LSSU Scholarships

This scholarship was created by the LSSU School of Engineering and Technology through a special donation from Mr. J.C. Huizenga. Awarded to incoming freshmen, this scholarship benefits those pursuing an engineering degree and has demonstrated academic success and interest in the engineering field.

This scholarship is awarded to students who meet one or more of the following definition(s) of a non-traditional student: do not immediately continue their education after high school graduation; attend college only part time; work full time (35 hours or more per week); are financially independent; have children or dependents other than spouse; are a single parent; or have a GED, not a high school diploma. Successful candidates must have earned a minimum 3.0 GPA and may major in any course of study.

The LSSU Support Staff Award was established in 1999, through the efforts of the LSSU maintenance staff with the full support of the Educational Support Staff President and Executive Board. The purpose of this award is to provide financial assistance to qualified applicants of participating LSSU Educational Support employees and retirees. Successful candidates may be a student majoring in any degree program who has earned a minimum 2.0 GPA. Selection is based on an application/essay and a recommendation of the LSSU Support Staff Executive Committee.

This scholarship was created by contributions from the Lukenda School of Business and Economics alumni and the Lambda Sigma Beta Fraternity and spearheaded by Dr. Madan Saluja, professor emeritus of business at LSSU. This endowment is awarded to students who have attained junior or senior status in the business program, with a minimum 3.0 GPA, and who have demonstrated campus/community leadership and dedication to working in the business profession.

This Memorial Award was established in 1988 to honor Lynn Steppig who was a 1985 LSSU nursing graduate.  At the time of her death, she was a nurse at the Kinross Correctional Facility, in Kincheloe, Michigan. The endowment fund provides financial support to defray the cost of nursing board examinations, purchase of textbooks or other educational expenses as determined by the LSSU nursing faculty. Successful candidates must be a full time non-traditional student of at least junior status.

This scholarship was established by alumni and friends to honor LSSU faculty member, Madan Saluja. Having taught at LSSU for more that 40 years, Saluja is well known for his courses’ rigor and his personal high expectations of students. He was instrumental in establishing the School of Business/Lambda Scholarship and has helped raise more than $225,000 to support the endowment. A native of India, he was the captain of the track and field team and held a long distance running record at his alma mater Delhi University. Successful candidates must be a member of the LSSU Track or Cross Country athletic team with a preference to students who are pursuing a degree in Business with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Selection is based on the recommendation of the LSSU Athletic Director, track & cross-country coaches and a member of the School of Business faculty.

This endowment was established by friends and family of Margaret Haag who was a former resident of Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. and a LSSU instructor in chemistry and biology. The recipient must be a student tutor at the LSSU Learning Center who has earned a minimum 3.0 GPA and has successfully completed each course they wish to tutor with a minimum “B” grade. They must possess excellent interpersonal communication skills and a desire to help students succeed academically. Selection is based on the recommendation of LSSU Learning Center faculty and staff.

Professor Emeritus Raymond Chelberg and his wife Marian were one of the original faculty families at the Michigan College of Mining and Technology, Sault Branch in 1946. From that time until he retired in 1970, Professor Chelberg was chair of the Chemistry Department. He was a dedicated teacher for more than 44 years and was remembered for his personal, caring and effective approach to teaching. Marian taught music appreciation at Lake State and was one of the founders of the Musicale. She was choir director at Central United Methodist Church and was one of the first women invited to join the Rotary Club. Together, Raymond and Marian significantly enhanced the scientific, athletic and cultural aspects of Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding community. The Chelberg scholarship is awarded to a natural science major, with a minimum 3.0 GPA, who demonstrates leadership abilities and contributes significantly to the success of the athletic team on which he or she is a letter-winner.

This scholarship was established to share Marion’s strong appreciation for the English language. Marion Strahl Boyer (1915-2014) was a student of Ansel Adams and became one of the first female photographers hired by Life Magazine. After WWII, she spent 12 years in the Panama Canal Zone, returning to the Upper Peninsula in 1959, where she attended Northern Michigan University. From 1960 until 1970, she was a photographer and journalist for the Sault Evening News. In 1970, convinced that new journalists were not getting proper training, she renewed her teaching certification and began teaching English and Journalism at the Sault Area High School until her retirement in 1980. Marion then spent her remaining years involved in the arts community, continuing her photography, printmaking, and becoming an award winning stained glass artist. Successful candidates must be a non-traditional student majoring in English or pursuing a teaching degree with an English minor who has earned a minimum 3.0 GPA.

