Janet & Richard Fitzpatrick Scholarship

The Janet and Richard Fitzpatrick Scholarship is created for students who have declared a major in Elementary Education.

Criteria

A. Recipient must have declared their intent to major in Elementary Education as his/her major.
B. Demonstrated strong academic achievement, as evidenced by a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.5-3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
C. Preference will be given to a student from Minnesota.
D. Student must demonstrate financial need as determined by their FASFA

Biography/Motivation

Janet Fitzpatrick was born in Wisconsin February 18, 1935, Janet spent the 1st fourteen years of her life in Milwaukee where thanks to her mother’s influence; she learned her love of reading and books at the Milwaukee Public Library. Janet’s family moved to the family farm near Brownsville, Minnesota, where Janet attended high school in Caledonia, Minnesota. Janet was honored to be named Co-Valedictorian of her Caledonia, Minnesota High School Graduation Class of 1955. While attending Winona State College, Janet was able to afford to complete her education degree because she was awarded the full tuition Etta Hudson Howell Scholarship from Winona State College annually from 1955 to 1959. Janet has not forgotten her college scholarships made all the difference in the world in enabling her to attain her teaching degree. In fact, she may not have thought of attending College would it have not been for the scholarship she was offered.

Starting out her career as a third grade teacher and school librarian for thirty-two years, Janet retired from Rochester Minnesota Public Schools in 1993. For the next nine years, Janet served as the Reference Librarian for the Rochester Public Library culminating a forty-one year career in teacher education and library science.

Celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary in 2011, Dick and Janet met while riding the Caledonia school bus. Their first date was at a family wedding at which Dick was a groomsman. However, the bridesmaid did not show up for the rehearsal dinner and Janet found herself a replacement for the absentee bridesmaid. Dick and Janet walked down the aisle on their first date.

Following a three year naval military service enlistment where Dick served as an electrician on a submarine tender, Dick used his GI Bill to graduate from commercial aviation school. Using his GI Bill again, Dick went on to complete a BA Degree at Winona Sate College in 1973. Growing up on a farm, flying planes, and landing an assembly job with Rochester IBM, Dick and Janet decided to build a home on five acres of wooded property west of Rochester. Dick built their home with the help of a local contractor. Incorporated into the landscape is Janet’s “Story book garden”, featuring children’s favorite stories such as the “Little Red Hen”. Dick continued tin residential construction for the remainder of his career.

Janet and Dick enjoy world travel, music, theatre, bird watching, and animals especially their family of house cats along with their outdoor wild animals, gardening, motorcycle riding and of course, first and foremost, reading. Janet is conducting genealogical research and writing a book about her family with her sisters.

Dick is an active volunteer with the Paws and Claws Humane Society, volunteering with the care of animals, cleaning the kennels, and working with fundraising activities benefitting the humane society. Together they enjoy family celebrations and events.

It is their hope that the Janet and Richard Fitzpatrick Elementary Education Scholarship enables students to successfully attain their college degree and enjoy a life time of success in the teaching profession. Their investment reflects their hopes and dreams in our most important nationwide investment, that of future teachers for our youth.