Charles F. & Mary Jane Neal Scholarship

The Charles F. and Mary Jane Neal Scholarship is created for students who have declared a major from the College of Liberal Arts.

Criteria

A. A student enrolled full-time in good standing at Winona State University.
B. A declared major from the College of Liberal Arts
C. Demonstrated financial need based on application essay

Biography/Motivation

Charles Neal was born April 19, 1921 in Moorhead, IA. He graduated from Moorhead High School in 1939, and attended Grand Island (Nebraska) Business College. He was the second person hired as a fulltime employee with Hach Company in Ames and continued there until his retirement 32 years later.

Mary Jane was born in Osborne, KA., she graduated from Osborne High School and attended Grand Island Business College, Grand Island, Neb. She was employed at Hach Chemical Co. for 28 years.

Mary Jane and Charles Neal had four sons

My parents always put their family first. They didn’t have the opportunity to graduate from college. Together they raised four sons and always insisted that we would have a college education. With our parent’s encouragement and support we all attained a college education and our own success. Our parents did not place conditions on us regarding grades nor a timetable on our college completion. They did expect us to try, but if we weren’t immediately successful they allowed us another chance. I believe their confidence in us was rewarded and we all knew they took pride in our accomplishments.

It is with deep gratitude to my parents, their wise and loving leadership, instilled in me the principle of sharing with others in time of need. If I were to describe my ideal scholarship recipient it would be someone who needs a second chance and who might not yet know what he or she wants to become.