The Courtney Colton Family Mass Communication Scholarship

The purpose of The Courtney Colton Family Mass Communication Scholarship is to support and encourage Mass Communication students to become strategic communicators in their chosen concentration.

Criteria

• Each recipient must be classified as an Undergraduate
• Each recipient must be enrolled Full-time Winona State University (minimum of 12 credits per semester)
• Each recipient must be classified as Freshman/Sophomore/Junior/Senior
• Recipients must maintain a G.P.A of 3.5
• Each recipient must be a declared a Mass Communications major in the College of Liberal Arts
• Financial need is important, but should not be based solely on FASFA

Biography/Motivation

Courtney, a graduate from Stillwater (Minn.) Area High School, attended Winona State University from 2003 to 2007. While at Winona State she worked as a public relations writer for the WSU Communication Office and was active in the Theater and Dance Department, where she put her PR experience to good use promoting several THAD productions.

After graduation, Courtney accepted a paid public relations internship at a Twin Cities nonprofit and later, a full-time position as a publicist for a Twin Cities publishing house. Today, Courtney serves as a corporate communications copywriter for a nonprofit corporation focused on education.

During her time at Winona State, Courtney was fortunate to receive scholarship aid from the Winona State University Foundation. Ever thankful, she promised to return the favor to the next generation of students with the hope that she is able to ease the financial burden of college tuition.

Looking back, Courtney recognizes the dynamic, real-word learning opportunities she received during her tenure at Winona State-both through Mass Communication classes and at work in the Communication Office-and how the skills she learned helped her secure her jobs in the communications field. She hopes that she is able to assist those students who are passionate leaders and strategic communicators.