Every year, WSU’s Mathematics & Statistics Department awards several Foundation scholarships to students who major in Data Science, Math Education, Mathematics, and Statistics.
Check out the opportunities that await you to fund your education at WSU and even learn a few quick facts about your fellow Warriors who are just like you.
Ormsin Sornmoonpin Gardiner Math & Stats Scholarship
Corissa Fuhrman
Statistics Major
Hometown: Osseo, MN
Future Plans: I plan to become a certified actuary and find a job in a place that I love. I want to prioritize traveling, especially to places around the world that are different than the U.S.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: The club volleyball program has given me a second family here at Winona, and it has forced me to get out of my comfort zone and do things that I wouldn’t have been able to do earlier in my life. I’ve gotten the opportunity to go to amazing places with the amazing people in the program.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: Taking sunset walks around the lake with my roommates was always a time when we all bonded and just talked with each other about our goals and what we want out of our lives.
Ormsin Sornmoonpin Gardiner Math Education Scholarship
Rayna Swanson
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major
Hometown: Blair, WI
Future Plans: Teaching has been a passion of mine since I realized that it was something that I could do for my career. I absolutely love to help others, and I feel that my way to make a positive impact in others’ lives is teaching.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: Taking the Discrete Math course made me more appreciative of new perspectives and challenges, and the biggest impression this class left on me was that even if something is difficult, I’m able to learn and grow from it. I know that challenges and struggles like this course are molding me into the best math teacher and lifelong learner I can be.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: My most memorable moment at Winona State University has to be the induction ceremony for the College of Education. The ceremony was amazing and the inspirational speakers gave us great advice as we start the Education program.
Tracy Bergemann Scholarship for Women in the Quantitative Sciences
Rachel Knox
Data Science and Statistics Double Major
Hometown: Brooklyn Park, MN
Future Plans: I’m hoping to use my data science degree to get a job back home in the Twin Cities. Hopefully over the next year and through an internship, I’ll figure out more of what specifically I want to do.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: My experience in my college ministry has had a huge impact as well as being part of the WSU Dance Department. I am so grateful that I have dance back in my life and to have the opportunity to be a part of a great community that is so uplifting and encouraging.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: Going on a trip with the Dance Department to the annual American College Dance Association (ACDA) north-central conference ACDA held at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. It was so cool because I had never had the opportunity to do anything like that before, and I came back from that trip feeling more confident as a dancer and a person.
Elmer and Louise Mattila Scholarship in Math and Science
Daniel Palmer
Applied Computer Science Major with an emphasis on Computer Information Systems
Hometown: Stillwater, MN
Future Plans: My first goal is to get a computer science internship the summer of 2023 to gain hands-on experience and to talk with people working in the field before I graduate and enter the workforce. At this point, I’m unsure whether I want to immediately start working post-graduation or pursue a master’s degree in a specific field of computer science; but eventually, I picture myself working a “desk job” because structure heavily appeals to me.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: The Computer Science lab director and my work study supervisor, Eric Wright, immediately welcomed me in as a work study lab assistant with little experience and he brought a liveliness to my campus experience. Nadia Miranda, the Computer Science Department’s office manager, also helped set me up to begin tutoring for the department, which has been rewarding.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: Initially, it felt like everybody had already formed friend groups and I was the odd person out, but by putting myself out there I was able to reap the benefits of overcoming my anxiety. It was convenient to be able to walk only 10 feet to somebody’s dorm and immediately hang out with many others.
May S. Murray Scholarship
Dylan Salley
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major
Hometown: Cannon Falls, MN
Future Plans: Some of my goals for my future include effectively teaching my future students, coaching sports and clubs for the school at which I teach, becoming a community leader within the area I live, and earning a master’s degree in Education.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: Nicole Williams is someone who has had a major impact on my experience at Winona State University. She was the first person that I interacted with once I was enrolled, and she made my time at WSU easier and less stressful.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: During some of my very first days at WSU, I met so many amazing people in my orientation class who I have continued to be friends with my entire time here. The relationships that I made within that class were definitely the building blocks to my educational career, as I was able to make and meet so many new friends right away, marking the beginning of all of the fun times I had while at WSU.
Dylan Steberg
Mathematics and Statistics Double Major, Data Science Minor
Hometown: Wanamingo, MN
Future Plans: My goals for the future are to graduate from WSU with degrees in Math and Statistics and then either get a job in one of those fields or go on to graduate school. My dream job would be a college math professor, but whatever I do, I know it’ll involve math!
