Spring Break
Scholarship to commemorate alumnus
Student receives award for outstanding academic record
Emily Hartwig
Issue date: 2/27/06 Section: Campus News
One economics student is getting help towards her education through a new scholarship established after the sudden death of a UW-Eau Claire alumnus.
The first Mike Reinke Scholarship was awarded to junior Vanessa Klemish last fall, with the $2,400 award available for this semester's expenses, said Ed Young, chair of the economics department.
Klemish "has an excellent academic record" and was the most deserving applicant for the honor, Young said.
"She has a sense of family, and is appreciative of the opportunity to get a college education," he said, adding that Klemish is working and taking out loans to put herself through school.
"Financial need was a requirement," Klemish said, who will graduate from Eau Claire in four years.
Klemish is double majoring in economics and political science, and said she will finish her undergraduate education next May. She said her next ambition is law school.
Mike Reinke was a 1971 economics graduate of Eau Claire who died in a 2004 bicycle accident, Young said. Reinke was working for Kraft at the time of his death, he added, and was from a farm in west-central Wisconsin.
"(The scholarship) was started by family and people that he worked with; they just wanted to have a memory of him," Klemish said.
Young agreed, adding that the family wanted to commemorate Reinke's life through the scholarship.
One of Klemish's attributes that helped her get chosen for the scholarship is the fact that she grew up on a farm, Young said.
Klemish said that the committee liked the fact that she had a similar background as Reinke, in addition to her status as a Wisconsin resident.
"The scholarship fund is around $75,000 now, (and) the people who have given to it are Mike Reinke's family, friends and his colleagues at Kraft and the International Dairy Food Association," Young said.
He said the application process consists of filling out a form and then the committee, which is made up of two economics department faculty, chooses the winner. One scholarship will be awarded each year.
The first Mike Reinke Scholarship was awarded to junior Vanessa Klemish last fall, with the $2,400 award available for this semester's expenses, said Ed Young, chair of the economics department.
Klemish "has an excellent academic record" and was the most deserving applicant for the honor, Young said.
"She has a sense of family, and is appreciative of the opportunity to get a college education," he said, adding that Klemish is working and taking out loans to put herself through school.
"Financial need was a requirement," Klemish said, who will graduate from Eau Claire in four years.
Klemish is double majoring in economics and political science, and said she will finish her undergraduate education next May. She said her next ambition is law school.
Mike Reinke was a 1971 economics graduate of Eau Claire who died in a 2004 bicycle accident, Young said. Reinke was working for Kraft at the time of his death, he added, and was from a farm in west-central Wisconsin.
"(The scholarship) was started by family and people that he worked with; they just wanted to have a memory of him," Klemish said.
Young agreed, adding that the family wanted to commemorate Reinke's life through the scholarship.
One of Klemish's attributes that helped her get chosen for the scholarship is the fact that she grew up on a farm, Young said.
Klemish said that the committee liked the fact that she had a similar background as Reinke, in addition to her status as a Wisconsin resident.
"The scholarship fund is around $75,000 now, (and) the people who have given to it are Mike Reinke's family, friends and his colleagues at Kraft and the International Dairy Food Association," Young said.
He said the application process consists of filling out a form and then the committee, which is made up of two economics department faculty, chooses the winner. One scholarship will be awarded each year.