Established on 12.23.2020 by Debra C. Ruehlman '76
When I entered Concordia in 1972, I was able to attend because of scholarships, grants and loans. And work. I had quite a few jobs to help support my college education. But it was tough. As a theatre major, I had to schedule around productions, and that was hard… juggling late night rehearsals and work…oh, and academics too!
I sewed dresses for choir and orchestra students (cutting out fabric in the dorm hallway!) …
I worked in the French Department (my other major) …
I did some TV, radio and modeling work when I could…
I babysat for professors…
I was a cocktail waitress…
And what else? I don’t even remember.
But I did it and graduated magna cum laude in four years with two majors and two minors. It can be done! After the loans were paid off, I started “refilling” that scholarship, by making small financial gifts as I could, to Concordia.
My Concordia foundation served me well, as I took my theatre major into the world of television, working at stations in Fargo, ND, and Sacramento, CA, an advertising agency, and finally retiring from Procter & Gamble, where I produced TV commercials and other videos all around the world.
Now, it’s time to share my success with someone else, by establishing a permanent endowed scholarship fund. I would like this scholarship to be used to make life easier for another theatre student, who like me, may be juggling work, academics, and those late-night rehearsal and crew sessions.
I believe in theatre and how it can enrich the lives of all of us, and I am committed to making this possible, one student at a time.