College-bound students benefit from 40-year-old gift
Roseville, Minn. – For four decades a $250,000 gift to the Twin Cities Salvation Army has helped hundreds of local students pay for college.
In the mid 1970s, St. Paul native Pearl H. Linden and her two sisters left $1.25 million to several charities, including The Salvation Army.
Their instructions for the Linden Scholarship were to use that money to help students who need it, but who also demonstrate “community spirit and moral standards.” The one-time, non-renewable scholarship offers $3,000 for students pursuing a four-year degree, and $1,500 for students in two-year programs.
“The Linden Scholarship is a perfect example of how estate planning can work to create a lasting legacy that really makes a difference,” said Dave Overstake, director of planned giving at The Salvation Army.
In 2015, these seven local high school students with outstanding records as leaders and volunteers have won the Linden Scholarship, receiving $3,000 each.
Mosope Ani
Mosope Ani graduated from Roseville Area High School with a 3.5 GPA, enjoying a place on the A and B honor rolls. She was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa honor society and on the dean’s list at Inver Hills Community College, where she took college-level courses during high school.
An active volunteer at Fare for All, Johanna Shores Presbyterian Homes, the Maplewood Library and Christ Church International, Ani says the experiences have been invaluable.
“It’s given me a greater appreciation for the things I have, and it’s taught me to be humble,” she said. “I have learned that giving back doesn’t necessarily require money or material things, it can be in the form of time and skills.”
Ani plans to attend the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and study psychology.
Athena Nelson-Baker
Athena Nelson-Baker graduated from St. Paul’s Highland Park High school with a 3.43 GPA. She also took college-level courses at St. Catherine’s during high school.
Baker held various jobs during high school, including working as a teacher’s aide. She is also an accomplished basketball player, and the winner of the High Honors award and the African American academic award.
She is an active volunteer for Saint Peter Claver church, Feed My Starving Children and Second Harvest Heartland. She calls those experiences life changing.
“It has made me better my community, the lives of others and my social skills. Most importantly, volunteering has helped me develop a better understanding of my faith and my religion,” Baker said.
She plans to attend the University of Kansas to pursue a degree in social work, with a concentration in social welfare. In the future, Baker wants to work in child protection and become a Guardian ad Litem.
Kilimba Dyauli
Kilimba Dyauli graduated from Roseville Area High School with a 3.01 GPA, earning a 3.75 GPA in his senior year.
A native of Tanzania, he moved to the United States with his family in elementary school. He learned English in less than a year and quickly distinguished himself as a star soccer player.
As a regular volunteer at his church, at local elementary schools, and on AVID panels, Dyauli is the proud recipient of an award for “Most Involved in the Community.”
A varsity soccer player, he earned all-conference honorable mention and has been recognized for sportsmanship in the Premier Soccer League. He also works for Minnesota United and hopes to join their marketing team after college.
Dyauli will attend Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, where he plans to play soccer and pursue a double major in marketing and computer information systems.
Iniobong (Ini) Eyoh
Ini Eyoh graduated from Park High School in Cottage Grove with a 3.82 GPA, taking honors and International Baccalaureate courses. She also completed college-level classes at Century College during high school.
Eyoh is a regular colunteer for Feed My Starving Children, Books for Africa and the Park Grove Library, and she served on the Community Youth Council.
She competed in gymnastics, lettered in varsity track and played volleyball, all while also holding down a job at Walmart.
Eyoh plans to study pediatric nursing at Winona State University. She hopes to eventually earn a Ph.D.
“It has always been my dream to be in a career that helps people,” she said. “To make this dream come true, I decided to study nursing.”
Eyoh said this scholarship will help make that dream a reality.
Chao Lee
Chao Lee graduated from Como Park Senior High in St. Paul with a 3.24 GPA, taking AP classes in Government, Psychology, English and Biology. She earned a place on the B honor roll and was chosen to go to Washington, D.C. as a young leader representing Minnesota and the Hmong community.
A volunteer for the Northdale Rec Center, for AgriBank/Urban Roots and for the DFL, Lee says she wants to continuing giving back after college.
“I am honored to receive this scholarship on behalf of my mother who raised me to be not only educated, but wise and strong for all the single mothers who are abandoned in the Hmong community,” Lee said. “This scholarship is a motivator, daring me to roll up my sleeves and work harder.”
Lee plans to start her education at Century College in White Bear Lake and then finish her degree at Metropolitan State where she will major in law enforcement.
Cedric Roby
Cedric Roby graduated from Central High School in St. Paul, where he played varsity football, served as a student advisory leader and played in symphonic band.
A regular volunteer at his church and in guest relations Bethesda Hospital, he says those opportunities have been invaluable to him.
“This volunteering experience is so meaningful to me, because it is far from a regular job. It almost feels like family, because you get to know the patients and their families,” Roby explained.
He plans to attend Central State University in Ohio, but has not yet chosen a major. Roby hopes to own his own business one day, and plans to teach drum lessons on the side.
Zenab Tiamiyu
Zenab Tiamiyu (pictured, right) lives in Oakdale and graduated from North St. Paul High School, where she competed in varsity track and field, and served on the student council.
A lifelong volunteer, Tiamiyu gives her time and talents to The Boys and Girls Club, to local nursing homes and as a tutor to younger children in school. She especially values that experience, because her own teachers were such an important influence in her life.
Ultimately, Tiamiyu would like to go to medical school and become a pediatrician. Her dream is work with Doctors Without Borders, helping underprivileged kids around the world.
She plans to attend Iowa State University and major in Biology and Spanish. She says her dream medical school is Johns Hopkins University.
About The Salvation Army
The Twin Cities Salvation Army serves more than 218,000 people a year through its local centers of operation, including 15 housing and shelter facilities and eight food shelves. Daily it serves nearly 1,400 hot meals and shelters more than 1,000 people each night. More than 26,600 local volunteers help The Salvation Army provide these and other services, from child daycare to Senior housing. Learn more about Salvation Army volunteer opportunities or make a donation. Connect with us on Facebook.com/SalvationArmyNorth and on Twitter @SalArmyNorth.