Eight Minnesota students receive Ethel Curry scholarship
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: |
Contact: Christine Dufour |
EIGHT MINNESOTA STUDENTS RECEIVE ETHEL CURRY SCHOLARSHIP
ROSEVILLE, Minn. – Eight Minnesota students recently received the American Indian Ethel Curry Scholarship for academic excellence. The scholarships are awarded by the Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation (MAEF) in partnership with the Minnesota Department of Education.
“It is an honor to recognize these deserving students for their academic excellence,” said Ruthe Batulis, Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation chair. “I commend these students and wish them continued success as they continue to advance their academic endeavors and pursue fulfilling careers. May these students continue to honor the legacy of Ethel Curry.”
The 2008 Ethel Curry scholars:
• Carly Beane, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, Flandreau Santee Sioux
• Katie Cannon, University of Minnesota – School of Medicine, White Earth Scholarship Office
• Dawn DeVeau, White Earth Tribal and Community College, Bois Forte Chippewa
• Peter Drift, Bemidji State University, Bois Forte Chippewa
• Rebekah Fineday, St. Cloud State University, Leech Lake Scholarship Office
• Brule Greene, Argosy University, Leech Lake Scholarship Office
• Tonette Harding, College of St. Scholastica, Bois Forte Chippewa
• Delana Smith, Bemidji State University, Red Lake Scholarship Office
Ethel Curry was born in Hixton, Wisconsin near Black River Falls, in 1888. She graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1914 with a B.A. in Mathematics and Biology. After graduation, Ms. Curry applied for and was accepted to two medical schools, but due to health considerations, she did not attend either. She instead worked for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and worked for nearly 40 years as a surgical secretary. She retired in 1953.
According to her niece, Jeanne Angel, Ms. Curry lived simply and frugally, without television or telephone. She occasionally traveled and had special interests in botany and horticulture. She was a lifelong scholar with a lively, inquiring mind and an independent spirit. She read National Geographic and scientific journals avidly, well into her last years.
Her tremendous wealth, which was not disclosed to her family, was attained through successful investments in a growing company called Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (3M). According to her friends, Ms. Curry was a warm and sociable person, with compassion particularly for American Indian people. On March 24, 1995, Ethel Curry died at the age of 107.
The Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation (MAEF) is a non-profit organization that promotes academic excellence in Minnesota public and nonpublic schools and communities through public-private partnerships. The MAEF Board of Directors selected the Ethel Curry Scholars based on the scholarship criteria.
Ethel Curry Scholars must meet the following requirements to be eligible:
• Enrolled in a Minnesota-based tribe or community
• Able to prove ¼ descendent
• A Minnesota resident
• Attending a Minnesota institution of higher education at the junior, senior or graduate level
• Possess a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or higher
• Filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Applied for assistance from the Minnesota Indian Scholarship Program
A list of other requirements documents appears on the Ethel Curry Scholarship application. For more information, visit the Minnesota Department of Education Website at www.education.state.mn.us.
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