1970s WMC Alumni Scholarship Awarded to UMW Students

The University of Montana Western Foundation is pleased to announce that Joelnell Momberg and Darcy Walker have been awarded the 1970s Western Montana College (WMC) Alumni Scholarship for 2022-23.

UMW Press Release

To be awarded this scholarship, students must hold at least a 3.0 GPA and have a relative that is an alumni of the University of Montana Western. Each student will be awarded a $500 scholarship for the 2022-23 academic year.

The 1970s WMC Alumni Scholarship has been providing students with financial support since 2019. Starting as a conversation between alumni Wally Feldt and Tom Tucker in 2018, the idea quickly developed into establishing a scholarship that would begin a legacy of providing financial support for students and honoring the institution that was instrumental in shaping their lives and the lives of many others who attended Western Montana College in the 1970s (now the University of Montana Western).

University of Montana Western Foundation Director, Roxanne Engellant, was able to guide their efforts in establishing the scholarship by helping to define the award parameters, reaching out to other alumni, and creating the process for how their group of donors could be involved annually in the selection of the scholarship recipients.

“This scholarship is so special not only because of the impact it has on our students but because of the collaborative efforts of so many Western graduates from the 1970s who have made it possible. Their desire to make a difference for future generations of Montana Western students is inspiring and I am grateful for the opportunity to work with all of them,” said Engellant.

After 3.5 years of fundraising and the generosity of the donors, the group has endowed their scholarship with a core group of 38 donors. Every donor that has contributed any amount to the scholarship fund is eligible to participate in the annual selection of the scholarship recipients.

The 1970s WMC Alumni Scholarship would like to thank all of our generous donors for making this scholarship possible:

• ​Char Ford Aasheim

• Rick Borden​

• Dale Chamberlain

• Karyle Contway​

• Mary Nelson Davidson​

• Cindy Smith Eccleston

• Wally Feldt​

• Lyn Gallik​

• Dennis Gibson

• Patty Haynes Gibson​

• Jane McGimpsey Haker

• ​Betti Christie Hill

• Kathryn Morrison Isham​

• Cynthia Jacobsen​

• Glen Johnson

• Colleen Kesterson

• ​Janet Kochis​

• Vickie Fourtner Lansing

• Max Lapham​

• Glen Larum

• ​Lois Bradshaw McCready

• Gary Milam​

• Reene’ Hamer Milam

• ​Robert (Mike) Miller

• John Musgrove​

• ​Steven Opheim​

• Kent Paulson

• Mel Rice

• Sandy Felton Rice​

• Barb Briney Ridgway

• Linda Willoughby Rosin​

• Terry Rosin​

• Donna Rouse

• Bill Schlepp​

• Dave Scott

• ​Terry Souhrada

• Tom Tucker​

• Doug Watson​

Previous Recipients

• 2019-20 Academic Year – $500 scholarship awarded to Charli Weatherbee

• 2020-21 Academic Year – $500 scholarship awarded to Adrianna Pittman

• 2021-22 Academic Year – $500 scholarship awarded to Loran Murphy

Donations by Year

• August-December 2018: $3,995

• January-December 2019: $4,425

• January-December 2020: $7,460*

• January-December 2021: $10,989*

*Includes a single donation of $5,000

Going forward, the 1970s WMC Alumni Scholarship has proposed a new goal of awarding two $1,000 scholarships. To reach this goal, they encourage alumni from the classes of the 1970s to consider contributing a donation to further the legacy of making a difference for students at Montana Western and to invite any past donors to consider another donation or to become a recurring donor. Thank you for your generosity and for supporting current and future Bulldogs.

For more information, please contact UMW Foundation Director, Roxanne Engellant (roxanne.engellant@umwestern.edu or 406-683-7305).