Sauk City, Wis. –December 1, 2014 – Associated Bank recently awarded Emily Chrisler, a student at the University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, with a $2,500 “Good Fit” scholarship for writing about what a good fit meant for her when choosing her college. Chrisler is from Sauk City, Wisconsin.
The scholarship money will be paid directly to her university for the 2014-2015 school year to help with tuition, fees, books and supplies expenses.
This scholarship was awarded to only eight students out of nearly 800 entries throughout Wisconsin, Illinois and Minnesota. Recipients were chosen based on their ability to creatively express why their university is a good fit.
“The ability to provide these students with scholarships is something that Associated takes pride in,” said Mike Solt, district manager, Associated Bank. “It not only reinforces our local involvement and dedication to the Sauk City community, but it also helps us to assist our customers with the high cost of education, making it more affordable for them to secure their good fit.”
The scholarship application process provided students the opportunity to not only describe why they have found a good fit at their university, but also to reward them for their abilities to tell their story on the journey to finding their good fit. Associated believes that finding this fit is imperative to the students’ success because it will also help lead them to the path of their perfect career.
At Associated, a good fit is giving customers all the advice and financial services they need, in one place. For Chrisler, it means finding a university that feels just right. She envisions the term “good fit” as a metaphorical glove.
“Finding a glove that fits perfectly is hard to come by; at first an individual may not even know what he or she is looking for in the store, filtering through name brands and visually appealing patterns, but once the glove is on, it will just feel ‘right,’” said Chrisler.
Chrisler remembers the first time she stepped foot on campus at La Crosse. “The beautiful bluffs and river of the Coulee Region reminded me of the landscape of the area of Wisconsin where I was born, and feelings of being “home” instantly began resonating inside of me,” she said. “Unexplainably, it just felt ‘right’ to be here.”
Each finger on Chrisler’s glove represents a different reason she fell in love with the campus. For her, La Crosse had a home-like atmosphere and a breath-taking natural landscape, but it was not just the warm feelings and scenery that she loved. She also fell in love with the people, the academia and the endless opportunities.
Chrisler plans on majoring in therapeutic recreation and pursuing a doctorate degree in the highly regarded physical therapy program at La Crosse.
“I am fortunate to be surrounded by the feelings of comfort and safety that La Crosse has provided me with, but yet I feel as though I have been given the tools to expand my horizons and will grow into the quality and compassionate caregiver that I strive to be,” said Chrisler. “My dream job would be to work as a physical therapist in a children’s hospital with kids who are living with disabilities. I truly cannot wait to help improve the gross motor skills and overall quality of life for other children in the near future, and I sincerely feel as though I have found my calling in life—one that fits me like a glove.”
“It was my honor to award this scholarship to Emily for her dedication to finding her perfect fit,” said Solt. “We know what good fit means to us, and it’s great that she was able to find that in her university. Congratulations Emily!”
