2008 Skjold Lodge Scholarship Awards

Erik Aberly

Dear Mike Hanson and Skjold Lodge,
I want to thank you for the scholarship that you have given me. It will certainly help  towards my education here at WyoTech. I feel honored to have been chosen among so many deserving students. I am sorry that I was unable to attend the lodge meeting this Friday to receive it in person, but I am already at school in Wyoming. I would however like to thank all of you for this honoring scholarship, it is a great help to me.

James Tarbet

Dear Skjold Lodge,
 
I thank you so much for helping me pay for college. Even though prices of college are skyrocketing higher everyday, five hundred dollars is a lot of money that I would otherwise have to find in my own funds or with loans. Skjold's gift will allow me to purchase more than half of my many class books. It is also a gift that can keep on giving, as used books can be sold back to the school bookstore for money towards next years books! I will not let the scholarship be in vain. And once again, thank you, everyone.

2007 Skjold Lodge Scholarship Awards

Ann Dutkiewicz

My name is Ann Dutkiewicz and this fall I will be a sophomore at Indiana University- Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW). At IPFW I am currently pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Speech and Hearing Therapy. After I receive my Bachelor's degree, I plan to attend Graduate School and obtain my Master's degree in Speech Pathology.

With these degrees, I plan to pursue a career in Speech-Language Pathology. A speech-language pathologist works with clients, children through elders, who have communication disorders. As a speech-language pathologist, I would work in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and private practices to assess, treat, and help prevent the communication disorders that many people endure.

The road to achieving my goal of becoming a speech-language pathologist is long and I am sure that it will have its share of bumps as well. However, my Norwegian heritage has taught me to be strong and press on. Norwegians have over come much in the 102 years of its declaration and for that, they are a proud nation. I am a proud Norwegian and I take the strength of my ancestors in every step of my success.

I feel that I should receive this scholarship because I will represent Norwegians very well. This scholarship will help in my pursuit of my Bachelor's and Master's degrees. With these degrees, I will be able to help many people who suffer from communication disorders. 

Erik Grand

This fall I will be attending the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. I have several goals while I am there, but the main goal is to find a field of study I am passionate about and that will lead to a rewarding career.

I am involved in many activities at my high school. Those activities include Foreign Exchange Club, German Club, and Ping Pong Club. Unfortunately, there is no Norwegian Club at my school, but, if it existed, I would be a member. My first foreign language was Norwegian; when I was ten years old I took lessons with a native speaker on Saturdays.

Outside of class I have done volunteer work for various organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Animal House Shelter, Clearbrook Center for the mentally disabled, and the Palatine Senior Center.

For the last two years I have been working fifteen to twenty hours per week at Circuit City to raise funds for college. Working hard is very important to me and I like taking on new responsibilities. My job has given me valuable work experience I can apply to my future career.

My Norwegian heritage is an important part of me, and I am very proud of it. I have been honoring my Norwegian heritage my entire life, as my dad has been teaching me about Norwegian culture from his experience living in Norway. Last year I traveled to Norway for the first time with my dad. I had the chance to meet my relatives in Norway and learn about the Norwegian culture firsthand. I especially enjoyed cross-country skiing in the mountains and the wonderful food. I also visited one of my dad's friends in Norway and became friends with his son, whom I keep in contact with via the Internet and plan to visit again this summer.

I believe I should receive this scholarship because of my academic achievements and pride in my Norwegian heritage. This scholarship would help me greatly with my future academic success.