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: When I visited WSU in my senior year of high school, I was able to experience a classroom environment and I instantly felt at home. The professors got to know me, and when I began here that didn’t change: they push me to do my best inside and outside the classroom, and it is because of my supportive professors that my transition to college felt easy.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: Winona quickly became my home away from home because of all the awesome activities I’ve done with the amazing friends I’ve made here. I’ve done fun stuff with people from my orientation class like going for ice cream and going to the Math & Stats club trivia nights, and my dorm floor even became like a family: we’d go swimming, play basketball, attend the Warrior sporting events, and just have fun with each other.
Lorena W. Jacobson Scholarship
Miranda Van Ruler
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major, Social Science (Middle Level Teaching) Minor
Hometown: Edgerton, MN
Future Plans: I hope that one day I can teach or do missionary work abroad and continue working with kids and animals. Overall, I want to always keep growing as an individual and have an influence on the lives of others in the best possible way.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: Campus ministries and the friends that I have found through them have impacted my Winona State University experience the most. I have enjoyed being involved in close-knit communities where I’m fully accepted and welcomed, and I’ve had so many great opportunities to volunteer and give back to the community through these ministries.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: Helping host Relay for Life on campus because it was so powerful to see members of the community coming together to raise money and awareness for cancer victims and survivors. It was especially so meaningful to me because my father has had cancer three times. I have personally seen what cancer can do to a person and their life, so it was amazing to see people come together to try and put an end to the horrible disease.
Mackenzie Ackerman
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major, Mathematics Minor
Hometown: Monticello, MN
Future Plans: My future goals include having a positive, successful student teaching experience and graduating in the Fall. I’m beyond excited for this new experience that’s in my future, and I’ll move forward with gratitude for being in a position that made all this possible.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: The Math Methods course with Dr. Brooke Krejci challenged me to incorporate real-life situations and experiences into math instruction. I had the opportunity to join a middle school math class at Winona Middle School where I observed classroom management techniques, assisted in instructing groups of students, and addressed individual and group strengths and needs.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: My admission into the Education program marked the start of my teaching career and allowed me to establish my own teaching ideologies. The connections that I’ve made with professors, peers, field experience teachers, and other students are making me a better educator in the future.
Allison Athman
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major, Spanish Minor
Hometown: Lino Lakes, MN
Future Plans: I hope to find a math teaching job after graduation, so I can finally fulfill my goal of being a math teacher. I hope in the future to be involved in my community and school I’m working at, and I also want to travel internationally and experience the Spanish language and Hispanic cultures I’ve been studying.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: During my freshman orientation class, I formed some great connections my first semester, and I still have many of those connections now. That class also set me up for success for college by providing me with tips and advice specific to my major.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: My friends and I went to this year’s Homecoming parade and football game, and we hung out with friends afterward. It was fun seeing everyone wearing their WSU gear, and I just felt so connected to my peers and campus.
Patricia Corbera
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major, Spanish Minor
Hometown: Woodbury, MN
Future Plans: One of my goals for the future is to teach math in a high school near or in the Twin Cities for many years to come, and hopefully teach English in different countries after my retirement. I hope to travel to many Spanish-speaking countries as well.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: As a Latina, it’s very important for me to stay close to my community in any way possible, which is why I joined the Student Organization of Latin/a/o/x (SOL) club. The people are just amazing, and they have helped me find a place where it feels like home.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: My experience as a Resident Assistant taught me so much about people and about myself. I’ve gained time management, listening, creativity, leadership, communication, collaboration, and people skills, and it has also given me the opportunity to help and guide those who need it most, especially since transitioning into college is not the easiest thing to do.
Department of Mathematics & Statistics Alumni Scholarship
Sulaiman Bada
Computer Science & Data Science Double Major, Statistics Minor
Hometown: St. Michael, MN
Future Plans: I have a summer internship in Chicago at Expedia Group as a Software Development Engineer, and I hope to eventually focus on Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. With the skills I’ll learn in the industry, being a successful business owner is where I see myself becoming in the future.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: The classes here at Winona State provided me an opportunity to practice what I have learned through research and internships. Internships, Computer Science Club, and Welcome Week are all some activities and events that shaped me into the person I am today.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: During the first week at Winona State University, I knew nothing about where I was and what was in store for me—but Welcome Week gave me the comfort I needed. Getting involved in all the games and activities as well as meeting new people had been a great experience, and now I volunteer as a Welcome Week Leader each year to help new students feel that same comfort and excitement that I felt.
