The Dana College Alumni Council is pleased to announce its selections for awards to be presented at this year’s Homecoming

Many thanks to alumni from across the nation who nominated their fellow Vikings to be honored in this way. The nominations were outstanding, and continue to amaze the selection committee and the Council with the accomplishments that Dana alumni have made. Those nominees who were not chosen this year will be considered for next year’s awards.

Two individuals are to be inducted into the Dana College Athletic Hall of Fame. Josie Barrow was a second team All-American softball player, four-time all conference, and 2006 Conference Player of the Year. She ranks in Dana’s top ten in at least ten pitching and offensive statistical categories. Our other inductee, Derek Fey, was a two time All-American for Dana in cross country and track (marathon) as part of the powerhouse distance teams coached by Jay Birmingham. Derek also went on later to win the Omaha Marathon.

For the Distinguished Alumni Award, we have a husband-wife team (a Dana first) and another individual familiar to most alumni. Matt and Amanda (Buttry) Poulter were standout runners in cross country and track for the Vikings. Matt’s success in business has led him to start several businesses and help young Christian men do likewise. Together, he and Amanda manage a non-profit organization, Keaton’s Angel Homes, which supports orphanages for special needs children in India and Taiwan as well as other organizations around the globe supporting women with special needs children. Their organization is named after their own adopted special needs child who passed away at a very early age. Amanda also volunteers at a pro-life pregnancy clinic.

For our other Distinguished Alumni Award, the Council asked Bob Coffey to step down from the nominations committee so that we could nominate him. While a student, Bob was involved in nearly a dozen organizations at Dana, including three sports. He recently retired from a career in marketing and as development director for the Washington County Community Foundation. He has spent most of his volunteer life in service to Dana College and its alumni as Booster Club president, Alumni Council member, Dana Regent, and is currently president of the Dana College Foundation. He has spent the last several years as a liaison between the alumni community and the Angels Share organization which is repurposing the Dana campus.

Again, thank you for these inspirational nominations! We hope you will all plan to attend Homecoming on Saturday, October 1st, to reminisce, learn more about campus plans, and honor our fellow alumni!

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Dana Foundation Selects 2022 Scholarship Winners
The Dana College Foundation is pleased to announce its 2022 Legacy Scholarship recipients. Students who are descendants of Dana alumni, faculty or staff, and who choose to attend a Christian-affiliated, liberal arts college, are eligible to apply.

The idea is to help students have a college experience similar to that of Dana. In most years the Foundation awards two $5,000.00 scholarships. This year it has awarded three.

“We had three individuals who really stood out,” said Bob Coffey (’75), president of the Foundation. “And we could not separate them to pare it down to two. Thanks to the generosity of donors to our Scholarship Fund, we found enough money to award all three.”

The Foundation board reviewed a record number of applications (22) that came from all across the mainland. Students are judged upon their academic preparation, connections to Dana, school and outside activities, jobs and volunteerism, special achievements, and an essay.

“Every year we are impressed with the ambition and achievements of our applicants. It does the heart good to get a glimpse of what tomorrow’s leadership could be,” said Coffey. “It’s amazing to see how these young people see Dana through the tales of their parents and grandparents. They really get what the Dana experience was about, and want it for themselves. We wish every one of our applicants the best in their future ambitions.”

The three students selected for the Legacy Scholarships are:

Briana Gardner
Briana is from Bellevue, Nebraska, where she was homeschooled. Both of her parents are Dana alumni, Paul (’97) and Michelle (Hurt)(’99) Gardner. She will attend Dordt University in Sioux Center, Iowa, to study Political Science and Spanish with a minor in Legal Studies.

Brandon Dirks
Brandon is from Marcus, Iowa, where he attended Marcus-Meriden-Clegholm/Remsen-Union High School. His father is a Dana alum, Bryan Dirks (’94). Brandon will attend Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, to study exercise science.

Mark Severtson
Mark is from Milan, Michigan, where he attended Parishville-Hopkinton Central High School. His grandparents, Ann and Lloyd Bansen, were Dana alumni, as were numerous members of the Bansen family. Mark will attend Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, to study Music Performance.

Events

Pictures from Homecoming 2021 are now available!Click here to see the album

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