Last Year's Management Women Scholarship Recipients
Each year, Management Women offers scholarships to women pursuing post-secondary education at accredited institutions of higher learning. A scholarship may be awarded to a female applicant sponsored by a Management Women member or to a member who is herself pursuing further education. Members of the Awards Committee review the scholarship applications and rate them based on 3 categories: personal/professional potential, scholastic ability, and extracurricular and volunteer activities. The names and addresses of both the applicants and their Management Women sponsors are kept confidential to ensure objectivity during the scoring process. Last year, we received 39 applications and we awarded $15,000 in scholarships to 10 very deserving women. Funds for our scholarships were raised through the annual Management Women Fall Seminar. The recipients are announced in alphabetical order and each are described as follows.
Kelly Charapata – Kelly is in the Registered Nursing Associate Degree program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Currently, she has a 3.916 GPA in the program. She also works caring for a 92-year-old woman, as well as helping to care for her father, who has MS. Kelly and her husband have two children. It was a family decision for Kelly to go back to school. And when she graduates from the RN associate degree program in 2010, she would like to continue on and earn her bachelor’s degree while working on a medical or surgical floor of a local hospital. Kelly will be the first female in her family to earn a degree. Kelly was sponsored by Crystal Heckel.
Larissa Dallman – Larissa is currently a senior at De Pere High School. She maintains a 3.87 GPA. Larissa will be attending St. Norbert College this fall, majoring in music (specifically piano performance) and history. She also has a passion for anything related to law and seeks to help other people through her interests. Larissa has volunteered her time playing piano in her church as well as for local organizations. And she has been involved in Mock Trial and Teen Court as well as Teen Connection, helping other area teens, as well as participating in numerous other school and non-school activities. Larissa was sponsored by Carol Gibson.
Kathyrn Gilson – Kathryn is currently a senior at West De Pere High School. She has a 3.96 GPA. Kathryn is attending the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse in the fall, majoring in Physical Therapy and Athletic Training. Kathryn has maintained her GPA despite rigorous AP coursework, two part-time jobs and a multitude of activities such as French forensics, One Act Play, competitive marching band, and swimming and cross country running at the state level. She knows from playing sports, that injuries left untreated can end a sports career. She wants to help give people back their passion for a sport after they have been injured. Kathryn was sponsored by Cynthia Treleven.
Morgan Johnson – Morgan is a freshman at St. Norbert College. She has a 4.0 GPA. She is studying a combination of Communication, Spanish and International Business. Morgan has overcome many obstacles in her young life, but her favorite quote includes these words: “If I can’t make it through one door, I’ll go through another door – or I’ll make a door. Something terrific will come no matter how dark the present.” After graduating from St. Norbert, Morgan wants to travel and eventually begin an organization that promotes humanitarian efforts. In her first year at St. Norbert alone, she has volunteered 130 hours of her time to volunteer programs. Morgan’s sponsor was Dottie Stepien.
Stacey LeMere – Stacey is in her first year of the Respiratory Therapy program at Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. She has a 3.558 GPA. Stacey chose this program in gratitude for the respiratory help given her son when he was born, and because her children, herself and her husband all have allergies and asthma. She is showing her children that hard work and studying do pay off, and after graduation she will focus on respiratory therapy in either pediatrics or cardiac care. Stacey was sponsored by Crystal Heckel.
Whitney Rynish – Whitney is currently a senior at Pulaski High School. She has a 3.865 GPA. She will be attending the University of Wisconsin – River Falls studying Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine. Becoming a vet has always been a dream of Whitney’s. Her extracurricular involvement has focused on that goal, including FFA, poultry and horse judging, 4-H and working on a dairy farm – while she has also given back to the community through many community and church activities. As a vet, Whitney would like to have her own practice treating large and small animals, and specializing in goats, as there are few veterinarians who are knowledgeable about them. Whitney was sponsored by Michelle Kelsey.
Jessica Schmidt – Jessica is a senior at West De Pere High School. She has a 3.94 GPA and is planning to attend the University of Minnesota Carlson School of Management. Jessica has been a dedicated student athlete, and as a captain in track and field has built her leadership skills and ability to inspire others. She has also helped others as a senior mentor to freshmen in her school. Jessica believes her leadership abilities truly define her as a person. After school, Jessica hopes to return to our area in the field of business and to pursue her MBA. Jessica was sponsored by Gina Evans.
Megan Theys – Megan is a sophomore at the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point. She has a 3.83 GPA, and her major is English Education. From kindergarten on, Megan has always had a book in her hand, and in high school, she discovered her love of theater. She hopes to teach high school or middle school English after graduation, and in Megan’s words, her goal in life is to change at least one adolescent’s life for the better. A professor recently nominated Megan to work at the Tutoring Learning Center on campus, where she is learning how to be a reading/writing tutor. Megan’s sponsor was Dawn Gracyalny.
Ashley Vanden Avond – Ashley is a senior at Green Bay East High School. She has a 3.647 GPA. She will be pursuing a degree in Elementary Education and Spanish at Ripon College this fall, where she would also like to play lacrosse and study in Spain. Despite personal and family health concerns, Ashley has managed to be a successful and involved student, volunteering for her school’s Bible Study Group, being president of her school’s Link Crew, coordinating two blood drives a year, volunteering for March of Dimes, and being Guardian Angel Coordinator for National Honor Society. She also works, raises a vegetable garden and cares for her three pugs from a rescue program. Someday she hopes to teach in an elementary school. Ashley’s sponsor was Patricia Sandoz.
Alison Vickman – Alison is a senior at West De Pere High School. She has a 3.87 GPA. This fall, she will attend Wartburg College, in Iowa, majoring in Biology and Premed. Alison has been a hard-working student athlete, which has pushed her to strive for excellence on and off the court. She dedicates much of her time to her church, where she teaches Sunday School and Vacation Bible School. Her coursework has included many advan
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