Luverne Dollars for Scholars reaches $5 million milestone

The Luverne Dollars for Scholars chapter hit a milestone Monday night during the Luverne High School awards program, which was shared via YouTube.
Midway through announcing the list of 68 seniors who received scholarships, chapter president Don Klosterbuer paused to recognize that the program had awarded $5 million to 1,942 LHS graduates since it began in 1984.
The video inserted animated celebration of Peanuts characters dancing amid balloons and confetti as a replacement of sorts for applause from audience that was viewing online.
By the end of the night, Klosterbuer said the total amount of scholarships awarded was $5,066,225.
This year alone, Luverne’s Dollars For Scholars awarded 68 scholarships totaling $457,000.
“Congratulations to all of you,” Klosterbuer said. “We look forward to hearing of your success and following your achievements.”
Since its inception, the Luverne Dollars for Scholars program has been the benefactor of 269 perpetual scholarships with a total endowment of over $9 million.
A volunteer board of 21 trustees oversees local operations.
Luverne is home to the second-largest Dollars for Scholars fund in the United States. And, on a per-student basis, the Luverne fund is the largest in the nation.
Students apply for Dollars For Scholars online and they are awarded scholarships based on the following criteria: academic performance, scholastic aptitude, work experience, school activity and community involvement.   
Students are also required to write an essay describing their future aspirations as well as seek a recommendation from someone, whether a teacher or another adult who has worked with the student.
The application process is facilitated locally, but they’re scored anonymously, with each application assigned a number. The Luverne High School counselor verifies class rank, GPA and ACT score.
Only the application number, not the applicant name, is seen throughout the rest of the scoring.
“This is a wonderful gift to our students as they venture out to further their education,” said Luverne High School Principal Ryan Johnson.
Luverne High School graduate (1996) Monte Ossenfort provided an Awards Night special message.
The son of Rodger and Dianne Ossenfort, he most recently worked with the New England Patriots. He told LHS students to appreciate their Luverne school experience.
“I’ve lived in different parts of the country … Ohio, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts and soon to be Tennessee … and we’ve been part of many communities,” he said.
“The thing that will always stand out to me about Luverne and its school system is the people. There is a sense of belonging, a sense of community and pride in what the town stands for. Trust me – this isn’t the case in every community.”