For the City Times

STEVENS POINT – St. Michael’s Foundation is awarding three annual scholarships of $1,000 each for the 2020-21 academic year.

DeBot

The Ascension St. Michael’s Hospital Medical Staff Scholarship was awarded to Meghan DeBot.  DeBot is a 2020 Stevens Point Area Senior High (SPASH) graduate.

Already working as a Certified Nursing Assistant for the Portage County Health Care Center, Meghan looks to her overall goal of becoming a pediatrician.

“I understand that my aspiration will take a tremendous amount of determination and hard-work, but the long journey doesn’t make me afraid of pursuing my goals as I take the first step working toward my major in biology or pre-medicine studies,” DeBot said.

She will attend University of Madison in the fall of 2020.

“The Ascension St. Michael’s Hospital medical staff created their scholarship in 2009, as they recognize the extensive costs and needs that coincide with earning a medical degree.  The scholarship hopes to encourage our future medical professionals,” an Ascension release explained.

Tippel

The Richard Eckberg Memorial Scholarship has been awarded to Tim Tippel.  Tippel is a 2020 Pacelli High School graduate.  He will attend University of La Crosse in the fall of 2020.

“Following the goals I have set for myself academically will set me up to achieve my ultimate career goal, to become an athletic trainer,” Tippel said.

The Richard Eckberg Memorial Scholarship is named after the long-time surgeon at Ministry St. Michael’s Hospital, who served from 1963 until retirement in 1985.  After Dr. Eckberg’s passing in 1997, his family created the scholarship in honor of his work as an esteemed physician and mentor.

The Janice and Robert Weaver Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Andrew Wilke.  Wilke is a clinical exercise physiologist with the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program at Ascension Wisconsin.

Wilke

Starting as an intern, while he completed his undergraduate program in Kinesiology at the University of Eau Claire, Andrew continued to work at Ascension for three years before beginning the University of La Crosse Doctorate of Physical Therapy Program.

“My experience taught me the importance of establishing strong patient rapport and the correlation to positive outcomes.  I am drawn to the field of physician therapy because of this same important concept – improving people’s lives by achieving positive patient interactions that involve dealing with the entire person,” he stated.

The Janice and Robert Weaver Memorial Scholarship was established to honor UW-Stevens Point Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, Dr. Robert Weaver.  Eligibility for this scholarship is specifically for associates of Ascension St. Michael’s Hospital and Ascension Medical Group.