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The Campaign for Scholarships at Westminster

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Page 1: Your Passion Their Future

The Campaign for Scholarships at Westminster

Page 2: Your Passion Their Future
Page 3: Your Passion Their Future

The Campaign for Scholarships at Westminster

Page 4: Your Passion Their Future

I believe in the liberal arts. I believe

in their innate ability to introduce

us to a myriad of concepts, to help

us weave together ideas, to make us

question our beliefs, and to imagine our

place in the universe. And despite all

the economic challenges facing colleges

and universities today, I believe that the

liberal arts are worth fighting for.

As an alumna, adjunct professor,

and current Westminster trustee,

I’ve witnessed what can be

accomplished with passion, good

ideas, and talented people. I see the

difference an education makes —the

metamorphosis that takes place in

four short years. I shudder to think

what would happen to our society if

our youth did not have access to this

transformative kind of education.

Several years ago, my husband, Mike,

and I decided to establish a scholarship

for Westminster students to honor

the man who exemplified all that is

best about the liberal arts experience:

Coach Tom Steinke. Coach Steinke was

a tremendous influence in our lives.

He pushed us hard, expected a lot, but

gave a lot of himself in return.

Through our scholarship, we hope to

give students what was instilled in

us during our time at Westminster:

confidence and competence. I hope

you read the following stories about

those who have been impacted by or

compelled to give scholarships and

think about ways in which you can

make a difference. By investing in

scholarships, you can turn your passion

into a bright future for a student.

“I believe in the liberal arts.”

Page 5: Your Passion Their Future

Martha Felt Barton (’80), Westminster TrusteeFounder of the Thomas E. Steinke Student Athlete Scholarship

Page 6: Your Passion Their Future

K

aren was very bright. She had

a nice sense of humor, and

she loved the outdoors,” said

Dharmendra “Baba” Verma, remembering

what he admired most about his wife.

The couple came from worlds apart, but

found love in the place they’d always

carry in their hearts: Salt Lake City.

Karen Sinclair Verma was born and

raised in Utah. Attending college was a

priority, but she didn’t want to choose

between a small, intimate college or

a large university…so she did both!

After two years studying English at

Westminster, Karen transferred to the

University of Utah where she met a soft-

spoken MBA student from India.

“We belonged to the same international

organization at the University,” Baba said.

“We hit it off immediately, and decided

this was for real. We married in 1961.”

Baba secured a teaching job in San

Diego where Karen finished her degree

in sociology. He obtained his PhD

in marketing and taught at Bentley

College in Massachusetts. Karen taught

children with special needs, worked

as a freelance writer, and volunteered

with humanitarian and environmental

organizations.

Life for the Vermas changed in 2002

when Karen was diagnosed with cancer.

Baba left his teaching position to support

his wife as she fought for her life. Sadly,

she passed away in 2006, but Baba was

determined to keep her legacy alive.

Baba recalls a particular trip to visit

Karen’s family during which she took

him to Westminster. They walked

around campus, and Karen shared

stories of her time as a student. She

loved the beauty, the personal attention

from professors, and the academic

foundation that prepared her for later

studies. She told Baba that day that

she wanted to make a Westminster

experience possible for others.

So in 2007, Baba fulfilled Karen’s

wish by creating the Karen Sinclair

Verma Memorial Scholarship, which

is given to students interested in

environmental studies.

“Karen would be thrilled to know I created

a scholarship to help students,” Baba said.

“She loved the environment, and now this

scholarship is providing opportunities for

people to do the things she loved.”

“I did it for my wife.”

Page 7: Your Passion Their Future

Dharmendra VermaFounder of the Karen Sinclair Verma Memorial Scholarship

Page 8: Your Passion Their Future

H

annah Losser’s path to

Westminster started with an

injury. After high school, the

promising dancer enrolled at a California

university with the hope of learning

the business side of dance. She quickly

learned, however, that the dog-eat-dog

world she entered was not her style at all.

Not quite ready to leave her life of

dance behind, Hannah attended

the modern dance program at the

University of Utah. An ankle injury, and

subsequent surgery, ended her career.

But Hannah describes this challenging

time as a “blessing in disguise.”

During her physical therapy, Hannah

developed a fascination with the body’s

ability to heal itself. “I decided to transfer

to Westminster to study science.”

Now a senior in biology, Hannah hasn’t

looked back. “I have absolutely loved

it at Westminster. In my classes, my

professors connect their lessons to the

outside world and their experiences.

They’re human. I feel like I’m going to go

somewhere in the real world.”

Hannah asserts that her experience at

Westminster would not be a reality if she

hadn’t received scholarship support. She

is the recipient of the Laura S. and Chester

W. Nortz Endowed Scholarship for her

commitment to community service.

