Established on 10.24.2013 by Jerome Ostenson '62
When I was finishing my freshman year at Concordia, I didn’t know if I would be able to afford to continue or not. One day, the Dean of Men, Vic Boe, stopped by and told me that I would be awarded a $100.00 scholarship for my next year. He also was instrumental in setting me up for a two-hour-a-day dish-washing job at a small restaurant east of campus when I returned as a sophomore. The pay was one meal for each hour worked! It doesn’t seem like a big deal now, but at the time, it was just enough for me to return for one more year. At the end of the year, I again realized that I wouldn’t be able to return due to the lack of funds. I spent the next two years serving on active duty in the Army, an obligation that I incurred when I joined the Army Reserve as a junior in high school. When I finished my tour of duty, I returned to Concordia and graduated two years later. I found that when you have to take a break in your education, it becomes increasingly difficult to return to being an effective student.