LCO Ojibwe University Announces 3 New Scholarships

Press Release

LCOOU

The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University (LCOOU) is excited to announce the creation of three new scholarships available to Native students. The first announcement is the creation of the Sandy Bird Memorial Scholarship. The family has committed to $500, each fall semester over a course of five years.

The Sandy Bird Memorial Scholarship was established at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University to honor a woman and Lac Courte Oreilles tribal member who during her life had given tremendously in selfless service to this community. Her impact as a nurse in the Health Center, touched the lives of all tribal members, often going far above and beyond her call of duty. From giving personal care to members in their homes, to driving members to Duluth for medical appointments on her own, to simply giving medical guidance and care to each member that entered the clinic, Sandy was always passionate about her role and responsibilities. It is hoped that this scholarship will encourage other natives to pursue a career in nursing and give back to our community.

The second is the creation of the Lakshmi Gurusamy Memorial Scholarship. The family has committed to $5,000, supporting a $1,000 scholarship each fall semester over a course of five years.

The Lakshmi Gurusamy Memorial Scholarship was established at Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College to honor a remarkable soul. “She never stepped foot in a school, but fiercely instilled in her son the value of a quality education. Her support resulted in her son being the first ever in the family to go to college and obtain a doctorate degree. She felt no matter what your circumstances, education provides a way to elevate your life and open your mind. Her resilient spirit and strength are the same I see in the Native American community. It is with that hope, a recipient of this scholarship continues to pursue learning in bettering their lives and those around them” shares Sangeetha Ganesan.

And finally, LCOOU announces the creation of the Bessie K Bentley Polivka Scholarship Fund.

Bessie Bentley Polivka, member of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, was born in Odanah, Wisconsin in 1909, and grew up in the Bad River Mashkiiziibii tribal community. Educator and life-long learner, she experienced first-hand the intrinsic and practical value of education and continued to inspire students throughout her long teaching career to share her love of learning. The goal of this scholarship is to honor her memory by providing other native students the opportunity to serve their communities as dedicated educators and enthusiastic life-long learners.

Increased scholarship offerings reduce the barriers of tuition and textbook costs for Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe College students. This reduction in barriers supports the University’s mission to provide Anishinaabe communities with post-secondary and continuing education while advancing the language, culture, and history of the Ojibwe.

The scholarship applications will be available on the college website, www.lco.edu/scholarships and open to Native American undergraduate students to apply. For further questions, call 715-634-4790 ext. 186 or email advancement@lco.edu.

About Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University

The Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe University’s mission is to provide Anishinaabe communities with post-secondary and continuing education while advancing the language, culture, and history of the Ojibwe. The University (LCOOU) is a non-profit Ojibwe tribal college celebrating 40 years of education in 2022. We are an open-door institution that is proud to serve American Indian students. LCOOC welcomes non-native students and celebrates a diverse student population at all of our locations.

Learn more at http://lco.edu