Duane & Edwina Wolfe Math Education Scholarship
Harlee Erlandsen
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major
Hometown: Carver, MN
Future Plans: When I was little, I used to set up my stuffed animals in front of my easel and teach them what I learned at school that day; I have always known that I wanted to be a teacher. I hope to teach middle school or early high school not only because my favorite math classes are algebra and geometry, but also because I love children and making a difference in their lives.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: Nicole Williams, the head of the Math Department, has made me feel confident in my decision to become a math teacher and has been someone I can always count on. She was the one who got me into Math Education, and she’s a great teacher and wants students to learn for actual learning rather than to memorize for a test.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: I really enjoy cheering on our football team and getting dressed up in spirit wear of each game. I also like how it’s a whole community event: all kinds of different students come together to support our school.
Kallista Spurgeon
Mathematics & Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Double Major, Coaching Minor
Hometown: Hastings, MN
Future Plans: After student teaching, I want to teach back at my former high school alongside my former teachers that I still have connections with to this day because they have all helped me in my journey to become a math teacher.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: I really enjoy the Math & Stats club on campus at WSU because they host many different fun events throughout the year and I’ve been able to get to know others within the department as well as the professors. A class that has helped me too with getting to know others was my orientation class freshman year; many of the people in that class I’m still friends with today and hang out with them and have taken other classes with them.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: The most memorable moment at Winona State so far was getting into the Education program and knowing that I can now go for my dream of becoming a math teacher in the near future.
Rodney J. Lingenfelter Scholarship for Math Education
Brenden Klish
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major, Mathematics Minor
Hometown: Stevens Point, WI
Future Plans: I’m very excited for my future as a teacher and coach. I’m eager to impact students the way I was impacted by many teachers.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: Aside from TRIO tutoring, which allowed me to meet some people who also enjoy math and are motivated to succeed in their education, a faculty member who had the biggest impact on me is Nicole Williams. She creates relationships with her students, she’s easy to reach out to, and she’s always willing to help.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: The most memorable moment at Winona State has just been creating new relationships with friends and professors. The relationships I’ve made will never be replaced and have even influenced how I want to teach.
Rodney J. Lingenfelter Scholarship for Math Education
Trinity Seedorf
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major
Hometown: Wells, MN
Future Plans: I aim to apply what I have learned as both a student and as a tutor to my future classroom. I want to be a link for students into the STEM world and provide them with stability when they need.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: Aside from my classmates, tutoring at Tutoring Services has had a major impact on my experience at Winona State. I have had the opportunity to learn how to better guide others through concepts.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: My most memorable moment at Winona State University was Tutor Fun Night when all the tutors got together in the library where we ate and played games. The best part of the games was when we played hide and seek—we even found another tutor on top of the library shelves. None of us know how they got up there, but it made a great story to share and always brings a smile to my face.
Erwin Bachler Scholarship
Grace Navratil
Elementary Education & Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Double Major, Bilingual/Bicultural Education Minor
Hometown: Wyoming, MN
Future Plans: I hope to help form great leaders of tomorrow through not only teaching mutual respect, but also encouraging my students to appreciate their differences and to learn from one another. I hope that with the platform I’m given through teaching, I’ll be able to take a step in the right direction for creating a safe, welcoming, and loving education community.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: During my field placement in Arcadia, WI, I had the honor to work with an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher who teaches Math, Phonics, History, and English. It taught me how to see students as a whole, and it reinforced the importance of creating safe spaces and relationships because some of those students had very tough home lives.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: Playing volleyball on the campus sand courts is where I met many of my residents for the first time. Taking time to reflect on where those relationships first started is incredible because I can see the growth that has happened through the years.
Gene & Diann Pflaum Math Education Scholarship
Kyler Reps
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major
Hometown: Saint Charles, MN
Future Plans: I hope to build solid relationships with students and impact kids’ lives just like my teachers did to mine. Although teachers help students understand subjects like math, building relationships is the most important in my eyes.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: The sequence of Calculus classes took a lot of work to complete and keep high grades in, but knowing that I can be that determined to get through something so difficult really made me put my work ethic into perspective. Those classes tested me, and I appreciate WSU for giving that to me.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: During the first on-campus tour I ever took, remember it being easy to get around and the University had both one-on-one instruction and the major I wanted. That first tour of WSU led me down a path I’m very happy with!
