Scholarships make education possible for UAF students

“Without the support of community scholarships, students like me would be unable to pursue advanced degrees. With this financial assistance, my goal to give back to my community is ever closer.” — Emillie Ficek, 2020-2021 scholarship recipient and veterinary student in the UAF/Colorado State University program

 

With the help of approximately 2,700 annual donors like you, UAF breaks down the barriers that stand in the way of degree and certificate completion. Your gifts change lives by creating more equitable access to higher education and motivating students to receive high-quality instruction.

One way your generosity helps Alaskans achieve their dreams is through scholarships. For example, 95 scholarships totaling over $200,000 were awarded to 68 student athletes last year, allowing them to excel not only at their sports but also in their classrooms. Overall, UAF awarded $1.8 million to students through 870 scholarships during the 2020-2021 school year, a 22% increase over the previous year. 

Leonard and Marjorie Wright made a nearly $2.9 million estate gift to UAF in 2014. Their generosity created an endowed scholarship fund that supports UAF students who demonstrate financial need as well as good academic performance and promise.

The Wrights moved to Alaska in 1953 and spent more than 25 years in the Interior. Marjorie completed her education degree at UAF then taught in North Pole, while Leonard established a construction business.

Since the scholarship began in 2015, the Wrights’ gift has assisted 258 deserving students with scholarships totaling over $850,000.

Nephew Galen Dreis said education was important to the couple.

“They’ve always helped others,” he said. “Marjorie is a UAF alumna and was a teacher in the Interior, so giving back was part of who they were as individuals.”

---

Scholarships can be a meaningful way to honor a person while carrying their legacy forward to future generations of students. Ruth Lister left a strong impact on the Fairbanks community and the university in her 58 years. “Ruthie,” as she was affectionately referred to by friends, was a single mom who cared deeply about helping other sole providers gain an education. 

After earning a Ph.D. from Cornell in micro-meteorology and mathematics, Lister’s varied career choices included fabricating dashboards and fenders on big rigs and teaching university mathematics in Malaysia. She also ran a day care center, directed a women’s shelter and helped establish the Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault in Alaska.

Lister’s biggest impact on the UAF community occurred when she served as director of UAF’s Tanana Valley Campus. Faculty member Ralph Gabrielli said she was instrumental in turning TVC into the enormous success it is today as UAF’s Community and Technical College.

Taber Rehbaum of Fairbanks, former executive director of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Alaska, met Lister in the mid-1990s.

“She was one of the most unselfish people I've ever known,” Rehbaum said. “She cared so much about helping women, families and children, and empowering people through education, women especially. She had a lot of courage, and she helped other people find their courage."

After Lister’s long battle with breast cancer ended in 2002, friends and family created a scholarship in her memory. The Ruth Lister Scholarship Committee is still going strong 19 years later. The group holds a fundraiser each year, and gifts from more than 325 people have grown the fund to the point it can award five $3,000 scholarships in the next academic year.

Kari Peryea, a recent recipient of the Ruth Lister Scholarship, is studying applied accounting at UAF. She said the scholarship has enabled her to attend another year of school without going further into debt. 

“I would like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she said. “I’m a single mother really trying to change my life and provide a better future for myself and, more importantly, my son (a leukemia survivor).”

---

Sometimes families who endure tremendous loss choose to honor loved ones by setting up scholarship funds in their names. Fairbanks pediatrician Dr. Marvin Bergeson and his wife Cindy established the Will Bergeson Mechanical Engineering Memorial Scholarship. The scholarship honors their son, Will, who passed away in 2006 at the age of 20 while studying engineering at UAF.

Will’s special dedication to his family, friends and the community of Alaska and the many contributions he made during his brief life inspired his friends and family to establish the scholarship in his memory.

Josiah Alverts, a Will Bergeson Mechanical Engineering Memorial Scholarship recipient and mechanical engineering major at UAF, said without any financial support he relies on income earned from working during the summer and school year. Getting scholarships has a large impact on his education.

“I do not take the privilege of receiving a reward like this lightly,” he said. “I believe in giving back to the community and I will make sure to do that as I can during this period of my life.”

That news gives Marv and Cindy Bergeson hope. 

“It is such a blessing and so heart-warming to read about the young men and women who have received Will’s scholarship and to be able to help in some small way with their journey through UAF,” they shared via email. “Our heartfelt ‘thank you’ for working with us to keep Will’s spirit alive.”

---

UAF helps students attain their degrees, opening the door to brighter futures. Investments from donors like you make it personal, inspiring students and putting opportunities in their reach. This partnership allows students to better provide for their families, achieve their goals and fulfill their dreams.

Perry Gilmore is a sociolinguist and educational anthropologist who formerly taught at UAF. She established the Colin Gilmore Memorial Scholarship after her 18-year-old son was killed by a drunk driver 33 years ago. The Colin Gilmore Memorial Scholarship provides scholarship support to Alaska Native undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts who have demonstrated a strong commitment to diversity and social justice.

Psychology major Miranda Johansson said the gift makes a difference for her and her community.

“I hope that you will see me as an investment,” she said. “I wish to stay in rural Alaska. I care deeply and passionately about the health and well-being of my community, and I wish to help those who struggle to build resilience.”

UAF connected Gilmore and Johansson via a Zoom chat this year, which worked well because Colin’s mom now lives in Arizona. Gilmore is proud of the accomplishments Johansson has earned.

“She is so deserving of this award that honors my son,” Gilmore said. “I know she will have a promising future and be a strong advocate for her community.”