Mary Ellen taught business in the School of Business at Metropolitan Community College (MCC) from 1988 until 2004. Mary Ellen came to MCC after spending time working in industry. She loved the students and staff MCC. Passionate about teaching, Mary Ellen won numerous teaching awards during her career and touched many lives.
Mary Ellen loved school and learning new things and believed that education was transformative. She returned to school multiple times over her life-time. After her children went off to grade school, Mary Ellen attended College as the State University of New York, Plattsburgh Campus. After completing her degree and a short stint as a social worker, Mary Ellen returned to school and completed her Master of Business Administration at the Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. During her time at MCC, she again returned to school later in life to study accounting and become a Certified Public Accountant.
In 2004, Mary Ellen moved to Minneapolis to be closer to family. She taught at Normandale Community College until her retirement in 2016.
Mary Ellen died in September of 2019 from Globular Glial Tauopathy, a rare form of Frontotemporal Degeneration.
In honor of their mother's commitment to lifelong learning, her children have established this scholarship. The scholarship is intended for a MCC student who has had at least 24 consecutive months as a non-student between high school and college.
Scholarship Criteria:
- Must be an MCC student who has had at least 24 consecutive months as a non-student between high school and college.
- Financial need is not required, but may be considered
- Available to students attending MCC for the first time
- No minimum cumulative GPA required
- Intended to fund tuition, fees and books
Scholarships are usually offered during the spring and fall quarters. Scholarship availability varies depending on donor giving.