Gladys Pearson Indigenous Student Scholarship
Gladys Pearson was born into a North Dakota farm family that encouraged her to complete a university education. She graduated from her high school as their valedictorian and went on to attain a bachelor's degree in accounting from Jamestown College in ND. She raised her family to appreciate and love learning and continued to learn throughout her life. After launching all of her four children with college educations, and participating in the development of six international exchange students as a host parent, she went back to the university to become a registered nurse at age 50, working as a telephone advice nurse for 14 years. When she retired, she continued to pursue her educational interests studying German and Spanish, playing the piano, tutoring adults in English, participating in community and church affairs, and supporting her adult children and grandchildren in many ways, giving them the opportunity to thrive. In her final note to her children, she encouraged them to pursue any educational passions and dreams they had. Teachers have the largest impact on the betterment of quality of life for many communities. This scholarship is meant to contribute toward this goal and hopefully assist Indigenous students in fulfilling their educational aspirations.