Newsletters 2014-15 Focus newsletter, [1] fall | Page 12

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Wallin Education Partners give 28 AnokaHennepin students a great start on college

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2014 recipients
Andover High School:
Matthew Cox, University of St. Thomas
Drew Richards, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Erika Grefsheim, Iowa State University
Mitchell Gutenberg, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Anoka High School:
Elijah Schipper, Bethel University
Christian Tanner, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Justice Anderson, University of Minnesota, Morris
Jaisy Fuentes, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Rachael Graske, University of Northwestern-St. Paul
Jennifer Stanley, Luther College
Blaine High School:
Craig Boster, University of St. Thomas
Megan Kallestad, Gustavus Adolphus College

From left, Coon Rapids High School Principal Annette Ziegler with Garrett (blue shirt) and Spencer Peloquin, two Wallin
Scholars, and their parents, Leisha and David, during the 2014 Wallin Scholarship celebration May 21.

When the late Win Wallin was in the hospital being
treated for cancer, a Wallin Scholar cared for him. He
could take pride in the fact that this doctor had made
it through his undergraduate years of college thanks in
large part to the generosity of Wallin and the scholarship program he founded in 1992 in Minneapolis.
Since then, the program, which seeks out students
from low and moderate income families, has expanded to include other donor partners and to serve a
number of school districts in the metro area. The
Anoka-Hennepin School District was added in 2007.
To date, Wallin Education Partners has helped approximately 3,400 deserving and capable high school seniors realize their dream of attending college. Nearly 60
percent of those scholarships were funded solely to
the generosity of Win and his wife Maxine.
This year, 28 students representing each of the district’s comprehensive high schools, were awarded
scholarships at a celebration May 21 at the
Educational Service Center. Each will receive $4,000 a
year for four years plus the assistance of a mentor to
help with the transition between high school and college.
Susan Basil King, Ed.D, executive director of Wallin
Education Partners, congratulated the scholars and
stressed that the organization cares deeply about the
success of each. Walli n Education Partners help students not only to go to college, but also graduate
from college, she stressed. About 87 percent of students who have received Wallin scholarships graduate
within four years. By contrast, the national average is
59 percent.

With words of advice to the scholars, Dan Coughlin,
a 2010 graduate of Coon Rapids High School who
had earned a Wallin Education Partners scholarship,
compared his experience at the University of
Minnesota to running a marathon. “No doubt the
training you completed in Anoka-Hennepin has prepared you,” he said, “but there will be ups and
downs.” During the low times he urged students to
“look to the sidelines. Your family will be cheering you
on.” And if you do poorly on an exam, “learn from
your mistakes and keep running.”
Coughlin studied biomedical engineering and was
beginning to have doubts about his choice when he
got the opportunity to go to Nicaragua and work as a
technician repairing outdated medical equipment.
That experience helped him realize he was on the
right path. He encouraged students to expect great
things from themselves because they have the
“knowledge to be able to run the race.” Coughlin has
now started his career in engineering at Vascular
Solutions in Maple Grove.
Like Coughlin, a number of Wallin Scholars plan to
study engineering. Among them are Christian Tanner,
Anoka High School (AHS), who plans to study biomedical engineering at the University of Minnesota,
and Ericka Grefsheim, Andover High School (AndHS),
who is interested in medicine but has decided she is
even more interested in the science behind medical
devices. “I want to work on a team developing
devices so I know my hard work will help someone,”
she said.
Craig Boster said the Center for Engineering,

Champlin Park High School:
Ellie McCabe, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Zacharie Konicek, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Mark Ruprecht, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Mitchell Rue, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Matthew Gamber, University of St. Thomas
Aliyah Grant (Jones), University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Selena Khori, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Esther Okelola, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Alex Wachowiak, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Lynnea Waydula, Winona State University
Coon Rapids High School:
Emily Bauer, Bethel University
Qiming Lin, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Angela Hoang, Macalester College
Evan Kudzia, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Garrett Peloquin, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
Spencer Peloquin, University of Wisconsin, Stout

Mathematics and Science at Blaine High School (BHS)
helped him grow and improve his study habits, which
will help when he studies mechanical engineering at
the University of St. Thomas.
Qiming Lin, of Coon Rapids High School (CRHS),
plans to study civil engineering at the University of
Minnesota. She will be the first in her family to attend
college and said that while her family pushed her to
do her best, college “would not have been possible
without the help of the Wallins.”
As each student took the podium to speak about
their plans and dreams, they expressed thanks to the
continued on page 17

The 2014 Above & Beyond Award winners, from left: Laura Hendricks, Julie Bowman, Lenny Smith, Jr., Alysia Nahring, Charles LaRue, Linda Trebby, Neil Eerdmans, Sue Weidell, Linda
Groebner, Niki Eisenbraun, Chris Sundeen, Sheila Peterson, Jackie Nelson and Dana Berg. Not pictured: Colleen Sewall.

‘Above & Beyond Award’ nominations now being accepted;
all Anoka-Hennepin staff eligible for recognition
Do you know an Anoka-Hennepin School District
part- or full-time staff member who you think has
gone Above and Beyond to make school a better
place for your child or a student. A teacher who
goes out of her way to make students feel special,
or a custodian who digs through the trash to help a
student find a lost retainer.
Nominations are being sought for AnokaHennepin schools’ fourth-annual Above & Beyond
Awards.
This program is a joint effort between the school

district and the Anoka-Hennepin Educational
Foundation (AHEF). The award program honors
Anoka-Hennepin staff who go above and beyond
normal job expectations to ensure students receive
a high quality education in a safe and nurturing
environment. Students, staff, parents, and community members are asked to nominate any AnokaHennepin staff member they feel consistently goes
the extra mile so students can be successful.
Nominations will be accepted through Friday,
Dec. 12, 2014. Nominees are notified of the nomination and asked to complete an application form.

Only employees who complete the application
process can be considered for an Above & Beyond
Award. A panel made of district staff and community
members will review the nomination and application
forms in February. They will select up to 10 award
winners who will be honored at an event in April.
Nomination forms can be found at
www.anoka.k12.mn.us/aboveandbeyond.
Completed nominations can be sent to Above &
Beyond Award Program, c/o Cheryl Dugan, AnokaHennepin Education Service Center, 2727 N. Ferry
St., Anoka, MN, 55303. ■