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Submitted photo of the SMSU group accomanpied by Director of Career Services, Melissa Scholten, far left. Dave Werpy is on the far right.
Dave Werpy ’79 Gives Back in Many Ways SMSU alumnus Dave Werpy continues to give back to the University in a number of ways. Werpy, Vice President and General Auditor, Corporate Auditing, for 3M, recently hosted a group of SMSU students at the company’s Customer Innovation Center on its St. Paul campus. The group, accompanied by Career Services Director Melissa Scholten, primarily consisted of Accounting, Business and Finance majors. “We were invited to learn more about 3M and career opportunities with the company,” said Scholten. The group heard from Werpy about his experiences with the company he has been part of since a few days after graduating from Southwest in 1979. His career led to extensive international travel for him and two multi-year assignments in Europe for him and his family, experiences that enriched all of their lives. The students were also able to hear presentations from some of Werpy’s professional peers from PricewaterhouseCoopers, 3M’s external audit firm, and Cargill. Accompanying Werpy as a host was 2015 alumna Rachel (Groff) Schulte, now a 3M corporate auditor herself for a little over a year.
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The special tour was facilitated by SMSU Director of Development Stacy Frost. Prior to the student tour in 2016, Werpy hosted an alumni networking luncheon on the 3M Campus in June 2015. “It was very gracious of Dave to take time out of his busy schedule to show our students around 3M and answer their questions,” said Scholten. “The 3M presentation, and those from Cargill and PricewaterhouseCoopers, were very informative and gave our students a glimpse into the corporate world.” Werpy and his wife, Melissa (Johnson), are Marshall natives. They recently established the Dave and Melissa Werpy Endowed Scholarship through the SMSU Foundation. The scholarship is awarded to a Marshall area resident, preferably first-generation, who has already completed their freshman year at SMSU, maintains a job to support their education, is engaged in the community and who has limited other forms of financial assistance. “SMSU obviously played a vital role in giving me the foundation credentials I needed to join a great company like 3M,” said Werpy. “The endowment that Melissa and I decided to establish is just a simple effort on our part to show our gratitude.”
Collegiate license plates are more than a way to show off your alma mater. It is great a way to build awareness and help raise money for student scholarships. The new SMSU License plates are available from your local Automobile License Bureau. Next time you renew your tabs, renew your identity with SMSU collegiate license plates!