SNC Establishes George Floyd Memorial Scholarship

SNC has taken up the challenge issued June 4 by Scott Hagan, president of North Central University, when he called for all colleges and universities in the country to establish a scholarship in the name of George Floyd. St. Norbert’s fund has been established in the spirit of addressing systemic inequities and increasing opportunities for underrepresented students.

“By creating the George Floyd Memorial Scholarship for St. Norbert College students, we humbly join higher education institutions from across the country in solidarity to honor the life of Mr. Floyd,” said St. Norbert College President Brian Bruess ’90. “This small act also represents our enduring commitment to protect the human dignity of all, to steadfastly act for racial justice and to provide equal access to higher education.”

Gifts will be used to fund the scholarship, which will be awarded to a student (or students) of color with financial need.

Seek peace and pursue it
In a message to the SNC community on June 1, Bruess addressed the unrest seen throughout the nation since Floyd’s death: “We are a nation in pain. We are a community in pain. We are a family in pain.”

“We cannot fully know the very real and palpable ways that centuries of racism – the explicit and implicit, micro and systemic – have too often caused pain for our students, friends and fellow God-created humans,” Bruess continued. “Our mission as Green Knights, as a Catholic, liberal arts and Norbertine College, calls us to put down our defenses and listen more fully to the pain of our nation, to our fellow humans, to our SNC family and community members. It calls us to actively dismantle racism in every shape, every form.”

Many at St. Norbert have since echoed Bruess’ sentiments, sharing their own statements of compassion and healing in support of our students, alumni and parents of color.

The college invites everyone in the SNC community to share your voices as it builds an action plan to seek justice and ensure that every member of St. Norbert College – and the greater world – can flourish.

June 23, 2020