Making a Difference Through Scholarships

February 12, 2021

The Anoka-Ramsey Community College Campus Foundations exist to make college affordable and accessible through scholarships and crisis grant funds to students at Anoka-Ramsey.

For students like Katie, Rebecca and Mikaela, scholarships received in the 2020-2021 academic year made the difference between attending college and not during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Katie Anderson

2020-2021 General Foundation Scholarship Recipient

“I can’t express how truly grateful I am to have received this financial support. I was very worried that I wouldn’t be able to attend college next year due to coronavirus’ heavy impact on my family’s finances. I’ve also had to become a main caretaker for a member of my family. Their normal caretaker works part-time at the hospital, but as COVID-19 gets worse, they have to be at the hospital more and subsequently is unable to work with my family member.

Without the scholarship I doubt I would have been able to afford college this year.

I am in the transfer program, so after I graduate this spring I will be transferring to the University of Minnesota to study Special Education and Deaf Education.”

Rebecca Bridges

2020-2021 Ramsey Lions Scholarship Recipient

“Receiving this scholarship will allow me to focus on school without having to worry as much about finances. The past seven months have been challenging to say the least, especially with the pandemic. I’m excited to begin the fall semester and get started in the Nursing program. And now it seems that I’ll be able to do so with a little less financial stress.

This being a Veteran’s Scholarship, I must recall the path I chose to serve. With the core values instilled in me through the United States Navy, I will continue to represent my country, as a veteran, in the most positive light possible.”

Mikaela Hayes

2020-2021 Kopp Family Foundation Scholarship Recipient

“I’ve been attending Anoka-Ramsey for two years now and I plan to graduate in 2022 with a Health Sciences degree. After graduation I plan to attend the University of Minnesota Twin Cities enrolled in the College of Biological Sciences and chose to attend Anoka-Ramsey because of their partnership with the U and the MnCap program.

I want to say thank you to the board of directors for choosing me for a scholarship. This year has been one of the most difficult in my life. Early this year my dad battled with liver cancer, and eventually received a liver transplant. After that, COVID-19 came along and I lost my job.

As a Black woman in America, the police killing of George Floyd broke my heart completely and became a significant part of my life. This scholarship has been the best news I’ve heard in a little while now. This scholarship has taken a great weight off me and has allowed me to take the classes I needed to this fall semester.”

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This story is an article from the Winter 2021 edition of the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Newsletter, visit the Alumni and Community page to read the full issue.