L-R: Peter, Son-in-law Scott, Anna Catherine holding Freya Catherine, Ben, Conrad, Jeff Gullickson
Connie Ozyjowski, Assistant VP for Advancement Services at the university, worked closely with Jeff to set up the criteria for the scholarship, known today as the Catherine Bigelow Gullickson Memorial Scholarship. Candidates must be enrolled in the university’s school of nursing, have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and have a demonstrated drive for inquiry and learning. “They must also be someone who’s well-rounded—someone who’s interested in the arts, sports or other extracurricular activities because Catherine played tennis here,” Ozyjowski said. The scholarship garnered widespread support from the start and quickly took on a life of its own, eventually evolving into an endowment. “You don’t see something like this happen every day. There’s a tight community of people who have contributed. In fact, we got a big gift again this year,” Ozyjowski said. “It just keeps growing, and that’s just so unusual. Typically, it’s just the family that keeps giving, but in this case it’s family and friends.” In other cases, the connections are less obvious. Ozyjowski discovered that a donor from her son’s high school contributed to Catherine’s endowment. When asked about her connection to Catherine, the donor explained there was none, she was simply moved by Catherine’s remarkable story. “The school has been phenomenal in the students they’ve selected, and the administration has been phenomenal in their stewardship of the money and how it has grown,” Jeff said.
The endowment is now in its tenth year and has supported 20 students since its inception. Jeff and his family receive heartfelt cards and notes from the recipients who have benefited from Catherine’s scholarship, and their personal stories highlight its meaningful impact. One recipient, who was coping with her mother’s illness, discovered a personal connection to Catherine; her mother had attended the university with Catherine. The endowment will continue in perpetuity, and with it, so will Catherine’s legacy. "I hope this helps a steady stream of nurses who treat their patients the same way Catherine treated hers, and like the nurses we encountered during her illness treated her," Jeff said. Jeff joked that Catherine would likely be upset with the attention, as she was never one for the limelight. With the way Catherine lived her life, it was “never about her,” and she put her family first until the very end. How fitting, because when one chooses a career in nursing—one of the most noble professions— it stems from a genuine calling to help others. And even as we’re nearing the 10-year anniversary of her passing, Catherine continues to do just that. For more information, visit https://giving.up.edu/catherine.
29 Western Grower & Shipper | www.wga.com November | December 2024
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