“I was honored to earn this scholarship.

It has helped me take ownership of my

education.” And with less pressure to

finance her own education, Hannah is able

to spend more time focusing on her true

passion: volunteering. She has donated

countless hours to serving organizations

at home and abroad, including Youthlinc

and the International Rescue Committee.

She also wakes up before dawn twice

a week to coach a middle school dance

team, an experience that has changed

her life. “I don’t get paid for it, but it’s

been so rewarding,” she said. “Seeing shy

kids open up through dance and build

friendships has been amazing to watch.

I’m so lucky to still be able to share my

passion for dance.”

Many of the opportunities she’s enjoyed

have been made possible by others.

“I had the privilege of meeting my

scholarship donor,” she said. “She’s been

active on community boards, she’s an

educator, and a role model. She’s inspired

me to follow in her footsteps. Having a

scholarship will make it easier for me to

accomplish that, and I am thankful.”

“I want to help others.”

Page 9: Your Passion Their Future

Hannah Losser, SeniorRecipient of the Laura S. and Chester W. Nortz Endowed Scholarship

Page 10: Your Passion Their Future

Moving to Utah could cause

culture shock for anyone,

especially a 14-year-old

student from Los Angeles.

“When my family moved to Utah, I had

major culture shock,” said Westminster

junior Maricarmen Rendon. “It was

different here, but now I can’t imagine

living anywhere else.”

Maricarmen was a top student at Hunter

High School. She took all the advanced

placement classes, and, by senior year,

she had accrued enough credits to enter

college as a sophomore.

“I wanted to jump into college,” she said.

“I felt prepared and knew I wanted to

study law.”

The only barrier standing between

Maricarmen and her academic dreams

was the cost. In 2009, Maricarmen’s

father underwent open heart surgery

and was forced to quit working. Racked

with medical bills, her family moved in

with Maricarmen’s sister and did not

have anything extra to contribute to

Maricarmen’s tuition.

A loan from a family friend allowed

Maricarmen to enroll at Westminster,

but that was a temporary solution.

When she was awarded the Marriner

S. Eccles Foundation Scholarship, her

fortune changed.

“Without this scholarship, I wouldn’t

be here,” she said. “My family is still

going through economic hardships. I’ve

always tried to do my very best in school.

Receiving this scholarship means my hard

work paid off, and it’s nice to know that

someone is paying attention.”

Maricarmen enjoys the small classroom

dynamic for which Westminster is known.

“I love that my professors from my first

year still remember my name,” she said.

“They expect everyone to participate

in discussions. In the outside world,

sometimes you talk with people whose

arguments aren’t very logical. In my

classes, you have to be prepared and

know what you’re talking about. This will

serve me well as I move forward with my

career.”

Maricarmen believes that everyone has

the power to change the life of a student.

“There are students who need and

deserve aid,” she said. “Every little bit you

can give really helps.”

“I want to achieve my dreams.”

Page 11: Your Passion Their Future

Maricarmen Rendon, Junior Recipient of the Marriner S. Eccles Foundation Scholarship

Page 12: Your Passion Their Future

Time goes by whether you do

anything or not,” are the words

Deanna Forbush lives by.

Deanna, a partner with respected

Philadelphia-based law firm Fox

Rothschild, traveled a hard road to get

where she is today. A descendent of one

of Salt Lake City’s founding families,

Deanna grew up with a pioneering

spirit, but lacked direction and was not

encouraged to excel in school.

Deanna dropped out of high school, got

married, and within a year, had a child.

The marriage ended quickly, and Deanna

faced a tough reality: she was a single

mom with no high school diploma, and

she needed a job.

She found work as a file clerk and loan

officer at a Salt Lake City credit union.

But she wanted more for herself and

especially her daughter, Brenda. She

moved on to be collections manager for a

local music company, learning on the job

the small claims court system, and she

developed a passion for law.

Deanna then met a young lawyer, Joe

Huggins, who encouraged her to pursue

a paralegal certificate. She jumped into

the paralegal program at Westminster

and earned her certificate in 1982. “I

excelled in paralegal school,” she said. “It

was the first scholastic experience I ever

had. I thought that would be the end of

it; I really achieved something.”

By this time, Joe Huggins had his own

practice with Deanna working as his

paralegal. “He said to me, ‘Deanna, it’s

a sin that you do all the work, but can’t

go to court. Do you think you’ll ever go

to law school?’”

The thought of Huggins’ idea seemed

impossible. Deanna needed a bachelor’s

degree to attend law school, but she

didn’t have a high school diploma! She

contacted a counselor at Westminster

who arranged for her to take the GED.

Deanna scored very well and was

admitted into the college’s English

program. She graduated in 1987, and four

years later, she earned her law degree

from the University of Utah.

