About
Established in 2017 by a very charitable and anonymous WWOA member, the Wisconsin Woodland Owners Association Forestry Leadership Scholarship aims to carry forward WWOA’s educational mission in a partnership with the forestry program at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. Since it’s establishment, our very generous members have joined this cause with the interest of educating future generations on the value of sustainable forestry and ensuring private woodland owners will always have access to well-trained foresters.
With a passion for sustainable forest management, WWOA’s mission, since 1979, is to ensure that future generations will be able to enjoy the beauty and utility of the woodlands. WWOA works to bridge the gap between private woodland owners and natural resources professionals by offering year-round educational opportunities and promoting the value of sustainable forestry throughout the state of Wisconsin.
Contributing
Visit the donations page of our website to make an online donation to the fund. Be sure to specify in your payment notes that the donation is for the scholarship fund.
If you prefer to donate using a check, please send us a note expressing the donation should go to the scholarship fund, along with a check payable to WWOA. Mail to WWOA, PO Box 285, Stevens Point, WI 54481.
How to Apply
Find the ONLINE APPLICATION, here.
Our Annual Scholarship application period is November 1st – January 1st.
Eligibility
- Enrolled full-time at UW-Stevens Point in the fall semester of the year of application
- Major in forest management
- Have at least two semesters remaining after the spring semester when scholarship is awarded
- Resident of Wisconsin
- Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8
- No handwritten applications will be accepted
- All parts of the application must be complete and included
- Must be willing to attend the WWOA’s Award Banquet on Friday, September 22nd, 2023, at WWOA’s Annual Meeting that will be held in Wisconsin Dells at the Chula Vista Resort.
- WWOA’s Executive Director and President will also attend the UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources Celebration Evening on April 21, 2023 meet the recipient.
Required Documents
- Application
- Unofficial transcript
- Resume
- Essay response
Submission
- Submit all materials to WWOA office or mail to WWOA, PO Box 285, Stevens Point, WI 54481
- Must be received or postmarked by January 1, 2023
Questions?
Contact the WWOA Office at 715-346-4798 or wwoa@uwsp.edu.
Scholarship Recipients
2022 – Sydney Ellis, Garret Dament
2021 – Tou Ger Vue
2020 – Steven Krueger, Colby Powers, and Brody Fischer
2019 – Violet Thielke
2018 – Travis Wollenberg
WWOA proudly announces the two 2022 recipients of the Forestry Leader Scholarship,
Sydney Ellis of Irma and Garret Dament of Berlin.
Sydney is a Forest Management student at UW-Stevens Point and plans to graduate in May 2023. Sydney began attending UWSP at the Wausau campus during her Senior year of high school. Sydney has always had a passion for the outdoors.
During Sydney’s sophomore year of high school she was tasked with a project to research and present on a career. She chose to research about the career of a Forester. That was the start of her interest in the forestry field. Sydney took it upon herself to go on a job shadow with a forester which further peaked her interest in applying to UWSP for the Forest Management program. Attending UWSP was a no-brainer for Sydney as it is one of the best forestry colleges in the county and within an hour drive of her hometown. This past summer Sydney attended the 6-week Treehaven Summer Field Experience which was a fun hands-on learning environment to further her growth and knowledge in forestry and natural resources as a whole.
Garret is a Forest Management student at UW-Stevens Point and plans to graduate in May 2023. Garret also has a Business Administration minor and Timber Marking Certificate that he is pursuing at UWSP. Garret began his college career at Fox Valley Technical College (FVTC) where he obtained his Associates in Natural Resources. Following that achievement, he transferred into UWSP to further pursue his education in forestry.
Garret’s first interest in forestry started at a young age when he was able to see logging equipment in action in northern Wisconsin near a family-owned property. Over the course of his childhood, he was involved with making firewood to heat his family home. His father and uncle created and operated a tree service company which transitioned into logging. Garret helped with repairs, moving equipment to jobsites, and started operating the Forwarder on harvesting sites at the age of 14. The combination of these practices through high school lead to Garret’s decision to attend FVTC with the intention to transfer to UWSP.
Do you know someone who could benefit from this scholarship? WWOA accepts applications from November 1 – January 1 annually. The scholarship award is split between two semesters, with the selected student receiving a total of $5,000.
Thank you so very much to all the WWOA members who have made this scholarship a reality!