Are You Ready for the Rezzys? (Cont.)

Scholarship donor and Normandale alumna Diane Wussow will be serving as our donor speaker!

You may recall reading about Diane in our Creating Futures magazine (page 10) that was mailed last fall. Diane was a returning adult student when she attended Normandale and chose to create a scholarship that not only supported nursing students, but nursing students of color.

The BELIEVE Nursing Scholarship was awarded for the first time last year to support Black, Indigenous, and students of color enrolled in Normandale’s nursing program. Diane has maintained a close relationship with last year's recipient (pictured above), who has only made her a more engaged donor.

Diane's life experiences and personal Normandale story are sure to inspire you and remind you why it’s so important to give!

This year, the Advancement Division’s own student worker Chhayheang Chea will be the student speaker. Besides serving as a student worker helping create and manage Normandale social media channels, Chhayheang is also the President of the Program Board, the student organization responsible for coordinating academic and campus social events.

On top of all that, Chhayheang is a three-time scholarship recipient, having received the Chorzempa Family Foundation Scholarship, the Kopp Family Presidential Scholarship, and the Phi Theta Kappa All-Minnesota Academic Team Scholarship for the 2024-25 academic year. We are excited for you to hear about Chhayheang’s educational journey!

To support Normandale scholarships, you can donate here.

The Power of Your Gift: Mentorship in Action (Cont.)

As mentioned in our last newsletter, we held a pilot alumni mentorship program last year that connected current students in the Academy of Math and Science (AMS) with AMS alumni. Due to the program’s success, the Foundation has partnered with Mentor Minnesota to develop a more comprehensive mentoring program. Part of that plan includes working with Student Life to create a new peer-to-peer mentorship program on campus.

The Grotto Foundation’s recent donation will directly support a new initiative to pair students who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) with their BIPOC peers, a program that will help advance the College’s mission to have all students achieve at the same level as our highest-achieving students. This program will provide a unique opportunity for marginalized students to succeed and connect with one another.  

The Foundation is also still working with Mentor Minnesota to improve its AMS alumni mentorship program. Next steps include scheduling in-person trainings for mentors this summer. If you are an alum interested in participating as a mentor in the future, please contact Tipheret Peña at tipheret.pena@normandale.edu. To contribute to these efforts, you can donate here.