This is one in a series of articles written by students who received scholarships in 2022 awarded through the Fergus Falls Area Dollars for Scholars chapter. The purpose of these articles is to thank the community for its support of students and their higher education goals.
Going off to college can be such an intimidating and an exciting experience. The idea of leaving your childhood friends behind, your favorite teachers and saying goodbye to your family is all quite nerve wracking. This change has been very big for me, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything else. The opportunity to take this next step, to continue my education in a new city, wouldn’t be possible without support from my family and community.
I am currently majoring in Social Work at the University of North Dakota. Throughout my first semester, my classes were very interesting. It’s amazing to see professors teach classes that they are truly passionate about. I’ve found at UND that my class sizes have been relatively similar to my high school class sizes. This has been very convenient because I can easily get help from professors. I had a couple of lecture halls where I’d been surrounded by 200 other students which can make things trickier. I’ve found that going to office hours to speak one on one with my professors has helped me so much. Creating that relationship with your teachers is very important.
I’ve created other relationships with classmates, my roommates and coworkers as well. Making friends in my classes has been so fun. I’ve gotten to meet people from all over the country. One of the coolest friendships I’ve made so far has been a girl who lives in the small town of Crosby, N.D. Once I got to know her and where she was from, I found out that she knows some of my extended family from that area. Such a small world! I’ve also created some lifelong friendships with my three roommates. We all met online before attending UND and got to know each other before we decided to share a suite style dorm. Getting to talk to and see how well we got along prior to moving in together was definitely a nice option to have. We all have busy schedules but we find the time to hang out at the end of the day. We often watch movies together, or even just have homework/study sessions.
Once I figured out how to effectively balance my school schedule and social life I was able to start working. I’ve found that balancing all three is tricky but manageable. I enjoy having a busy schedule, considering growing up I always had school during the day, sports after school, and homework at night. So the busy schedule is nothing new to me!
Going to school at UND I feel like I’ve truly found the perfect fit for me. The opportunity to continue my education would not be possible without the unconditional love and support from my family and from our amazing community. Thanks to the Eugene Eckhoff family as well as Dollars for Scholars for the scholarships I received. These scholarships have provided me and many others the opportunity to continue on to a higher education with the many generous scholarships they provide. I cannot say thank you enough to everyone who has helped me to be able to take this next step. It has been such a blessing to be able to grow up in our supportive community.
Hope Goepferd is a 2022 graduate of Kennedy Secondary School and is currently attending the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, North Dakota. She is the recipient of the Eugene Eckhoff Memorial Scholarship and a Dollars for Scholars Scholarship. For information on making a donation for scholarships, contact Fergus Falls Area Dollars for Scholars, 601 W Randolph Ave, Fergus Falls, MN 56537.