Deanna is adamant she could not have

succeeded without scholarship support.

“Having the desire to do something is one

thing, but if you can’t afford it, you won’t

be able to achieve your goals,” she said.

As an expression of thanks, Deanna

established the Deanna Forbush

Endowed Scholarship in 2007 to support

single mothers, especially those who

want to pursue graduate school.

“You can find a way when you have to,”

says Deanna, speaking from experience.

“I want to reward the women who find

their own way. Achievement should be

rewarded.”

“I want to help the woman I once was.”

Page 13: Your Passion Their Future

Deanna Forbush (’87)Founder of the Deanna Forbush Endowed Scholarship

Page 14: Your Passion Their Future

Owning a car in college was

serendipitous for Mike

Hogben. After serving

in the Army in Korea, Mike started

Westminster in the fall of 1960 and

settled into life on campus—making

new friends, including Peg Hall.

Most students were residents on campus

and hung out at Sugar House hotspots

like Bunny’s, Zooms, and the Sugar Bowl.

By senior year, both Peg and Mike’s

significant others had graduated, leaving

them to finish their final year alone.

Peg didn’t have a car and would often

ask Mike to drive her places around

Sugar House. By Thanksgiving, Peg

remembers thinking, “Uh oh. I think

I’m falling for this guy.” By Christmas,

Mike and Peg were engaged. By spring

break they were married.

Life after Westminster took the

Hogbens all over the country. Mike

earned a doctorate in education

psychology at the University of

Utah, and later a master’s degree

in geography from the University

of Kansas. Peg worked in several

administrative roles, and she and Mike

welcomed a son, David, in 1970.

Wherever life took the Hogbens, their

hearts remained at Westminster. “The

college years were formative, and we

made many friendships,” said Peg. “Our

experience at Westminster was so

positive. Westminster was our life.”

Peg and Mike have been faithful

supporters of Westminster since

graduating in 1964. However, nearly 50

years later, they decided the best way

they could honor their experience was

to establish a scholarship. “Giving back

to Westminster gives me a warm fuzzy

feeling,” Peg said. “Instead of blowing it

on a bucket list, we realize it’s our turn

to start giving back. It gives us a lot of

pleasure to know we’ll make a difference

in the lives of so many Westminster

students.”

“We want to make a difference.”

Page 15: Your Passion Their Future

Mike and Peg Hogben (’64)Members of the Converse Society

Page 16: Your Passion Their Future

For Pete Meldrum, hiring a

dynamic workforce isn’t just good

business, it’s essential. Pete, who

is president and CEO of Myriad Genetics,

a Salt Lake City-based biotechnology firm,

searches for scientists who are creative

thinkers and team-focused problem

solvers. And he often finds that the

most promising scientists come from

Westminster College.

“Westminster graduates are better

prepared than many graduates from

other universities across the nation,” Pete

said. “They have a broad background, are

critical thinkers, and aren’t naïve to what’s

happening in the rest of the world.”

Pete attributes these characteristics

to the interdisciplinary, liberal

arts curriculum at the core of the

Westminster experience. In fact, it’s the

caliber of students graduating from

Westminster that prompted Myriad

Genetics to create seven scholarships

for Westminster science students.

“We want to see more students

graduate in science, not just for the

benefit of Myriad or Utah, but for our

nation,” Pete said.

Coincidentally, on the same day Pete

signed the scholarship agreement with

Westminster, Myriad hired four young

scientists, three of whom graduated

from Westminster. “Perhaps it’s fate,

but it really comes down to the fact

that Westminster graduates are really

good. We tend to favor them.”

Pete admits that investing in education

is self-serving from a business

standpoint. “All corporations have the

obligation to give back and be good

corporate citizens,” he said. “If you want

the best, take an active role and invest in

the students living in your community.”

“I want to invest in the future.”

Page 17: Your Passion Their Future

Peter Meldrum, Westminster Trustee and CEO of Myriad GeneticsFounder of the Myriad Genetics Science Scholarships

Page 18: Your Passion Their Future

Growing up in American

Samoa, Tofi Ta’afua knew

that to achieve her academic

goals, she’d need to leave her cozy island

home. She’d also need a scholarship.

Tofi’s parents, although supportive,

worried their daughter could get lost

in a place like the United States. “I had

never been off the island, so you can

understand how my parents worried

about my safety. They heard that Utah

had a reputation for being safe, and

luckily, I found Westminster.”

Tofi fondly remembers her first moments

on campus. “Thankfully, campus was a

total contrast to the Salt Lake Airport!”

she joked. “I was impressed because

President Peggy Stock personally

welcomed me and gave me a tour.

Everyone on campus was friendly; I

immediately felt at home.”

