it where I was able to thrive at campus,” said Kylee Arndt, an electrical engineering senior and NDSU student body vice president. “I just want to tell donors that they have truly made an impact on my life and I don’t know where I would have been without you.”
This year, the college awarded more than $1 million in scholarships. The scholarship winners were selected by the college or department scholarship committees based on criteria established by donors for each scholarship.
Two of those donors are James and Jean Jorgenson. James was a professor in the Department of Civil Engineering from 1960 to 1996 and together they started Metal Building Software, an engineering software company. The Jorgenson’s initiated their endowed scholarship for civil engineering students in 1999.
“The College of Engineering at NDSU has been very good to me and to us,” said James Jorgenson. “We want to give back, and the way we can is to provide some financial assistance to the current students.”
Barry Schuchard, a 1983 graduate of the civil engineering program and current chief value officer and vice president at KLJ, is also giving back to NDSU students. He and his wife, Sue, established a named scholarship fund in 2019 to provide renewable support for an incoming freshman.
“When you see the graduation rates and you see the success of the people, you don’t have to question at all whether your money is being put to good use because it absolutely is,” Schuchard said.
Scholarship applications for current and incoming College of Engineering students are accepted Dec. 1, 2020 through March 1, 2021. Applications can be completed online.
“When you have to write an essay for a scholarship, don’t let that scare you,” said Joshua Brose, a mechanical engineering major and scholarship recipient. “Just pour out your heart and your passions so that the people who want to impact you in a positive way get to know who you are.”
You can watch the virtual program on the College of Engineering Facebook page. A printed program of award recipients is also available for viewing.
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