Photo by Curt Knoke A $750 scholarship from the Gresham Scholarship Fund helped Mindy Hoffman get to college. She earned her doctorate this year and is working as a physical therapist at Aspirus Langlade Hospital in Antigo.
Mindy Hoffman grew up on a farm outside of Gresham with her parents and five siblings. She played three sports and was involved in many clubs, including FFA and student council.
After graduating from Gresham High School in 2009 as the valedictorian of her class, Hoffman set her sights on Viterbo University, a small Catholic college in La Crosse, where she hoped to study biology.
A $750 scholarship from the Gresham Scholarship Fund, a fund within Shawano Area Community Foundation, and other community scholarships made the dream a reality for Hoffman.
“I have always felt blessed to grow up in a small town, with a whole community to support my endeavors,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman received her undergraduate degree from Viterbo in 2013 and was immediately accepted into the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s doctor of physical therapy program.
After graduating with her doctorate earlier this year, Hoffman made the decision to return to the region to work as a physical therapist at Aspirus Langlade Hospital in Antigo.
She said she relishes the opportunity, as well as the financial support from the Shawano Area Community Foundation that helped to make it possible.
“I have the chance to help people in all stages of life recover functional movement, support independence and help people realize their potential through physical therapy,” she said. “I’m thankful to the Gresham Scholarship Fund for giving me a positive head start into choosing a career path that is rewarding and people- oriented.”
Since 1990, the Shawano Area Community Foundation has been partnering with area donors to establish scholarships in their name, or memorial scholarships in the name of a loved one. Promoted through high schools in Shawano County and online, the scholarships have become a regular part of local scholarship programs.
The SACF was established by community volunteers to preserve and improve the quality of life in Shawano and the surrounding area. It is an affiliate of the Appleton-based Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the second-largest community foundation in Wisconsin (www.cffoxvalley.org).
For information, contact the SACF at 920-830-1290 or info@shawanofoundation.org, or visit www.ShawanoFoundation.org online.
FYI
Shawano Area Community Foundation scholarship funds serve as a generational approach to giving. To learn more about how you can set up a scholarship fund in your name or in memory of a loved one, contact the Shawano Area Community Foundation at 920-830-1290 or info@shawanofoundation.org. Scholarships can be structured around certain criteria, such as grade-point average, financial need, pursuit of a specific field of study and more.