LSSU Scholarships

Rebecca (Becca) Arms (1985-2009) chose to attend Lake Superior State University and fell in love with the college and the town. She was very active with campus life and a committed and involved member of the Sigma Lambda Sigma Sorority. Becca was a huge fan of Laker Hockey and a big advocate for Lake State and the values the University holds dear. She received her Associates degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education with a minor in History in 2008. Becca’s passion was teaching and working with children; helping them reach full potential. Successful candidates must be a student with at least 26 LSSU credits, a minimum 3.0 GPA who is majoring in the Early Childhood or Elementary Education program. Preference will be given to students who are members of the Sigma Lambda Sigma sorority.

This award was established by the family of Richard I. Blankenbaker, a man who overcame poverty to own a supermarket chain and who devoted much of his life to public service. Mr. Blankenbaker was an avid fisherman and outdoorsman who loved to visit the DeTour area. He shared his love of the Northwoods with his children and grandchildren. Preference is given to DeTour High School graduates and is based on academic excellence.

This scholarship endowment is established by Robert and Sally Wiles to honor the memory of Sally’s brother, Richard W. “Dick” White ‘60. White graduated from Rudyard High School in 1954, enlisted in the Marines, served and was honorably discharged. He then entered Soo Tech, branch of Michigan Technological University. Dick was a much focused student of Geology and truly became a legend at Soo Tech and Michigan Technological University. After receiving his Doctorate from the University of California – Berkley, he traveled the World with the U.S. Geological Survey with his last stop in Denver at USGS headquarters. Premature death attributed to Leukemia at age 40 abruptly halted Dick’s list of geological discoveries in his prime. Successful candidates must major in one of the LSSU physical sciences programs with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

The named scholarship is established by Robert Pfaff in memory of his wife, Patricia, who was a member of the first class of registered nurses to graduate from Lake Superior State College in 1972.  Patricia worked in various capacities during her 34-year nursing career and retired in January 2006. Robert is a 1972 LSSC Business alum and has been licensed by the State of Michigan to practice as a certified public accountant since March 1976. Successful candidates must be accepted into the BSN program with at least 26 LSSU credits and a minimum 3.0 GPA. Selection is based on the recommendation of the LSSU Nursing faculty.

The named award is established by Robert J. McEnroe, a 1975 LSSU graduate who wished to give back to alma mater.  In appreciation for the education he received at Lake Superior State University, this award benefits students majoring in Biology or Chemistry who are residents of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The Robert M. Hunt Memorial Scholarship was established by the Robert M. Hunt family and the Robert M. McCormick Tribune Foundation to offer half tuition and fees to a Sault Area High School graduate(s) who is a well-rounded student and demonstrates leadership skills and dedication to his or her community. Former president and chief executive officer of Chicago Tribune Co., Robert was born in Sault Ste. Marie, where his father, Maurice, was former town mayor. Hunt graduated from Sault Area High School and attended Michigan State University. He worked at the Chicago Tribune Co. from 1950 to 1985 and went on to become president and publisher of the New York Daily News. He saw great potential in everyone. He was known as a dynamic leader who had the ability to motivate young people to attain their very highest levels of achievement.

In 1999, this scholarship was named to honor Robert O. Wallis, an educator for over 30 years, having served 28 years with the Sault Area Public School system as a teacher, coach, athletic director and principal. Following his retirement, he became active with both the local chapter and state organization of the Chippewa-Mackinac Area Retired School Personnel (CMARSP) and served 10 years on the state board of directors. The chapter is an association of retired public school and state university personnel whose purpose is to promote social, professional and economic status and general welfare of retired school employees. Scholarship recipients must be pursuing a profession in the field of teaching, a resident from Chippewa or Mackinac County, and has earned a minimum 3.0 GPA.

This scholarship endowment is established by Robert and Sally Wiles. Sally A. (White) Wiles and Robert W. Wiles are retired educators since 1994. Sally taught most of her career in Rudyard with K-12 special needs students, while Bob worked in Administration and Vocational Education at the EUP Intermediate School District. Bob also served as President of the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel (MARSP) from 2013-2015. Local community involvement in various organizations provides other avenues of volunteerism for Sally and Bob in their retirement years. It is the intent of endowment to benefit students who are pursuing an Associate’s degree directly leading to future employment in their chosen field.

This named endowment was established through support of  the Roberts P. and Ella B. Hudson Foundation, Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.. The named foundation was established by Ella Hudson in 1954 to benefit educational and charitable purposes in Chippewa County, Mich. Roberts Hudson was instrumental in the integration of the Michigan State Bar and served as its first president in 1935. For many years, he was president of the Chippewa County Bar Association and active in civic and fraternal affairs of the community; including serving as Board President of Central Savings Bank and as a member of the Masons and Knights Templar. Ella Bowen Hudson was a benefactor of state and local organizations throughout her life. Successful candidates must be a graduate from a Chippewa County, Mich. high school with a minimum 3.0 GPA.

The Ronald “Bud” Cooper Endowed Award is given to student athletes who have earned a minimum 2.5 GPA and represents each of the Division II women and men’s non-fully funded athletic programs – volleyball, tennis, golf, track & field, and cross country. Bud spent more than 30 years of his life at Lake Superior State University. He is one of two men instrumental in establishing the LSSU hockey program and Athletics Hall of Fame. His passion and support of the University as an athlete, coach, athletic director, alumnus and faculty emeritus are unsurpassed. In 2000, the Norris Center gymnasium was named the Ronald “Bud” Cooper Gymnasium to honor Bud for his tremendous support to Laker Athletics and to the University.

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.