NDSU student awarded first Loveland scholarship
Winning a scholarship takes plenty of time, dedication, and hard work.
Dena Marie Wyum was recently deemed worthy of the honor and was presented with the first Laurie J. Loveland scholarship in the amount of $5,000.
The award was established in the spring of 2005 in honor of Loveland who died of pancreatic cancer in 2002 at age 43.
Wyum graduated from Sargent Central High School in 2003, and completed her undergraduate degree at NDSU last spring.
She is currently a graduate student at NDSU in the Couple and Family Therapy Program and is involved as a FirstLink hotline volunteer and a Community Emergency Response Team Member.
“ I have learned some about Laurie Loveland,” says Wyum. “She was a strong advocate for women and children, and I am honored to be receiving this scholarship in her name.”
Loveland graduated from NDSU in 1980, and became a lawyer.
She played a major part in the agreement between the nation’s tobacco companies and 46 states, five U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia.
Loveland grew up in Minot, N.D., and attended Yale University after NDSU.
She was an advocate for women’s rights and adult literacy.
The endowment, received in her name, gave money for speaking seminars and the scholarship itself.
The scholarship is available only to female juniors who graduated from a North Dakota high school and who are pursuing a career in public service.
An essay and application had to be submitted, and went to the desks of Ann Burnett, director of women’s studies, Cleo Cantlol, Laurie’s sister, and Heidi Hietkamp, attorney general and good friend of Loveland’s.
The decision was focused on who bettered the community, had a strong record of public service, was dedicated to issues related to women and was a very strong student.
The trio narrowed the search from 20 applicants to seven.
The remaining seven applicants were brought in for an hour interview.
“ It was quite a rigorous process, I’m not going to lie,” says Burnett. “The decision process was not easy. There were a couple very strong candidates.”
Tough as it might have been, a decision eventually was made.
In addition to the scholarship, there is also a portion of the endowment that will promote women’s activities by bringing in the Laurie Loveland Memorial Speaker series.
Burnett and her team are working to get two female governors, Kristine Gregoir of Washington and Janette Napolitano of Arizona, to come to NDSU in the spring.