This scholarship endowment is established by Marisa Berlinger, a 2013 Lukenda School of Business graduate. After taking Business Law with LSSU Professor Emeritus Dr. Madan Saluja, Marisa was inspired to go to law school.  She received her J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2016.  Marisa currently practices law in Seattle, Washington, specializing in complex commercial litigation and business-related government investigations and enforcement actions, but she will never forget her roots in Sault Ste. Marie.

Jim Smith and Tom Wiles are both graduates of Bedford High School (1972) and classmates at Lake Superior State College. Upon their retirement, they returned to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. “Our experiences as students at Lake Superior State College in the 1970s to our present stage of life, have been the foundation for our desire to fund an award for an incoming freshman and a science scholarship to a current student. They have issued their recipients a challenge: To apply all the knowledge that you have/will learn for the benefit of generations present and future.

The science scholarship is given to a student of sophomore status with a minimum 3.0 GPA who is seeking a career path as a scientist. The hope of the future lies not in curbing the influence of human occupancy – it is already too late for that – but in creating a better understanding of the extent of that influence and a new ethic for its governance. ― Aldo Leopold, Game Management

The Joseph and Bonnie Halvorsen Memorial Endowment was established by the Halvorsen’s five children to honor their parents and to provide financial assistance to a sophomore student pursuing a career as a park ranger for the State of Michigan or National Park Service. Joseph and Bonnie were married in 1952 shortly after Halvorsen began his career with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Between 1963 and 1977, Halvorsen managed F. J. McLain State Park in Hancock, Grand Haven State Park, Brimley State Park, and Tahquamenon Falls State Park until his retirement in 1991. Despite all these accomplishments, Halvorsen always felt his advancement was curtailed because he lacked a college degree. He spent the last years of his career training people who would go on to surpass him, always willing to assist and provide advice because of his love and commitment for the job.

Professor Emeritus Raymond Chelberg and his wife Marian were one of the original faculty families at the Michigan College of Mining and Technology, Sault Branch in 1946. From that time until he retired in 1970, Professor Chelberg was chair of the Chemistry Department. He was a dedicated teacher for more than 44 years and was remembered for his personal, caring and effective approach to teaching. Marian taught music appreciation at Lake State and was one of the founders of the Musicale. She was choir director at Central United Methodist Church and was one of the first women invited to join the Rotary Club. Together, Raymond and Marian significantly enhanced the scientific, athletic and cultural aspects of Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding community. The Chelberg scholarship is awarded to a natural science major, with a minimum 3.0 GPA, who demonstrates leadership abilities and contributes significantly to the success of the athletic team on which he or she is a letter-winner.

This named endowment was established by Mary Lubs Thomsen to honor her late husband, Viggo. Both were long-time residents of Sault Ste. Marie and former employees of LSSU. Mary was director of Public Relations and Viggo served for 27 years as a faculty member of the Biology Department. The scholarship provides financial assistance to LSSU students majoring in the biological sciences, pre-pharmacy, pre-medical and/or pre-dental programs.

This scholarship honors Michael Della-Moretta, a 1977 alumnus and Navy pilot killed in 1981 while serving aboard the USS Independence off the coast of Iran. He once said the happiest years of his life were at Lake Superior State University. The award is given to an Eastern U.P. resident with an interest in biological science or lab science major (including math and computer science) who has achieved academic excellence.

This scholarship was created in 2006 by the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science faculty as a tool to retain highly qualified students at LSSU. Successful recipients must be a major in mathematics or computer science or pursuing a degree in math education with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

This endowed scholarship was established to honor one of the charter faculty of Sault Branch of Michigan College of Mining and Technology. Franklin spent 30 years (1948-1978) as a mathematics professor and was the University’s first faculty athletic representative, serving 12 years during the early development of the Laker athletic program. He was instrumental in the development of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). In 1999, Franklin was posthumously inducted to the LSSU Athletic Hall of Fame for his invaluable contributions to the Laker athletic program. Wanda was a homemaker who was very active in her church, the LSSU Faculty Wives’ organization, and a strong supporter of the University and of her husband’s participation in a wide range of academic and athletic interests. The recipient must be a sophomore mathematics or computer science major with a minimum 3.0 GPA in their major courses.

