Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org
Surnames: Magnus, Backaus
----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 6/02/2021
Magnus Receives Horatio Alger State Scholarship (2021)
Neillsville graduate Brooke Magnus has been awarded a $10,000 Horatio Alger State Scholarship,
one of nine in the state to receive it. Submitted photo.
By Valorie Brecht
Neillsville High School graduate Brooke Magnus has been awarded a selective scholarship that will offer a boost in helping her achieve her postsecondary education goals.
Magnus will receive the Horatio Alger State Scholarship, valued at $10,000. She will use the scholarship as she attends UW-Stevens Point this fall to study communication sciences and disorders, with an eventual goal of becoming a speech pathologist and working with kids.
”I’m really honored and so excited [to receive this scholarship]. It’s really going to help with college,” said Magnus. “I’m really thankful.
Magnus is one of nine students from Wisconsin to be receiving a state scholarship, and one of 638 nationwide. The Scholarship application was one of many she completed this past fall. She received a list of scholarship opportunities from school guidance counselor Julia Backaus and also researched scholarships on her own.
“My mom told me to treat applying for scholarships as a part-time job. I took her advice to heart and applied to as many as I could,” said Magnus.
The Horatio Alger Scholarship was one of the ones Magnus came across. According to the scholarship website, “The program specifically assists high school students who have faced and overcome great obstacles in their young lives. The scholarships are funded by Horatio Alger members who, like the scholars have experienced challenges but ultimately overcame them to become successful business and civic leaders.”
Magnus had to answer questions in her scholarship application about adversity she has faced.
“My family dynamic changed dramatically over my high school years. My Mom became a single parent, as my parents divorced,” said Magnus.
She said she learned resilience during that time.
“It pushed me to really get involved in extracurriculars,” she said.
Magnus’ extracurricular activities include showing horses at the local, state and national level; serving as president of her 4-H club; Spanish Club; FFA and other activities. She also works with Clark County Social Services to provide respite care to kids with special needs or disabilities. Magnus had to indicate her extracurricular and community involvement on her scholarship application. She had to indicate her gradepoint average (GPA) as well. Magnus graduated summa cum laude, which is the highest level of laude recognition, with a 3.9 GPA.
Other scholarship requirements included providing additional background information about herself and [“exhibiting] a strong commitment to pursue and complete a bachelor’s degree.”
Magnus submitted her scholarship application in October. In April, she received a T-shirt and welcome packet in the mail after being name a scholarship recipient.
The scholarship goes beyond a payout, though. Magnus will complete a six-week course this summer with weekly sessions that will cover topics on how to be successful in college, including stress management, being a leader, community building and more.
She will also have the support of the Horatio Alger Association, which is essentially “a community of alumni and people that want to help you succeed,” said Magnus.
She will have resources available to her if needed, including financial aid counseling, free online courses on financial literacy and entrepreneurship, mentoring, online career resources. She will also have access to a 24/7 phone line, which offers counseling for any challenges scholars may encounter during college; and emergency support fund that can be used in the case of an unexpected adverse event like a flat tire or a medical emergency.
Magnus is excited to start the next phase of her educational journey. She expressed appreciation to her mom, Kris, for encouraging her.
“My mom has been instrumental in all of this… She’s resilient, determined and driven. I want to do all that she does. She’s really inspirational in that way.”
About Horatio Alger Jr.
Per the scholarship website, “Horatio Alger, Jr. was a prolific author in the 19th and early 20th centuries whose books inspired its readers to work hard and persevere through adversity. Alger’s books – 128 in all – recount how a ‘can-do spirit’ and individual initiative can allow anyone to achieve their dreams, regardless of circumstances.
“The Horatio Alger Association strives to promote the values exemplified in the books of Horatio Alger Jr. and to honor those who have achieved success by adhering to them.”
Since 1984, Horatio Alger Association members and friends have funded need-based college scholarships for youth to pursue their dreams through higher education. By the Association’s 75th anniversary in 2022, the association anticipates having awarded a total of $235 million in scholarship to more than 35,000 students.
For more information, go to www.scholars,horatioalger.org.
