Karen & David Matzke Nursing Scholarship

The Karen and David Matzke Nursing Scholarship is created for students who have been accepted into the Nursing program.

Criteria

A. Recipient must be enrolled full-time and in good standing at Winona State University, 12 credits per semester.
B. Recipient must be accepted into the Nursing program.
C. The spirit of this award is to help an average student with a minimum g.p.a. of 2.5. Preference can be given to middle students who is not on the high end or the low of the academic achievement; however, students should have a good work ethic and potential for being a great nurse.
D. Recipient must demonstrate financial need as determined by their FASFA report
E. Recipients receiving other scholarships are eligible.
F. Preference will be given to those students with current or previous military service.

Biography/Motivation

Karen Matzke was born and raised in Winona, MN. She majored in nursing at the College of St. Teresa, Winona, MN and received her Master of Science degree in Adult Health Nursing from Winona State University. Her professional nursing career has spanned 37 years.

Initially, she was a staff nurse and eventually an assistant head nurse for a total of nine years on a post operative surgical unit at Community Memorial Hospital, in Winona. She relocated to Marceline, MO where she functioned as the director of nursing for St. Francis Hospital for three years. She returned to the upper Midwest to the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN where she served as a nurse manager and nurse administrator for 16 years. The last five years of her professional career were based at Franciscan Skemp Healthcare, Mayo Health System, La Crosse, WI, in the role of Vice President of Nursing/Patient Care Services. Karen retired in 2005. Starting in 2006 Karen has been functioning as an adjunct faculty member for the Viterbo University Graduate Nursing Program-Leadership Track.

Karen has been committed to placing the needs of the patient first throughout her entire nursing career. Her leadership is evidenced by the awards she has received. Karen’s leadership practice has been to mentor other nurses to become the best the can be and in creating professional nursing practice environments in organizations.

David Matzke was born in La Crosse, WI and raised in Rochester, MN. Following high school graduation he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served for four years. He volunteered for and served two tours of duty in Vietnam. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, WI with a BS degree in Nuclear Medicine Technology (NMT)/Biology. He started his professional career in NMT at Community Memorial Hospital in Winona. He volunteered to learn Ultrasound Technology for the radiology department. Later, he relocated to Chilicothe, MO to function as a sonographer/NMT technical advisor for Mobile Medical Services, Inc for three years. David returned to the upper Midwest to start his own business, Clinical Ultrasound Services, Inc and has been president/chief sonographer for the past 25 years.

Davids focus has been to provide high quality diagnostic ultrasound services to his hospital accounts, in order to facilitate optimal patient care and diagnoses. He believes strongly in the important role registered nurses have in enhancing the health of everyone.

David and Karen believe it is important to give back to the community by providing financial assistance to nursing students, knowing the recipients will make a tremendous difference in the lives of their patients entrusted to their nursing care. It is hoped this gift will be help defray the cost of education for those in need and perhaps encourage the students to Ëœpay it forward" to other needy students in the future.