Scholarship Recipients

AvA Slocum

My name is Ava Slocum and I am honored to be receiving one of this year’s Betty Hansen Scholarships. This fall, I’m excited to move to New York and start my first year at Columbia University, where I’ll be majoring in English. I graduated from high school here in Southern California last spring, but ended up taking a gap year in between high school and college due to COVID-19. Over the last few months, I’ve been interning for a college counseling company and tutoring current high schoolers while also using some of the time to get back into creative writing. I’ve appreciated having the chance to spend some more time with my family before leaving for college after such an unusual year. I have been involved with school and community theater throughout high school and I’m hoping to continue to act in college. I’m also planning to work on some community service projects while I’m there. I would love to study abroad for my junior year of college, possibly in England to study literature there. For the last two years of high school, I have enjoyed being a part of Princess Marie Lodge #68 in Los Angeles, along with my mom Elizabeth Ferry Slocum and aunt Alexandra Berrie. Learning about my family’s background and our Danish history has been a huge blessing. I’m so thankful to the Danish Sisterhood for supporting me as I’ve worked to achieve my academic goals, and I truly appreciate the gift of this scholarship.

mArilene mArtin

Marilene Martin is my name, passed down 2 generations; originating from my Danish great grandmothers - Marie and Lene. I’m the 1st generation in my family to be born American, but grew up hearing and speaking Danish at home. I’ve been lucky enough to spend time in Dk, where I learned and observed how greatly Denmark’s people care for one another. Care, a basic requirement for human nature and development, yet a rare thing between human beings. This stuck with me to this day, in the following way: I’m dedicated to health and wellbeing; two things that cannot exist without care. The best way to act as a representative for these principles are through preventative self-care and daily measure. I’m currently studying radiation sciences, which will translate to medical imaging in the treatment and diagnosis of patients. This is how this Dane says she cares. Through the dedication of my life to care, I see to the betterment of tomorrow; through the improvement of lives every day, care isn’t limited to those directly giving or receiving. It’s passed through a web of people, and in turn it’s passed onto myself. I am class of 2023. In closing, I’m a single mother to 3 children, ages 7, 6, and 3. I’m involved in boy scouts; leading badge earning activities. Proud member of DSS and of the American Society of Radiologic Technologists. In my free time, I enjoy the small moments of silence and rest, playing music, and the arts.

JAcob rASmuSSen

My name is Jacob Thorlund Rasmussen and I would like to thank The Danish Sisterhood of America for the Betty Hansen National Scholarship. I am sincerely grateful for this scholarship since this is the second time that I have been awarded financial support from the Sisterhood to attend a Big 10 University following my dream career in Animal Science. My Danish heritage comes from both sides of my family. My parents and grandparents have been involved in Danish Sisterhood and Danish Brotherhood throughout the years and our community hosts a huge Danish Festival every August. We just celebrated my grandfather’s 91st birthday – he was born one year after my great-grandparents immigrated to the United States from the island of Bornholm in Denmark. He has introduced me to many family traditions where we continue to celebrate our Danish heritage. For the 2021-22 school year, I will be a Junior attending Michigan State University in pursuit of a four-year Animal Science degree. My emphasis will be in large animals. Go Green! After a year of covid and on-line learning, I am looking

JAcob rASmuSSen (cont.)

forward to being a student on campus attending classes in-person. The thing that I enjoy most about attending MSU is being able to physically go out to the animal barns and get real hands-on learning for my Animal Science classes. I am on the MSU track team participating in the decathlon, a series of multiple track events where you earn points for completing each event competitively. In addition to my studies, we spend around four hours a day working out and at track practice. I am proud to have received academic honors for my past year while being a scholar athlete. My goal is to graduate after four years of education with a bachelor’s degree. My career plan is to work as a farm manager or as a manager at an agronomic business. Thank you very much for supporting me financially to achieve that goal.

