Warroad Senior High School Students Awarded over $1.1 Million in Scholarships

In Warroad, Minnesota, one can say that the school and community get it right when it comes to scholarship and awards.

Forty-eight of the 82 graduating seniors received scholarships and awards in the amount capable of becoming $1,196,016.  This is truly an amazing feat for a community of 1,700.  Local donors, organizations, and businesses have made a commitment to the school, the students, and the community to impress upon the graduates how important it is to give back to your community.  The value of education and the opportunity to attend institutions of higher learning is a value system that is becoming more ingrained in the people of Warroad.

Most people in Northwest Minnesota would agree that Warroad does it right when it comes to making windows and producing talented hockey players.  Now, a little-known secret needs to get out when it comes to the Warroad Scholarship program.

The Award Ceremony held Monday, May 20th, was a cold, rainy evening with temperatures hovering around 45 degrees.  Walking into the high school gymnasium took the chill away and allowed a person to escape the dismal spring weather and settle into a student paradise

Paul Marvin, a fourth generation family member of the Marvin Companies, was the keynote speaker and impressed upon the graduates three key core values that were present in his grandfather and grandmother, Bill and Margaret Marvin.  Those three points were hard work, service, and giving back.

In 2007, William S. and Margaret W. Marvin established a $15 million endowment to set up scholarships for graduates of Warroad High School that is the envy of schools across the country.  Bill and Margaret Marvin have passed away, but their generosity and gift continues to graciously change lives of Warroad graduates.  On Monday evening, their gift represented over $543,000 in scholarships to 19 graduates.

Rob Bollinger, one of the scholarship presenters from Bemidji State University, summed it up best when asked if any other high school has a scholarship program close to Warroad.  Bollinger stated, “Nobody has anything close to this.  This program is really special.  You guys do a great job.  Warroad does it right.”