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Each year, the Roseau Women of Today awards a $500 scholarship to a High School Senior (residing in the Roseau Community School boundaries) who has shown character and care for our community through Community Service. One of the requirements of each applicant is an essay of 500 words or less defining the importance of community service; who it impacts and how.
Click here to read the essay written by last year's recipient, Lindsay Vistad. We are proud to share with you below, the essay submitted by this year's recipient, Anna Ulvin.
We also require two letters of recommendation. Here are a couple of excerpts that highlight Anna’s character and commitment to serving others: “Anna leads by example and is one of the first to volunteer to give back to her community.” and “These experiences show her compassion, intercultural awareness, and the maturity to apply her gifts toward the service of others.”
May 2026 - Roseau Women of Today member Beckie Erdmann (left) presenting scholarship certificate to 2026 recipient Anna Ulvin (right).
Roseau Women of Today Community Service Scholarship Essay
Roseau Women of Today Community Service Scholarship Essay
As an active volunteer in my school and community, I have directly seen the significance of my volunteering. To start, I have been involved in my community through the Cereal Food Drive vs. Warroad, the Giving Tree, the Gift of Giving, teaching Sunday School at Moe Lutheran Church, Public Library sponsored events, LifeCare Junior Volunteer, coaching and reffing youth volleyball and basketball teams, and the Backpack Program. During each of these activities, I have had the opportunity to work alongside community members in need and learned that my actions in volunteering provide them opportunities for a higher standard of living and future success.
The most impactful experience I have had was with the Roseau Community Backpack Program, where high school students fill elementary students' lockers with food to be eaten over the weekend. While filling a locker, I had an encounter that strengthened my reason behind why I chose to volunteer. As I was filling a third grader’s locker with food, I saw a note written in their locker: “Thank you so much for the food so I do not go hungry over the weekend.” For some people, a food bag is a small gesture that may go unnoticed, but for this little kid, it was the reason she was not going hungry over short and long weekends. This student may not have realized that this note reiterated my purpose in volunteering for our community. They showed me that when I volunteer my time I am actually impacting lives for the better and providing access to new opportunities. In the end, this small gesture could have gone unnoticed; however, I value it because it showed the real difference you can make in people’s lives when you volunteer even the smallest amount of time.
In the end, volunteering for our community and school throughout the years has taught me the importance of giving even the smallest amount of your time to others because you never truly know what they are going through at home. That is why, throughout my life, I plan to continue dedicating my time for the betterment of individuals within our community.
Anna Ulvin, Roseau Women of Today 2026 Scholarship Recipient
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