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April 20, 2012
| You are receiving this newsletter from the Wisconsin Rural Opportunities Foundation, Inc. because you are one of our past or current recipients, you signed up to receive this on our website, you asked to receive this, or you very generously made a financial contribution to support our organization. Thank you! |
Keeping Rural Wisconsin Strong
by Jim Caldwell, WROF, Inc. board president
As
president of the Wisconsin Rural Opportunities Foundation, Inc. board
of directors, I am proud of the accomplishments of our scholarship and
loan recipients. These
determined young men and women have maximized their educational options,
which have made a positive and meaningful difference in their lives and
their communities.
The
WROF, Inc. means a great deal to me, personally and professionally. I
am honored to both serve and invest in our mission of fostering the
vitality of rural Wisconsin. You, our past recipients, educational
partners, donors and friends, are important to us. I am pleased to
introduce our new bi-monthly newsletter, Bright Futures.
With this newsletter we will keep you up to date regarding the many
ways the WROF, Inc. continues to change lives for the better through our
support of educational opportunities for rural young people. I know you
will find it as inspiring as I do.
The WROF Honors Richard Hanson for 26 Years of Service
The
WROF, Inc. recently honored emeritus board member Richard Hanson for
his 26 years of service to the organization. Richard's service to the
WROF, Inc. began when he was asked to provide administrative support
to implement and manage the award program. He has been a rock-solid
foundation of service for the organization ever since. He was named to the emeritus
board of directors in 2011 and continues to provide invaluable
historical insights and perspective.
To
show appreciation for his years of hard work and dedication, the WROF,
Inc. presented Richard with a commemorative quilt, beautifully
hand-crafted by Sharon Renk, wife of the WROF vice president, Richard
Renk. In the photo above, Richard
Hanson is being presented with this commemorative quilt by Mark Clarke,
WROF, Inc. general manager and Marcy Heim, WROF, Inc. executive director. Thank you, Richard Hanson, for your wonderful service and one-of-a-kind legacy with the WROF, Inc!
WROF, Inc. Helps Teacher Inspire Students in Rural Wisconsin
by Holly Knurr
I
graduated from UW-Madison in 1984 with a B.S. in family and consumer education.
I taught in the Hartford area my first year out of school, and then traveled
north to Florence, Wisconsin for my first full-time teaching job. I returned to
southern Wisconsin when I married in 1987. I taught part-time at Beaver Dam and
worked as a substitute teacher while my husband started his career in agricultural
engineering.
We
eventually ended up in Waterford, Wisconsin, where I teach "Exploring
Vocational Education" (EVE) at Fox River Middle School. I enjoy working with
middle school-aged students and love their excitement for my class. We do
everything from cooking and sewing, to airplane flight simulation and building
CO2 racing cars.
I facilitate
a lab with 19 workstations. Each station has computer-delivered instruction on
topics such as technology, family, and consumer education. I hope to expand the
program to include more agricultural focus, looking at "green" careers and some
animal science careers.
My husband
and I have raised three wonderful children. Two are at UW-Madison. Our oldest is
a second-year pharmacy student interested in rural health, and our middle child
is a freshman thinking about physical therapy as a major. Our youngest is a
sophomore in high school and would like to be a veterinarian.
I thank WROF
for the financial support they provided me when in college. As a parent of two
college students, I have often reflected on how your gifts helped me get
through some tight financial times.
New WROF, Inc. Board Members Selected
Four agricultural industry professionals have been selected to the board of
directors for the Wisconsin Rural Opportunities Foundation, Inc. (WROF).
They will join in enhancing
the reach of the Foundation's stellar awards program, continuing the
long tradition of investing in educating people who plan to serve rural
Wisconsin in agriculture and rural health careers.
The new WROF, Inc. board members are: Dorothy Farrell, senior demand specialist at Sargento Foods, Tom Klahn, agricultural producer, Bryan Renk, executive director at BioForward, and Carol Ward Knox, retired principal of Morgan&Myers. They join continuing board members Jim Caldwell, Richard Renk, Laura O. Beane, Elton Aberle, Curtis Hanson, Robert Walton, and emeritus directors Celia Lausted and Richard Hanson.
Making a Difference in Rural Wisconsin
by Marcy Heim, WROF, Inc. executive director
I
am delighted and proud to be part of the WROF, Inc. Looking back,
Walter Renk, a former board president, had amazing vision when he saw
the opportunity to invest the Wisconsin Rural Rehabilitation Corporation
funds into education in rural Wisconsin. As a former
recipient of a WROF, Inc. award myself, it is a tremendous honor to
serve as executive director for the WROF, Inc. and witness first-hand
the positive impact this organization has in our rural state.
As
executive director, I am continually exploring new partnerships to
enhance the amount of support the WROF, Inc. is able to provide. Our
goal is to keep our awards relevant, in line with tuition costs and
focused on the most pressing needs of rural Wisconsin. I am enjoying
reaching out and reconnecting with the WROF recipients and our
educational and corporate partners.
So
many of you have shared that receiving support from the WROF, Inc. has
helped you with your education and beyond. If you would like to share
your story, please complete the short form on our website, www.wrof.org.
I
encourage your feedback about this newsletter or about any aspect of
the WROF, Inc. and invite you to call me at (608) 772-6777 or email [email protected]. Look for the next issue of the Bright Futures newsletter in June. Until then, I wish you a happy and joyous spring.
Bright Futures is published six times a year on or around the third Wednesday of the month. Please send comments to [email protected].
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