Wayland Academy announces 20th annual Swan Scholarship competition
Local students encouraged to apply by mid-February
Beaver Dam, WI—Wayland Academy is pleased to announce its 20th annual competition for the Mary Swan Scholarship, an award that covers the full cost of tuition at Wayland for four years.
Wayland is primarily a coeducational boarding high school, housing students from more than 15 states and 25 countries in any given school year. But about 30 percent of Wayland students are day students, living and commuting to the Wayland campus from Beaver Dam and surrounding communities.
“Wayland works hard to keep our globally-minded, Midwest-rooted, college-prep education within reach for families here in Beaver Dam,” said Josh Labove PhD, Dean of Enrollment and Financial Aid. “Local scholarships like the Swan Scholarship make it so a Wayland education is possible for students who are eager to bring their curiosity and positive energy to our 55 acres of Beaver Dam.”
Mary Swan, Wayland class of 1925, was a native of Beaver Dam. Swan and her family were generous patrons of her hometown and Wayland Academy, her alma mater. Swan taught English at Wayland Academy from 1956 to 1969 and was highly respected for her steadfast devotion to teaching students to write clearly and concisely.
“Mary was not only devoted to, but a strong advocate of, education,” said John B. McKinstry H`10, Wayland trustee and life-long friend of Mary Swan. “She was determined to use her intellectual resources as a teacher, as well as her material resources, to open doors.”
The Swan Scholarship celebrates Wayland Academy’s commitment to the principles of knowledge and character, which McKinstry says Swan lived by, and affirms the Academy’s commitment as citizens and neighbors in Beaver Dam.
“The Swan Scholarship is an important way to ensure the values of Mary Swan and her pride for Beaver Dam endures,” added Labove.
Each year, Wayland offers this scholarship opportunity, valued at about $90,000, to local Beaver Dam students entering ninth grade in the following school year. Students enrolled in public or parochial school are welcome to apply, as well as those who are home schooled.
To be eligible for the scholarship, students must be in good academic and disciplinary standing at their current school. Applicants must reside full-time with at least one parent within the boundaries of the Beaver Dam Unified School District.
Easton Keil, who earned the 2022 Swan Scholarship, says his first semester at Wayland has been an eye-opening experience.
“Here at Wayland, I’ve met numerous people that come from places as close as here in Beaver Dam, to as far as places like Saudi Arabia and Vietnam,” he said. “My first semester here has shown me that no one is left out in the Wayland community.”
Easton is an alum of St. Stephen’s Lutheran School and is the son of Dawn and Wayne Keil of Beaver Dam.
Applicants for the 2023 competition must also submit their completed admission and financial aid applications to the Wayland Admission Office by Monday, February 15, 2023, at wayland.org/apply-now.
For additional information about the Mary Swan Scholarship, call 920-356-2120, ext. 237, or email admission@wayland.org.
About Wayland Academy:
Wayland Academy is an independent, coed college preparatory school for boarding and day students in grades nine through twelve (9–12). Founded in Beaver Dam in 1855, the school’s rich, rigorous academic program features small classes, capstone projects at every grade, an active STEAM program, and an array of AP offerings. The global and welcoming school community brings together students from Wisconsin, across the United States, and from all over the world together in an innovative and engaging learning environment.
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Vicki Horstman
Marketing Specialis
