Scholarship Recipients

AvA Slocum

My name is Ava Slocum and I am honored to be receiving one of this year’s Betty Hansen Scholarships and the Past National Officers Scholarship. I am an incoming sophomore at Columbia University, where I’m majoring in English. I have had an incredible first year and am so grateful to have been able to move to New York City and start college in-person after the last few years of the pandemic. This year, I have been involved as a staff writer and now an editor for our student news blog, and I’ve enjoyed participating in student theater this semester. Next year, I’m looking forward to taking more English classes and becoming more involved in student activities. I’m also hoping to study abroad during my junior year, possibly in England to study literature there. For my last two years of high school and my gap year in between high school and college, I appreciated 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. JoShuA BieBer

Hello, all fellow Danish Sisterhood members. I, Joshua Bieber, am currently going into senior year at the University of Georgia studying special education. At the moment, the plan is to stay an additional year to complete my master's degree with a dyslexia endorsement, which provides reading and writing interventions for students in need using evidence-based practices. Moreover, I hope to move to Copenhagen after that, as it has been a childhood dream. Studying in Denmark has drawn me closer to the language, culture, and family ties back in the Spring of 2022. In Danish class, both of my parents met at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, so both sides have links in their unique ways to Denmark. I am thankful for this scholarship opportunity as it directly impacts college's financial burden on students with/without disabilities. Furthermore, I hope to reinvest in the Danish/American community in the future. meghAn hunt

Hej! My name is Meghan Hunt, the recipient of the Betty Hansen National Scholarship. I am deeply humbled to have received this award amidst many other deserving candidates. Your support is monumental, a welcome encouragement and validation of my future intentions. This fall I begin my third semester of the UNM nursing program and will graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2023. I intend to work locally in our labor and delivery unit after graduation, to gain valuable experience and ease a provider shortage area, before pursuing my final midwifery degree. As a nontraditional student, it is a challenge to balance my academics and family responsibilities. I am doing my best to model discipline, hard work, and the value of our communities to my three young children

meghAn hunt (cont.)

along the way. Recognition with this award allows me to show them what is possible and motivates me to persevere. I come from a Jensen bloodline. My Great Grandmother was Swedish, causing a scandal when she married my Great Grandfather, a wild-spirited Dane. Settling into the Midwest, they embraced a life centered around family and farming. My Great Uncle followed, sailing alone from Denmark as a teenager and embracing the unknown. Many traditions have been lost to us, but our wild sense of adventure, grit, and love of nature persists. Learning Swedish and Danish, with the knowledge shared by the Danish Sisterhood helps preserve and reconnect with my roots. Mange tak / tak så mycket.

Brooke crABtree

My name is Brooke Crabtree and I will be a senior this fall at Temple University. I am majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in Public Policy. Within this field I am very passionate about social justice and the role that policy plays in our society and governing systems. This past semester I had the wonderful opportunity to study abroad in Italy at the Temple University Rome campus. While in Rome, I had an internship with the Human Rights International Corner, a non-profit organization committed to promoting and ensuring human rights throughout all sectors. I wrote the English version of their monthly newsletter and assisted the social media team in research and content creation. This opportunity has made my interest in human rights and politics grow even stronger and someday I hope to work in a position where I can use my skills to help better my community. My mother and I had hoped to travel to Denmark while I was abroad, but due to COVID-19 restrictions we were unable to. My grandfather was born in Denmark and came to the U.S. in his 20s, getting involved in the Danish Brotherhood soon after. I love to express my Danish heritage through cooking and baking and one of my favorite dishes to make is aebleskiver. In the next few years, I hope to experience my Danish culture firsthand by visiting Denmark.

Apply for the Betty Hansen Continuing Education Grant

Due date : August 31 Who: Parttime students or those taking a workshop or class For more information contact Nealna Gylling at Trustee2@danishsisterhood.com or at www.danishsisterhood.org under the pull down menu "What We Do"

In Memoriam

NAME Cert # Lodge # Location Birth Date Birth Place Initiated Died Benefit Jeannine Andersen 21111 173 Penn Yan, NY 2.28.30 Penn Yan, NY 1.24.53 5.4.22 250. Marjorie Mott 1023 149 Fresno, CA 10.2.20 Nebraska 1.1.88 6.3.22 0