This scholarship was established in 2001 by Galen Harrison (1938-2022) to provide financial assistance to math and computer science majors. Harrison was a long-time LSSU Professor of Mathematics who taught at Lake State from 1963 until his retirement in 1996. Mr. Harrison believed in the importance of higher education and understood that many students need financial support while working towards their educational and career goals.

This endowed scholarship was established by Galen H. Harrison (1938-2022), a graduate of Pickford High School and LSSU Professor of Mathematics (1963-1996). Mr. Harrison believed in the importance of higher education and understood that many students need financial support while working towards their educational and career goals. Successful candidates must be an incoming freshman who is a Pickford High School graduate with a minimum 3.0 GPA majoring in biology, chemistry, geology, nursing, mathematics, computer engineering, computer science, electrical engineering, environmental chemistry, or environmental science.

This endowed scholarship was established by LSSU professor emeritus Gerald Samson (1928-2022). During his career at LSSU, Professor Samson received the LSSU Distinguished Teacher award in 1974 and Emeritus Status in 1990. He could recite a plethora of poems he learned in grade school, remember all the words to the songs he loved from the 30s and 40s (anything after 1950 wasn’t music), solve complex math equations just for fun, read books, books, and more books from the classics, to science, to mysteries and was known as a crossword puzzle aficionado. He loved the phrase “look it up” and spent much time doing just that about any topic that interested him. Selection is based on the recommendation of the LSSU mathematics and computer science faculty.

This scholarship honors Michael Della-Moretta, a 1977 alumnus and Navy pilot killed in 1981 while serving aboard the USS Independence off the coast of Iran. He once said the happiest years of his life were at Lake Superior State University. The award is given to an Eastern U.P. resident with an interest in biological science or lab science major (including math and computer science) who has achieved academic excellence.

This endowment was established by Catherine Gianakura Rogg to honor her parents, Peter and Georgia. At the time of her high school graduation, Georgia was planning to attend Michigan State University to become a mathematics teacher until her father became ill. She made the choice to care for her father and attend to the needs of her family. Longing for a career as a photojournalist, Peter was unable to pursue his education due to his commitment to his father’s business, The American Café, and to his family. In honor of her parents who sacrificed their education and career dreams for the care and well being of their families, Catherine created two scholarships to be granted annually to a student who is seeking a career in Journalism and to a student who is pursuing a degree in Education with a major in Mathematics.

A founder of the Chippewa County Employees Credit Union and a longtime Sault High School math teacher, Rosa Grout, enlightened more than 2,000 students on the beauty and precision of math. “I still hear from many of them who thank me for the structure and discipline that geometry instilled into their lives,” she recalled shortly before her death in 2004 at the age of 95. Grout’s spirit of education carries on in the form of a math, science and technical studies scholarship endowment she created in 1992. The student recipient is a major in engineering technology, mathematics, or computer science. Selection of the award is based upon high school GPA, ACT score and high school class rank.

This scholarship was established to honor William Gregory, former president of Edison Sault Electric Company. He served as a member of the LSSU Board of Trustees, the LSSU Foundation Board of Directors, and received LSSU’s Distinguished Citizen Award in 1986.  LSSU President Robert Arbuckle once stated, “Bill Gregory has actively supported the University with his talent and treasure for over 25 years. No one in this region is more devoted to Lake State.” Successful candidates must be a junior majoring in engineering, mathematics, business, biology or fisheries and wildlife management with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

This endowment was established by family and friends in memory of Chris Reinke, a natural resources technology (NRT) student, 1986-88. Chris was known as a free-spirited, independent young man who had a great love for the outdoors. It was because of his love for the woods and water that he chose the natural resources program at LSSU. His untimely death in 1988 left an indelible mark on Lake State students and to all who knew him. One of his friends, Cindy (Nocerini) Dingell, commented that Chris lived by the old phrase, “live each day like it was your first and every minute like it was your last.” This award assists a sophomore NRT student with a minimum 2.0 GPA who has a sincere dedication to the NRT field. Selection is based on the recommendation of the NRT faculty.