Six Luther students received the Steven Mark Anderson Scholarship 2018

Six Luther College students have each received a $1,000 Steven Mark Anderson Scholarship for the 2018-19 academic year.

Recipients of the scholarship were announced during the Luther College TRIO Celebration Banquet on April 11. Recipients include Italee Castellon, Anneleise Frie, Brooke Johnson, Marissa Kruse, Colten Lowley and Linh Luong.

The Steven Mark Anderson Scholarship benefits Luther students involved in the TRIO Achievement Program. TRIO provides “holistic, individualized support and comprehensive programming that promotes students’ academic success, personal development, and sense of community.” The federally-funded program has been sponsored by Luther for 45 years and serves over 165 students annually.

The Steven Mark Anderson Scholarship was established in 2001 by Lloyd and Kathy Anderson of Ames, Iowa, in memory of their son, Pastor Steven Mark Anderson, who graduated from Luther in 1985.

Italee Castellon is a junior from Chicago. A social work major, she has earned certification in Mental Health First Aid and Question Persuade Refer suicide prevention. She volunteers as a translator at the Decorah community food pantry and works in food service on campus, including as a barista at Nordic Brew. She will graduate from Luther with the class of 2019.

Anneleise Frie is a junior biology major from Fountain City, Wisconsin. A biology lab assistant and a resident assistant on campus, she also serves as vice president of membership for Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity. In addition to being a Certified Nursing Aide, she is certified in mental health first aid, safe zone training and QPR suicide prevention. Frie is active in the Health Science Club, Alternative Medicine Club, Decorah Humane Society and will be an assistant hall director next year. She plans to attend medical school after graduating from Luther in 2019.

Brooke Johnson is a sophomore biology major from Oakdale, Minnesota. Besides serving as a resident assistant in Brandt Hall, she is involved in Grand Pals, Student Activities Council: Concerts, Health Sciences Club, Alternative Medicine Club, Love Your Melon campus crew and lacrosse. She will graduate from Luther in 2020 and intends to become a cardiothoracic surgeon.

Marissa Kruse is a sophomore from Caledonia, Minnesota. Besides being a full-time student at Luther and participating in the TRIO Achievement Program, she helps out on her family’s dairy farm and is an independent distributor with Young Living Essential Oils. An English major and art minor, she will graduate with the Luther class of 2020.

Colten Lowley is a sophomore from Fort Defiance, Arizona. He is one of three peer leaders in the TRIO Achievement Program. In this role, he mentors first-year students and assists with the Foundations for Learning and Development course available to incoming TRIO participants. He is also a Luther College Honor Council representative and a member of the Norse men’s basketball team. After graduating from Luther in 2020, he plans to utilize his degrees in management and accounting by returning to the Southwest to establish his own business on the Navajo Reservation.

Linh Luong is a sophomore from La Crosse, Wisconsin. She is centering her studies around neuroscience and anthropology and works in Luther’s anthropology lab. In an effort to reach her goal of becoming a doctor, she has volunteered in several medical settings, including Mercy Hospital in St. Louis this past January Term. She also spent her last two spring breaks volunteering with Habitat for Humanity through Luther. She will graduate from Luther in 2020.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,050, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.