The Charlson Family Warrior Leaders Scholarship

The Charlson family established The Charlson Family Warrior Leaders Scholarship as an annual/endowed fund in the Winona State University Foundation. The purpose of the fund is to encourage and support student athletes who are in the football program at WSU who show leadership in the classroom. Preference will be given to a student who has demonstrated leadership in the classroom, in the community or in athletics. Preference will be given to a student majoring in an academic discipline within the College of Business.

Criteria

1. Each recipient must be enrolled full-time and in good standing at Winona State University.
2. Each recipient must be a student entering their Junior or Senior year at WSU.
3. Each recipient must have a GPA of 2.75 or higher (4.0 = A).
4. Each recipient must be a student athlete on the Warrior football team.
5. Each recipient must demonstrate financial need; however, financial need will not be based solely on FAFSA.
6. Preference will be given to a student who has demonstrated leadership in the classroom, in the community or in athletics.
7. Preference will be given to a student majoring in an academic discipline within the College of Business.

Biography/Motivation

Colin and Chauncey Charlson are from Woodbury, MN. Colin enrolled at Winona State University in the fall of 2002 and graduated with a degree in Business Administration after his senior season of football in 2006. Chauncey followed his brother’s footsteps and enrolled at Winona State University in the fall of 2004 and he graduated with a degree in Marketing after his senior season of football in 2008. Cary and Cindy Charlson, parents of Colin and Chauncey, logged thousands of miles and never missed a game from 2002 until the end of 2008. You will not find bigger fans of WSU football anywhere. Even today you can hear Cary’s voice carrying across the field telling coach what he is doing wrong as the family travels back to at least one game per year.
While on campus Colin and Chauncey were captains of the football team and active members of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. They each played an instrumental role in developing a culture in the football program of volunteerism around the community including developing projects like the Hurricane Katrina relief trip and flood relief efforts right in our own city of Winona. Colin and Chauncey worked hard to lead by example first and to outwork their competitors and teammates every day.

Colin and Chauncey both decided to pursue a career following in their father’s footsteps as State Farm agents. Chauncey’s office is in White Bear Lake, MN and Colin’s in Mound, MN. Together they have achieved every award and accolade that State Farm offers their agents.

Colin is married to a fellow Winona State grad and standout Warrior soccer alumnus Christine (Beatty) Charlson. Together they have two children, Chase who was born in 2011, and Carver who was born in 2014.

Chauncey married his wife Carly in the spring of 2014. They anticipate having a large family one day as Carly comes from a litter of children herself.

Winona State had a lasting impression on each of us. We want to ensure that the future Warriors have the same ability to succeed that we did as a result of the campus experience in the classroom and on the field at Winona State University. We understand money can’t buy happiness or success, but financial support certainly can go a long way to help. Together we understand the significant financial burden attaining a college degree while participating in college athletics can put on a family’s financial situation. We also understand the great life lessons and learnings we were given, and will continue to receive, from being members of the Winona State Community and Warrior Football Program. Together we spend our entire professional lives helping protect families against what could go wrong so families can plan for what could go right. It only makes sense that we help Warrior football and Winona State do the same through the creation of our endowment.