JAmie FontAine

I am Jamie Fontaine, a current university student at a Christian institution in Oregon. Academically, I study both computer science and cognitive science. The mind has always been fascinating to me, for both people and machine. This is why I have such a unique academic mix which I hope to use to improve the future of the people of the world. Most of my free time is spent working with my communities. Namely, I help lead an LGBTQ+ group at my school and I work closely with a local Christian LGBTQ+ nonprofit. I am also going to be serving with an AmeriCorps sponsored group in Iowa before return to school in the coming months. When I do return to my education, I will be studying in Europe for a few months where I’ll be given the opportunity to see western European cultures like the UK and of course Denmark. My life goal is to be able to help build a better future for everyone using my understanding of people, diverse cultures, and technology.

luke mortenSen

My name is Luke Mortensen and I will be a sophomore this fall at Western Michigan University. I am double majoring in Jazz Studies and Computer Science. Both playing my saxophone and playing around with computers are passions of mine. I have been playing the saxophone since I was in fifth grade and have always enjoyed doing so. I started getting into jazz when I joined my high schools jazz band in 10th grade. From then on, I knew jazz was what I wanted to do with my life. On the computers side, I built my own computer back in 8th grade. One reason why I love to used computers and program is because I love problem solving. I love to take things apart and figure out why they work or why they don’t work. Someday I hope to combine these passions together in some way that is both fun and unique. colin Phoebe

My name is Colin Phoebe. I am attending the University of Arizona, and will start my Junior year in the Fall. Currently my major is in biology, but I plan on earning a bachelor’s degree in bioinformatics, after which I can see myself working toward a master’s in biostatistics. I chose bioinformatics based on my passion for biology and mathematics. I am also pursuing a minor in Spanish. I have always enjoyed learning the language and culture of Spanish-speaking countries. I hope to take some time in my college years to study abroad in a Spanish-speaking country like Spain, or perhaps somewhere in Central America, to more thoroughly immerse myself in the Spanish language. Besides studying abroad, some other things I would like to experience in college are research positions, internships, and clubs. These are opportunities I believe any college student should at least consider. I think that any chance to further enrich one’s college experience, both academically and socially, should be taken.

eliSe covell

Hi, my name is Elise Covell and I am so grateful to receive this scholarship from the Danish Sisterhood! I grew up in North Olmsted, Ohio with my parents and my older brother. I graduated from Bowling Green State University in 2019 with my Bachelor of Science in Biology and minor in Chemistry. Now I live in Cleveland and am beginning medical school at Ohio University Heritage College of Medicine - Cleveland Campus this fall. In my free time I enjoy running, playing piano, traveling, reading and spending time with friends and family. I love my Danish heritage and enjoy participating in traditions with my family here like the Danish Sisterhood Christmas party! We have also been able to travel to Denmark to visit family and explore the beautiful country. My favorite Danish food is my Mormor’s frikadeller. I am excited to continue my education in medical school and plan to pursue primary care. Thank you for your generosity in this scholarship!

hAnnAh mASter

My name is Hannah Master, I have been awarded the Olga Christensen Scholarship and couldn’t be more grateful. I am a senior at Clovis North High School, graduating this coming June. My Aunt, Martha Smith, introduced me to the Danish Sisterhood as a member of lodge #24 to express our amazing culture. I have been a part of the Danish Sisterhood for 5 years now, attending picnics and zoom meetings.I had a great passion for volleyball and have been playing competitively for the past eight years but unfortunately won’t be continuing in college. I will be attending Fresno City College to study nursing and pursue my dream of being a neonatal nurse.Thank you for the opportunity to pursue my goals in the near to come future.

Tivoli-One Man's Vision (cont. from July 2021 issue)

by Annette Lind

Right from the beginning there was a charge to enter Tivoli. Originally the ticket cost was one “mark.” (From 1660 to 1800 the Danish unit currency was 1 rigsdaler or speciedaler = 6 marks = 96 skillings.) In 1845 a season pass became available. Three passes were offered, one for a single gentleman, one for a gentleman and a lady and one for a gentleman and two ladies. Today a season pass—these three designations have disappeared— can cost between 350DK and1300DK ($50.00 to $200.00) depending on the level you select. There are options for gardens only, gardens and rides and all inclusive. Information is available on line. Tivoli draws around 4.5 to 5 million people a year and is the most visited theme park in Scandinavia. As indicated above, Carstensen’s park was far more than just amusements and gardens Music has always been a big part of Tivoli. Danish composer Hans Christian Lumbye was the musical director and in-house composer of Tivoli from 1843 - 1872. He is known as “the Strauss of the North” because his music was inspired by the Viennese waltzes, especially those by the Strauss family. Some of his compositions were written specifically for Tivoli, including “Salute to the Ticket Holders of Tivoli” and “A Festive Night at Tivoli.” It was in 1839 when Lumbye heard a Viennese orchestra play music by Johann Strauss and after that he began to compose almost exclusively in the style of Strauss. Eventually he was so popular in Denmark that Danes referred to Strauss as the “Lumbye of the South.” Georg Carstensen remained the director