The Boundary Waters and Ely have meant a great deal to me. In 1992, I spent six months as a volunteer wilderness ranger in the BWCA. I spent 100 days in the woods that year, took 22 different canoe trips, saw nearly 300 lakes and cleaned more than 400 campsites. I saw first hand how many up there lived, not on the edge of the wilderness but on the edge of poverty to stay in this area. Even in good economies, many are fortunate to survive at minimum wage jobs that are seasonal. These scholarships at VCC I’ve established or contributed to mean a great deal to my wife and me, for the reasons mentioned above, but also because Sig Olson was once Dean.
Past Winners:
2006–Kelly Bray 
2007–Wendy Forss (Kelly and Wendy at right)
2008–Katherine Hagsten 
2009–Matthew Chopp 
As a member of the Friends of the Boundary Waters, I thought the organization should sponsor a scholarship. I was willing to put my money where my mouth is and the Friends did the rest.
Friends of the Boundary Waters Wilderness Scholarship – $500 award – to a student who will be new to VCC in the fall of 2009 or continuing at VCC in the fall of 2009 studying environmental or wilderness coursework.
Past Winners:
2008–Nathan Prokovic 
2009–Katherine Hagsten
The third was one that I contributed to as a veteran to one of the veteran scholarships offered. Moises Langhorst died in combat on 5 April 2004, likely in Fallujah, given that date, where some of the fiercest combat occurred; his cousin Dale Brekke died from PTSD. I cannot imagine how the family survived this devastation. I am deeply honored to contribute to this scholarship for 2010.
Dale Andrew Brekke/Moisés Albert Langhorst Memorial Scholarship – two $500 awards – to a student enrolled at VCC who has served in the U.S. military during or since 1998 to the present and/or spouses, parents, or children of those who served in the U.S. military during or since 1998. Preference will be given to those who served in the Middle Eastern theater of operations. Applicants must be in good academic standing. Students who will be new to VCC in the fall of 2009, those continuing at VCC in the fall of 2009, and students graduating from VCC in the spring of 2009 and transferring to another college or university are eligible to apply.
Past Winners:
2008–
Brandi Weigandt
2009–Joe Hiller 
