Jestus Family Scholarship

The Jestus Family Scholarship is created for students who have declared a major in WSU’s Education program.

Criteria

1. Each recipient must be an undergraduate student enrolled full-time at Winona State University.
2. Each recipient must be classified as a sophomore, junior, or senior and be in good standing at Winona State University with a grade point average (g.p.a.) of 3.0 (4.0 = A).
3. Each recipient must be a declared major in Winona State University’s Education program.
4. Each recipient must have a demonstrated financial need.

Biography/Motivation

This scholarship is named in honor of several members of the Jestus family, beginning with Eva Jestus. Eva was raised in Howard Lake, Minnesota, one of eight children. Eva’s parents, James and Ida Cochrane Jestus, who had little more than a fifth grade education, were able to watch all eight of their children go on to complete higher education degrees – all of them in the field of education.

Eva graduated from Winona State Teachers College in 1926. While attending college, Eva was a member of the Primary Club whose purpose was to promote the educational interests of the Primary grades. She then went on to teach for two years in East Grand Forks and taught in many rural one-room country schools in Minnesota.

Jesse Jestus, Eva’s brother, earned his Bachelor’s degree from Macalester College and continued his education earning his Master’s degree from Winona State College. He taught and coached at Lewiston High School and then went on to serve as the Winona County Superintendent of Schools from 1932 until his retirement in 1971.

The family tradition of teaching has continued with Eva’s daughter, Jo Taylor, who has taught for 34 years; Jo’s son, an English instructor at Junior College, and her daughter, a Junior High School Principal