April 27, 2021
Written by Public Relations & Communications Strategist Jill Wilson
Augustana University is proud to announce that six of its students have been awarded Fred C. and J. Marie Christopherson Scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year.
Augustana faculty and staff nominate upperclass students (juniors and seniors) for the awards and the Augustana Faculty Scholarship and Awards Committee makes selections on the basis of scholarship, campus and community service, as well as how well the nominees fit the donors' description as someone “equipped for life.”
Professor of Biology Dr. Steven Matzner, who has nominated many students for the award, said, “I love that the donor wanted it to go to student recipients with a strong work ethic and good character. I love the phrase, ‘It's not whether they graduated at the head of the class; it's whether they are equipped for life.’ I look for those hard working souls that are the "salt of the earth" types. They may not be the flashiest, but you know they are going to go out in the world and quietly set a good example.”
The recipients of the Fred C. and J. Marie Christopherson Scholarship are recognized as students who are committed to the university, respected by their peers, have a strong work ethic and a solid character.
The 2021-22 Christopherson Scholarship recipients are:
- Taha Afzal ‘22, of Karachi, Pakistan — Computer Science & Software Engineering and Data Science Major
- Emily Burkley ‘21, of Fairbury, Nebraska — Elementary Education and Psychology Major
- Ashley Ask ‘22, of Garretson, South Dakota — Biology Major
- Juliet Geffre ‘22, of Fargo, North Dakota — Government & International Affairs Major
- Mekhi Moore ‘23, of Woodbury, Minnesota — Sign Language Interpreting Major, Government & International Affairs Minor
- Gedion Alemayehu ‘22, of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia — Data Science, Math and Business Administration Major
Fred C. Christopherson, who died in 1989, was the editor of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader for 31 years. J. Marie Christopherson, who died in 1989, wrote the "Driftwood" column published in the Argus Leader for 20 years.