Daniel & Christine Rand Scholarship
Khanh Vo
Data Science Major, Finance Minor
Hometown: Cho Gao, Tien Giang, Vietnam. Home City in the U.S.: Brooklyn Park, MN
Future Plans: My plan is to work as a data/machine learning engineer to understand the life cycle of a data science project before pursuing a master’s degree. My long-term goal is to become a data consultant in health care to help doctors find suitable treatments for patients and in economics to join projects that help policymakers make better decisions; these careers appear to have the most impact on society.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: I think Statistics classes had the most impact on my Winona State University experience because I learned a lot of techniques and tools to use when making decisions based on data. This knowledge also trains me how to think clearly and logically, which are very important for any job.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: The most memorable moment at Winona State University is probably the time when I presented my project in my DSCI 320 course. It’s because that was the first time I presented in English—I was nervous at first but then the presentation went very well.
William E. Prigge Scholarship
Daniel Findell
Data Science & Statistics Double Major, Economics Minor
Hometown: Forest Lake, MN
Future Plans: I plan to attempt the first actuary exam in the Fall and pursue an actuarial internship in the summer of 2023 to position myself for a smooth transition from college into the actuarial field. Upon graduation, I hope to pass my certification exams quickly, so I can begin using the skills I developed at WSU to answer complex questions using data.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: Of all the benefits that I have gained from my time in Residence Life, I think the most impactful has been the lessons it has taught me about working cooperatively to solve complex and unpredictable problems. Before my time in Residence Life, I would have described collaborative problem solving as a weakness of mine, but now it’s a strength, and I’m all the better for it.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: In the final project for my DSCI 210 course, we were given the opportunity to work with large amounts of data and pull out meaningful visualizations from it. There’s something about taking data and shaping it to where it needs to be that makes the whole process much more satisfying when you get to the final destination.
MinneAnalytics Scholarship
Jack O’Connor
Data Science Major
Hometown: McFarland, WI
Future Plans: I have always had a strong interest in numbers and what they mean, so this made a Data Science major very interesting to me. In the future, I want to be able to make a difference in the lives of people.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: While my experience at WSU has been very limited, Professor Nicole Williams has already made a big impact on me as a student. She instilled confidence in me to pursue a major in Data Science. Being able to have this level of communication makes the transition to college much easier.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: I have seen a future for myself at WSU ever since I took my first tour. This future began to become a reality once I was able to sign up for classes and meet the faculty that will be guiding me over the next four years.
MinneAnalytics Scholarship
Cole Berning
Data Science and Statistics Double Major, Mathematics Minor
Hometown: Princeton, MN
Future Plans: I chose Data Science as my field of study because I’m a huge math nerd, and I love looking finding solutions with data. In the future, I plan to mix my love of statistics and sports and work for a statistical consulting company and do data analytics for a sports team.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: Overall, the professors and my fellow students in the math/stat department have had the biggest impact on me. They have changed my outlook on school and created a positive learning environment.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: My most memorable moment here at WSU was my involvement on the Homecoming court this past year. We got to have our names announced before the big Homecoming football game on the field, and I even danced a little bit for the cameras!
MinneAnalytics Scholarship
Joseph Nagel
Mathematics and Statistics Double Major, Data Science Minor
Hometown: Winona, MN
Future Plans: I’m a member of the Math & Stat Club, and I enjoy rock climbing and playing ultimate frisbee in my free time. After graduation, I’m considering pursuing a graduate degree in statistics.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: While working through my bio-statistics class, I have found a subject in my major that I enjoy studying and can see pursuing as a career.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: My most memorable moment at Winona State University was getting the chance to perform in person with the Winona State choir before COVID-19.
Lucille Barnes and Blaine Diesslin Scholarship
Ashley Buermann
Mathematics – Secondary Teaching Major, Mathematics Minor
Hometown: Forest Lake, MN
Future Plans: My goal for the future is to teach middle school mathematics, especially algebra to seventh graders. I’d also love to coach a dance team in the future. Overall, I want to help students learn and achieve their goals to the best of their abilities.
Greatest Impact on WSU Experience: Professor Peratt has had a major impact on my experience here at Winona State because he always makes class fun and is always willing to answer any questions. I feel like he does a good job of implementing the right amount of difficulty in his class, so that we can work to reach the end goal.
Most Memorable Moment at WSU: When I was accepted into the College of Education, I knew that I’d be able to achieve my goal of becoming a mathematics teacher. I’m so excited to be able to student teach next Spring, and I can’t wait to have a classroom of my own one day.
These testimonials from students have been lightly edited for grammar, clarity, and length.
