Great People

A new scholarship paves the way for a pre-med student.

In Stephanie Lind x’12’s neighborhood, kids left high school to get married or to work, but Stephanie’s mom believed college was important.

“I never thought of any other option,” Lind says now. “I knew I didn’t want to live paycheck to paycheck.”

The recipient of the John Gould Great People Scholarship is a sophomore majoring in biology and Spanish. She plans to go to medical school to become a pediatrician and help children like her sister, who has asthma. “I know it’s a job that at the end of the day you’ll feel good about yourself,” she says.

Lind’s dad, a carpenter, contributes to some school expenses. Her mom, a schoolteacher, has little to spare after family medical bills. “Without scholarships, I would not be at University of Wisconsin-Madison,” says Lind, who grew up in Freeport, Illinois.

Lind works in a university deli and also volunteers for Big Brothers Big Sisters and for the Children’s Learning Center, an after-school program. “I’m very, very busy,” she says, “but I’m happy to be here.”

Published in the Winter 2009 issue