| UW-Eau Claire |
News Bureau | |
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Schofield Hall 218 |
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Eau Claire, WI 54702-4004 |
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Recent Donation to Scholarship Fund
Helps Latvian Students Study in America |
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MAILED: Sept. 17, 1999
EAU CLAIRE —
A scholarship fund that gives students from Latvia the opportunity to study at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire continues to grow, as its founder recently contributed more than $46,000 to it.
Dr. Aina Galejs, for whom the fund is named, donated the gift as a way of prolonging the life of the scholarship, which awards a new Latvian student each semester $4,000 to cover tuition and living expenses at UW-Eau Claire.
"It is a wonderful exchange program," Galejs said of the opportunities the fund has provided Latvian students since it was established in 1991. "I've been very satisfied with it."
The students who have come from Latvia to study here have gone back to Latvia and contributed to the growth of the country, Galejs said. Two students involved in the program have gone back to their home country and are personnel directors for major companies, she said.
Latvia was under Soviet control for almost 50 years, which prevented Latvian students from experiencing Western culture. Galejs and longtime friend Paulis Lazda, UW-Eau Claire professor of history, created the scholarship fund to give students an opportunity to see how the West functions.
The contributions made by Galejs reflect her socially conscious and proactive attitude, Lazda said.
"She's a remarkable person," Lazda said, noting that she contributes to several other causes. "Her interest is in society and progress, and she is very understanding of others' needs."
Currently a traveling medical pathologist who has practiced in the Twin Cities for a number of years, Galejs said she hopes to continue to help students who wish to receive an education in the United States.
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EW/JB
[Administrative Offices]
[News Bureau]
Janice B. Wisner
UW-Eau Claire News Bureau
Schofield 218
(715) 836-4741
newsbur@uwec.edu
Updated: Sept. 22, 1999
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