Life at Westminster proved

transformative for Tofi. She developed

warm relationships with many on

campus, and was mentored closely

by President Stock, who saw in Tofi

a natural born leader.

“On what other campus can you receive

such close attention, even from the

president?” Tofi asked. “I learned about

leadership from Dr. Stock. She taught

me the importance of presentation,

eloquence, and believing in what you’re

saying.”

Perhaps the main lesson Tofi took from

her Westminster experience was the

value in building consensus, which is an

important part of her everyday role as a

vice president at Goldman Sachs Bank.

“Throughout my experience in student

government and other activities on

campus, I learned how important it is

to get buy-in, openly communicate, and

build rapport,” she said. “I used to think

that I could just take over something and

fix it, but as President Stock used to say,

‘It’s lonely at the top, Tofi.’”

The kind of leadership Tofi learned at

Westminster and uses in her career

would not have been possible had she

not received scholarship support.

“Without my scholarship, I would not

have been able to attend Westminster,”

she said. “In fact, most of my peers

wouldn’t have been able to. Bricks and

mortar are important, but if students

can’t afford to come then the heart of the

campus is gone.”

“I want to lead.”

Page 19: Your Passion Their Future

Tofi Ta’afua (’01, MBA ’03)Recipient of the Jack and Nancy Behnken Endowed Scholarship

Page 20: Your Passion Their Future

Michael Denson was the

“stereotypical jock” in

high school, applying

himself more in the weight room

than in the classroom. The All-State

right guard didn’t want to let go of

his football career after graduation, so

he stayed on at his school and helped

coach the Bountiful High Braves to

victory in the Utah 2002 4A State

Championship.

But after a transformative experience

in Australia during his LDS mission,

Mike realized that the world was

much bigger than football. In 2005, he

married and moved to Salt Lake City

where he enrolled at LDS Business

College. Poor grades landed him on

academic probation. When he learned

he was going to be a father, he got

serious about his education.

“I grew up when I learned I was going

to have to provide for a baby,” he

said. “Before, I wasn’t hungry enough

for success. I’ve changed because of

my family.”

After earning his associate’s degree,

he considered transferring to either

the University of Utah or Westminster.

He quips that the university offered

him the quintessential undergraduate

experience, but in his words, “That

didn’t appeal to me. I’ve got a family.

I’m not looking for the wild life!”

Mike was accepted at Westminster

and, for the first time in his life, he’s

excelling academically. “I got my first

4.0 ever during my first semester at

Westminster,” he said.

The college awarded Mike the R.

Harold Burton Foundation Scholarship,

one of the most prestigious

scholarships offered at Westminster.

Mike accepted this scholarship with

a humility he lacked earlier in his

education.

“I owe it to my wife, who has put me

through school, to do well,” he said. “I owe

it to my scholarship. I owe it to my kids.”

Having a scholarship will change the

future for Mike and his family. “An

“I got a second chance.”

investment in my education is an

investment in the community. My chance

to be successful is so much greater.”

And to those considering where

to invest their money, Mike says,

“Education is the best resource you can

give. Education distinguishes us.”

Page 21: Your Passion Their Future

Michael Denson, SeniorRecipient of the R. Harold Burton Scholarship in Business

Page 22: Your Passion Their Future

Ways to create your scholarship at WestminsterAnnual scholarship

Scholarships can be created to support every kind of

student, including those interested in a particular field of

study, future profession, community service, or athletics.

You can name an annual scholarship for as little as $1,000

per year, payable over four years.

Endowed scholarship

Whether you want to honor a loved one or a favorite

professor, we will work with you to create a scholarship

that will help deserving Westminster students in

perpetuity. Your gift of $25,000, payable over five years,

will forever provide scholarships for Westminster students.

Giving through your will

The Converse Society, Westminster’s planned giving

society, honors those who have committed a gift to

the college through their will or trust. You can create a

scholarship through your estate, making Westminster a

stronger institution and preserving the college’s culture of

caring for future generations.

Corporate giving

Creating a scholarship for Westminster students makes

good business sense. Investing in scholarships strengthens

your relationship with emerging talent, providing you with

top interns and future employees.

To speak with someone about how you can make a

difference in the life of a Westminster student by creating

a scholarship, please contact the Office of Advancement

at 801.832.2730 or toll-free at 866.832.2730. You can also

give online at www.westminstercollege.edu/giving.

Page 23: Your Passion Their Future

The Campaign for Scholarships at Westminster

Page 24: Your Passion Their Future

We will be nationally recognized as an exemplary community of learners, distinguished by our

distinctive educational programs, our record of preparing graduates for success in a rapidly changing world, and our commitment to

continuous improvement, effectiveness, and value.

Westminster College | 1840 South 1300 East | Salt Lake City, Utah 84105801.484.7651 | Toll Free in US 800.748.4753