4 MSUM Students Awarded by Penny Program
The Penny Program award winners have been chosen for the spring of 2016, and four MSUM students were selected.
Timothy J. Penny Federal Public Service Fellowship:
Courtney O’Reilly, a student at Minnesota State University Moorhead, has been chosen as the Spring Penny Fellow. Courtney is studying political science with a public relations minor. Among numerous campus and community involvement opportunities, Courtney will be the Vice President of Student Senate next year. Courtney will receive $7,500 for financial support while she interns for Senator Franken’s office in Washington, D.C., this summer.
Barbara J. Penny Community Service Scholarship Awardees. The following students were chosen based on their impressive leadership and community service work. The students from MSUM receiving the $2,000 award are:
Saad Janjua, a communication and international studies student at Minnesota State University Moorhead, is highly involved with leadership and volunteering on and off campus. On campus, Saad is a Resident Assistant, Dragon Ambassador, Manager Call Center, Treasurer for the International Student Organization, and Public Relations Officer for the Pakistan Student Organization. In the future, Saad intends to be an International Admissions Recruiter.
Gopika Kalugampitiya, an early childhood education student at Minnesota State University Moorhead, is an international student who came to the United States two and a half years ago and believes teachers can change the world. Gopika was a teacher for almost ten years in Sri Lanka. Teaching in a developing country taught Gopika that dedicating hours to help and educate children is a true passion.
Mary Gangl, a communications studies/leadership and public relations student at Minnesota State University Moorhead, is committed to volunteering and impacting the community. She has volunteered as a chair of the Kitchen Committee for St. Mary’s Cathedral Annual Bazaar for the last three years, as well as take on the roles of President of the Parent Teachers’ Association (PTA) at her son’s school, Vice President of the Fargo City PTA, and Membership Chair of the NDPTA.
Congratulations to the Spring 2016 Penny Award winners! The next deadline for the scholarship is November 1, 2016 and more information can be found by clicking here.
Since the Penny Program began in 1987, over $250,000 has been awarded to more than 250 deserving students. These scholarships and fellowships allow students to have life-changing experiences in local, state, and federal levels.