Clover Addiction Counseling Scholarship

In January of 2021, the Clover Addiction Counseling Scholarship was established with the Winona State University Foundation. This scholarship will benefit graduate students in the Addiction Counselor Certificate Program (ACCP) within the Counselor Education Department.

Criteria
Must be a Graduate student who will be enrolled in the Addiction Counselor Certificate Program’s field-based practicum experience within the next full academic year, including fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Applicants must submit a brief essay responding to the following:
1. Describe the stigma of addiction and the impact of addiction on families.
2. Describe how this scholarship will make a difference in your practicum experience.

Background and Motivation
Dr. Heather Schmidtknecht is an Associate Professor in Nursing at Winona State University. Since 2013, she has been teaching undergraduate nursing students to care for individuals with mental health needs, including substance use disorders. In 2019, Dr. Schmidtknecht’s family was directly impacted by addiction, and the family worked with multiple interdisciplinary teams who helped them to understand the grips of addiction, while providing support, guidance, and hope.

The four-leaf clover has represented a special relationship in Dr. Schmidtknecht’s life, and is said to represent respect, wealth, love, and health – each of which is negatively impacted by substance use disorders. The Clover Addiction Counseling Scholarship was initiated to recognize commitment to softening the stigma of addiction and commitment to entering a profession which provides care to individuals with substance use disorders and the families that love them.