The Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund is pleased to announce the recipient of our 2022 scholarship. This scholarship fund was established to recognize and assist students who have lost a parent to substance abuse. This applicant’s story stood out among the rest and we are proud to award $1,000 to assist in her academic journey.
2022 Scholarship Recipient
Katharine Wells, University of Wisconsin – Madison
Get to Know Katharine Wells
We’d like to formally introduce our 2022 Scholarship Recipient, Katharine Wells. The Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund was established to assist and recognize students who have lost a parent to substance abuse. We are proud to award a $1,000 scholarship to assist Katharine this year.
Q: Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Katharine Wells and I am from Apple Valley, Minnesota. I graduated from the Academy of Holy Angels in spring of 2022, and I will be attending UW Madison in Madison, Wisconsin, this fall. At UW Madison, I will be studying civil engineering, and I hope to become active in this new community by joining clubs, service groups, and finding a job. In my spare time, I enjoy playing volleyball, figure skating, spending time with my friends, and participating in choir at my church. I had played club volleyball for 4 years and I have been playing at my school since 4th grade. In figure skating, I am a USFSA Triple Gold Medalist in Moves in the field, Freestyle, and Solo Free Dance. At school, I have also participated in student government, knowledge bowl, math club, and Spanish club. I live with my mom, my dog, and my 2 cats.
Q: Imagine yourself 10 years from now. What goals and ambitions do you have for yourself, personally, academically, and professionally?
10 years from now, I hope to be working at a civil engineering firm in either the Midwest or Southeast region of the United States. I hope to be working on large scale construction and inspection projects to further ensure the safety of our cities’ infrastructure. Furthermore, I also hope that my job will provide me with opportunities to work towards a more sustainable way of living in the United States. Academically, I hope to have earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees, and possibly pursue further higher education as well. Personally, I hope to start a family as soon as I can and I hope to live either close to Minnesota or move somewhere warmer.
Q: Aside from a college degree, what do you hope to gain from your college experience?
In college, I hope to not only earn my degree but also to build a strong social circle with connections that will be able to last the rest of my life. I think that in college, it will be very important to find people who I can trust and lean on in times of hardship, as well as people who I can be there for when they are in a tough spot. I hope to grow many professional connections as well, whether with my peers, teachers, or future employers.
Q: What motivates you to continue working towards accomplishing your goals?
I find that most of my motivation to pursue my goals comes from an internal sense of discipline. Throughout my life, I have felt that if I can make a plan and stick to it, then I will be able to achieve my goals. Not only that, but making plans for my goals allows me to acknowledge my own progress by recognizing important milestones along the way to my ultimate goal. I also think that I am able to stay driven because of my positive outlook on the future. I think of myself as a very optimistic person, and I believe that this attitude allows me to supersede difficult situations and continue pursuing my goals.
Q: What advice would you give to other students who have been through circumstances similar to yours?
Some advice that I would give to someone in a similar situation to mine is that it is very important to surround yourself with loved ones. Even if you might not want to tell people what has happened in your home life, it is important to have people who will be there if you ever decide you want to, or even if you just need someone to lean on.
The Lisa Michelle Memorial Fund 