U of M Alumni Association  |  U of M Twin Cities

Alumni Association Home Search

Alumni Association Home > Past Issues > 2004 > November-December 2004   Print View UMAA Report 11/18/2004 3:00 AM Saluting Vital Volunteers The University of Minnesota Alumni Association depends on loyal volunteers—and the chapters and societies they form—to keep the UMAA a strong organization. For the 22nd year, the alumni association honored its outstanding alumni and friends at the Volunteer Awards Ceremony in September. Volunteer of the Year: Bill Manwarren Bill Manwarren (B.S. ’69) was the first member of his southern Minnesota farming family to go to college. Even though his immediate family opposed the idea, it turned out to be just what he expected: a life-changing experience. "It was amazing," he says. "It was a real eye-opener. I learned more outside the classroom than inside the first year." Manwarren has become an extraordinary volunteer for his alma mater, the College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences (COAFES). The former president of the college’s alumni society and one of its most aggressive scholarship fund-raisers earned the 2004 University of Minnesota Alumni Association’s Volunteer of the Year award in September. But Manwarren faced obstacles even getting to the U. Scraping by on a small farm with very little spending money, his parents refused to support his education beyond high school. "Deep down, I think they wanted me to accomplish it," he says. "But they were afraid I was going to set my hopes way up here and get them dashed. You don’t want to see your kids fail." His father also balked at disclosing the family finances so Manwarren could apply for scholarships and aid. "Number one, it was private and that’s how he was," Manwarren recalls. "And number two, I think he was a little bit embarrassed about how little money we had." But Manwarren was determined. As a junior at Wells High School, he met a vocational agriculture teacher named Arnie Carlson (B.S. ’55, M.A. ’70) who "showed me there’s another world out there," he recalls. "And I liked it. He told me, ‘You have to go to school; you have to get your degree.’ So that’s what I went to school for, to be an ag teacher. I thought, ‘This is a guy I could pattern my life after.’ He was a mentor and I highly respected him." After working his way through school, Manwarren became a high school teacher in Tracy, Minnesota, passing on his belief in higher education to the next generation. "I just understood that there is so much value in getting out on your own and getting an education," he says. "It opens your eyes, it opens your understanding of the world and of how to handle different situations." After moving on to a career with Cenex, which is now agricultural and energy products company CHS, Manwarren became an active community volunteer. When their sons Scott (B.S. ’97) and Adam (B.S. ’99) enrolled at the University, Bill and his wife, Cindy (B.S. ’69), became active with their alma mater. "It brings back memories of why I was here," he says. "You don’t even think about your own story. You kind of forget it; you go on to your next thing. But being here, I get to take a look at something really meaningful in my life and think about why. For example, why have I got such a passion for scholarships? [It’s because] I have a passion for higher education and for making sure other people have opportunities like I did. "That’s what keeps me involved with COAFES," he continues. "We’re a very effective society. I think we’re really accomplishing important things." —Chris Coughlan-Smith ALUMNI SOCIETY OF THE YEAR College of Agricultural, Food, and Environmental Sciences Alumni Society A large and robust group of active and dedicated alumni, COAFES has an unrivaled and growing set of annual events. In April, its Classes without Quizzes program drew more than 200 alumni and friends in its third year. The society assists with numerous college outreach efforts, as well as maintaining an influential presence in the University’s Legislative Network. COAFES also collaborated with the UMAA on the 2003 Homecoming Breakfast and Spirit Night Auction scholarship fund-raiser in October 2003. But it is in their work with students that COAFES alumni really shine. They help recruit promising students to the college, then offer welcoming informational phone calls to those admitted. The society has endowed three $500 scholarships and is currently pursuing a $25,000 fund-raising effort under the U’s scholarship matching program. The society’s alumni-student mentor program grew to 127 pairs last year. And for graduating seniors, COAFES alumni cohost a send-off celebration and present alumni pins at commencement. CHAPTER OF THE YEAR Rochester Area Alumni and Friends of the University of Minnesota A perennial presence in the UMAA’s annual awards, RAAFUM adds new and dedicated alumni leaders to its group every year. Those active volunteers are key to a series of successful events and initiatives that serve the U and their community. The Rochester group is the UMAA’s leading chapter in scholarship fund-raising, with endowments that provide funds for students attending both the Twin Cities and Rochester campuses. The chapter is also active in legislative efforts and in promoting ties between the Rochester and Twin Cities campuses. Its popular events include annual homecoming rallies and spring and fall programs with University speakers. Every other year RAAFUM hosts a Maroon and Gold Day that involves much of the community, culminating in a U of M Marching Band concert that draws thousands. ALUMNI SERVICE AWARD Deborah Hopp UMAA Past President PROGRAM EXTRAORDINAIRE College of Human Ecology Alumni Society Career Readiness Program College of Pharmacy Alumni Society Duluth Expansion Project Denver Alumni Chapter 2004 Gopher Hockey Special Event Institute of Technology Alumni Society K–12 Outreach Program Madison Alumni Chapter Freshman Information Session FACULTY/STAFF VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Dick Westerlund (B.S. ’60) Institute of Technology Alumni Society and Rochester Area Alumni and Friends of the University of Minnesota RISING STAR Michelle Aytay (B.S. ’96) College of Pharmacy STUDENT VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR Peri Periakaruppan Institute of Technology SPIRIT AWARD College of Liberal Arts Alumni Society West Bank Arts Quarter Projects

Last modified on 11/18/2004 4:09:23 PM ©2009 by the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. The University of Minnesota Alumni Association is an equal opportunity educator and employer.

Trouble seeing the text? | Contact Alumni Association | Privacy