Mayo Employees Federal Credit Union is proud to announce that Mary Laudon of Rochester, MN has won a $1,000 Scholarship from the Minnesota Credit Union Foundation Scholarship Council.
A total of $12,000 was awarded to 10 credit union members in Minnesota. Over 800 students from credit unions throughout the state applied for scholarships, which were given away to students in two categories: Traditional and Non-Traditional. Applicants were selected based on essays submitted to the Foundation Scholarship Council (FSC). This year's essay question was:
"Community service is an integral part of credit unions. Share an experience when you contributed your time and/or talents in the community. What did you learn from that experience?”
Mary wrote an essay about her experience working with Special Olympics as a coach, after she was sidelined from playing Basketball two summers ago due to an injury, here is an excerpt from her winning essay:
“I became a volunteer basketball coach for the local Special Olympics team. Volunteer coaching soon became my favorite way to enjoy the game of basketball. I loved the joy and excitement the athletes showed for the game of basketball. Coaching athletes with disabilities was initially a challenge, but it has become one of the most rewarding experiences of my life to date. Community service taught me how to take my passions and skills and use them to benefit others. Volunteering introduced me to an entire population of the community that I was not familiar with, and it has allowed me to form relationships with this population of adults with disabilities. The athletes have taught me how to be unconditionally happy, regardless of your ability or situation. While this lesson was particularly applicable because of my injury, I have learned that when one opportunity comes to an end, another opportunity is waiting for you. This community service opportunity changed my life."
Mary plans to attend the University of Wisconsin, Madison and major in Biomedical Engineering. She hopes to one day work in Prosthetics. Congratulations Mary!