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| Spring 2003 | a publication for alumni, family, and friends |
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"Without it I definitely would not be at DWU," said the 19-year-old. "Getting a Randall (scholarship) has helped me greatly. With the exchange rate, going to school in the States is just too expensive for most Canadians. The Randall is a huge reason I'm here." Gianou just finished his first semester of college and has almost decided what he'll do in the future. He plans to major in business administration and minor in criminal justice. Law school is also in his plans and one day he hopes to practice corporate or criminal law back in Canada. Gianou became a member of the Wesleyan baseball program shortly after visiting campus last May. "My old baseball coach sent out e-mails to hundreds of college coaches about me and Coach (Adam) Neisius was one of the coaches who showed interest and got back to me," he said. Following his campus visit, Gianou and his parents, Peter and Katy Gianou, decided Wesleyan was the right choice. Since then, Gianou says he has become more responsible and independent. "The best thing about DWU for me is being able to play baseball," Gianou said. "And not just for any team, but for a talented team that has high expectations for this season. It's a lot of hard work, but there's nothing I'd rather be doing during my time in college." Gianou says that Wesleyan's small class size helps new students become acquainted with their professors and that the personal attention he receives in and out of the classroom will be very beneficial in the future. "I'm confident that when I go to law school I'll have a good base of knowledge to support my studies," he said. "DWU has given me some opportunities that probably wouldn't have been open to me at the other schools I was considering."
"I knew that I would apply to Wesleyan ... ," the sophomore religion/philosophy major said. "I decided to come here because of the scholarships I was able to receive." Atkins, 20, of Madison, is the youngest daughter of the Rev. Marilyn Spurrell, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Madison, and the Rev. Tom Atkins, senior pastor at the First United Methodist Church in Greenville, Miss. Atkins says she appreciates Wesleyan's size and its faculty-to-student ratio. It has allowed her to become more involved in activities and has given her more opportunities to do things she would not normally do. Last July, Atkins and four other Wesleyan students went on a mission trip to Chincha, Peru, to help build a school and day care. She has also become involved in theater, something she never had the opportunity to do before, and something she says is the most rewarding experience she's had so far. Atkins was recently cast in the winter production of Paula Vogel's
Pulitzer Prize-winning play, "How I Learned to Drive." In
addition, she sings with the Dakota Wesleyan Choir, is involved in the
Student Ministry Council and is a member of the Human Services Club. "Marv Miller has taught me so much about religion and philosophy. He never compromises the difficulty of his classes because of students' complaints. His classes are hard but you learn, which is the whole point of being in college," she said, adding that she may go to divinity school. With one year and one semester behind her, Atkins can look back at all that she has accomplished and look forward to all that lies ahead. "I am much more independent than I was in high school," she said. "I relied on my family for a lot of things, but at Wesleyan I found some self-confidence to do things on my own."
"Coming to DWU has given me the opportunity to change from an introverted freshman into an outgoing person," he said. "Dakota Wesleyan has given me many different avenues to experience who I really am and develop my own identity." As a requirement for a Randall Scholarship, students agree to participate in campus activities and take on leadership roles on and off campus. Cawley is involved in several groups and says his participation gives him "gratification in helping others and a sense of connectivity." He is the chair of the College Republicans, a resident assistant in Dayton Hall, entertainment chair of the Student Activities Board and entertainment chair for the 2002 homecoming committee. He is the past president of the Biology Club, past secretary of Habitat for Humanity, a Student Ambassador and Human Services Club member, serves on the Academic Quality Strategic Planning Task Force, is a tutor for Student Support Services and plays in the Mitchell Municipal Band and intramural volleyball. He also participated in music and the Phonathon. Cawley had set his sights on becoming an optometrist, but has now decided to go to medical school and become an eye surgeon. "Something many people don't know about me is that on top of school, volunteering and all the clubs and activities I'm involved in, I also work full time as lab tech and optician in the Vision Center at Wal-Mart," Cawley said. Cawley, 20, grew up on a farm between Inkster and Forest River in North Dakota and was valedictorian of his 2000 high school graduating class. Ready to graduate in December 2003, Cawley considered transferring from DWU to another school that offered a biochemistry major. But through several conversations with faculty members here and at the other school, he decided there was something about Wesleyan that he couldn't afford to lose. "Dakota Wesleyan had become more than just a school; it had become my home and my family as well," he said. "It has provided me with experiences - not always pleasant ones - from which I've learned to grow and develop as a person and persevere through trial and tribulation. Dakota Wesleyan has enabled me to be able to think, to decipher what I want for myself and how to go about obtaining it. "One of Wesleyan's major focuses is its commitment to personal sacrifice and service for the betterment of humanity. By becoming a peer leader, I sacrificed time away from friends and tasks that seemed more fun or entertaining, but from the experiences I've gained something much more valuable - a love for serving others."
"I have developed a relationship with God and my entire life has been affected," Swanson said after being asked how her life had changed since coming to Wesleyan. Last summer after returning from a semester of studying in Hungary, Swanson had the opportunity to work in a homeless shelter. The experience changed her life. Swanson, 21, had planned to pursue graduate school and a career in mathematics. But after working with the people at the homeless shelter, she found that by helping others, she felt more gratification in her own life. Now she is unsure what path she'll take. "I'm going to take a short time off before deciding to go to graduate
school for mathematics or to divinity school to focus on social
justice," she said, adding that she decided on Wesleyan after
attending Scholarship Days and learning that she would receive free
tuition. Swanson's leadership roles on campus include serving as president of the student senate, being a resident assistant, and a member of the Math Club, Culture Club and the Student Ministry Council. "I feel that the experiences I have had here, as well as the experiences I've had at other places as a result of being a student here, have prepared me well for any of the career options that I'm considering," she said. When Swanson spent a semester in Hungary she had the opportunity to travel and to witness the injustices in the world. She watched as a gypsy man was beaten by a neo-Nazi and learned how 25 percent of the population of Romania is illiterate and how children in some other nations are not allowed to go to school. "Hungary opened up my eyes to what is going on in the world," she said. "I now know that I want to make the world a better place." Other Scholars Randall Scholars must agree to live on campus during their four years at
Wesleyan, hold leadership positions in clubs and organizations, and
maintain high academic standards. In addition to Atkins, sophomores receiving Randall Scholarships are David
Faith, Baltic; Dan Hines, Martin; Katie Peugh, Forest River, N.D.: Julie
Roberts, Scottsbluff, Neb.; Cathy VerSteeg, Mitchell; Jody Veurink, New
Holland; and Jennifer Wollman, Bridgewater. Senior Randall Scholars are Brandon Vetter and Victoria Peterson, both of Bismarck, N.D.; Rebecca Cruse, Fort Pierre and Swanson. About the Randalls Starting with a small grocery store in Flandreau, Doc Randall built a grocery business encompassing 37 stores in a seven-state area. He served on the DWU Board of Trustees from 1975 until his death in October 1981. Ron, the former owner and CEO of Randall Stores Inc., and Charlys, who is a past member of the DWU Board of Trustees, say they would like to see the Randall Scholars be successful in their chosen fields. "If they are financially successful, we would like the scholars to contribute to Dakota Wesleyan in the future," said Ron Randall. Currently the fund provides Randall Scholarships to 22 students. The Randalls hope that the scholarships they have provided help students lead happy, moral and rewarding lives and that the choices they make in their futures continue to reflect positively for the university. "We would hope the caliber of the scholars would elevate the reputation and educational development at Dakota Wesleyan University," Randall said. Dakota Wesleyan University |
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