MN TRiO Scholarships

Ronald McKinley Scholarship

Bruce Vento Scholarship

Paul and Sheila Wellstone Scholarship

Hazel DeHut, Ronald McKinley Scholarship Recipient

Hazel DeHut from the Student Support Services program at Rochester Community and Technical College (RCTC) is the winner of the Minnesota TRiO Ron McKinley Scholarship for $800. Hazel says, "TRiO has provided me with the tools and confidence necessary for success in college." Hazel is pursuing one of the most challenging programs at RCTC, pre-medicine. While in this rigorous program, she also has time to get involved in her school and community. She is the vice-president of Phi Theta Kappa and is a chemistry tutor in the Student Support Center. She is also a peer helper for the RCTC First Year experience program.
She is a member of the Future Doctors program and volunteers at the Adam Abdulle Academy, a charter school for Somalian children. Hazel says, "The TRiO Student Support Services program at RCTC has provided me with a foundation to understand and attain my goals, and I can rely on the TRiO program because of the unrelenting support that I receive in all of my endeavors."

Monzong Cha, Bruce Vento Memorial Scholarship Recipient

		The winner of the $800 Minnesota TRiO Bruce Vento Memorial Scholarship is Monzong Cha from the TRiO Upward Bound Vision Quest program at University of Minnesota, Duluth. Monzong’s parents fled the Vietcong during the Vietnam War and came to America with hopes to improve their own lives and to give their children opportunities that they did not have. “From the moment I joined the TRiO Upward Bound Vision Quest program during my sophomore year, they have equipped me with techniques to succeed in school.”
She has learned a lot from her TRiO program, including goal setting, cultural awareness and making social connections. Inspired by the adversities she's faced in her life, Monzong will work towards a degree in the medical field; specifically she would like to be a Medical Practitioner and intends to volunteer with Doctors Without Borders so that she can help her Hmong people who are still in the jungles of Laos. Monzong has already been accepted to St. Olaf College and will start there in the Fall of 2009.

Nancy Lee, Paul and Sheila Wellstone Memorial Scholarship Recipient

The winner of the $800 Paul and Sheila Wellstone Memorial Scholarship is another outstanding TRiO student, Nancy Lee from the TRiO Upward Bound program at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Nancy overcame many obstacles to get where she is, including learning English. She says, "My experiences in Upward Bound has taught me more about myself and has inspired me to set new goals, take risks and try new things, and come out of my shell. I am an example of how TRiO programs like Upward Bound can positively affect students’ lives. They always encourage each of us to challenge ourselves to reach for more than we think is possible.” Nancy is not sure of her major yet, but she has been accepted to Carleton College, The University of St. Thomas, and the University of Minnesota.