A Dream Worth the Wait

On May 15, Jennifer Carpenter walked across the stage at Alliant Energy Center to receive her associate degree in nursing. Becoming a Wolfpack alumna was no small feat: she raised two children while enrolled in the program and overcame financial and mental health obstacles along the way.

“I didn’t think this day was going to come. The fact that I’m here, that I finished my exam, that I’m going to be a nurse — it makes me feel good,” Jennifer says. “I’m getting the degree I’ve aspired to since I was 12. My 13-year-old is so proud of me.”

Jennifer is one of 114 recipients of the Gloria Gudmundson Associate Degree Nursing Scholarship, established by Gloria, a former nursing faculty member, and her husband, Gene Musser.

“We passionately believe in the value and power of higher education as a building block for a fulfilling and successful life. Education should be accessible and affordable to everyone who desires it.”

Gloria Gudmundson

The impact of scholarships is life-changing. I’d love to be someone who contributes to another student’s education one day.”

Jennifer Carpenter

Thanks to Gloria and Gene’s generosity, Jennifer leaves Madison College with a diploma and a job offer in hand — she has accepted a position as a triage nurse at a family medicine clinic.

Jennifer is evidence of the power of philanthropy, and of the “pay it forward” spirit it inspires.

“The numerous heartwarming stories of determined and committed students like Jennifer have reinforced to us the value of making the ‘impossible’ possible for as many students as we can reach,” Gloria says. “We are giving so that these students will eventually have more to give and make this world a better place.”