Drake University has a number of scholarships available for Iowa women who are seeking a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree. The Judith A. Lindquist Scholarship for Women MBAs covers up to half the cost of tuition for current and incoming Drake students who are unable to participate in a tuition reimbursement program through their employer.
The renewable scholarship—launched last year, but available to a greater number of students beginning in fall 2017—is named in honor of the late Judy Lindquist, a 1970 Drake alumna who dedicated her life to teaching socially disadvantaged elementary students at Des Moines Public Schools.
“We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to award up to $50,000 in scholarships this year through the Lindquist Scholarship for Women MBAs,” said Danette Kenne, assistant dean of the Drake University College of Business and Public Administration. “Through this remarkable scholarship fund, Judy Lindquist continues to empower Iowa women to advance their careers in challenging professional fields.”
Current Drake MBA student Megan Kassmeier was the first recipient of the scholarship. She works as the volunteer and resource manager for a nonprofit agency in Des Moines, and hopes to someday serve as director for a humanitarian nonprofit focused on poverty alleviation and/or community development. She said she chose Drake’s Master of Business Administration program because of the opportunity to specialize in nonprofit management.
“My employer doesn’t reimburse for tuition, but I knew I wanted and needed more higher education,” Kassmeier said. “This scholarship has been meaningful because it opens doors I wouldn’t have had otherwise. With less debt repayment, I will be able to invest my resources into other causes that I care about as well.”
Lindquist’s estate gift to the university supports the scholarship for female MBA students, as well as two other scholarships offered to undergraduate students—the Judith A. Lindquist Excellence in Science, Technology, Math, and Business Scholarship; and the Maurice W. and Anita Lindquist Endowed Scholarship for students from Gowrie, Iowa. The scholarships were first awarded to Drake students during the 2015-16 school year, to one recipient per scholarship; a larger scholarship pool is available for each starting in fall 2017.
Drake’s M.B.A. program is offered in a hybrid classroom model—the only one of its kind in central Iowa—that blends the convenience of online coursework with the benefits of intensive classroom experience. About half of course time is completed online, with the other half completed on Drake’s campus. The flexibility of this hybrid model allows working adults to earn a degree without sacrificing quality for convenience or personal life for professional development.
More information is available online at www.drake.edu/mba, or by contacting Dianna Gray, outreach coordinator for Drake University’s College of Business and Public Administration, at 515-271-3921 or dianna.gray@drake.edu.