Anna Meritt

Due to this generous scholarship, I am able to attend UW as a full time student without constantly worrying if I will have enough money to continue my education next semester. I graduated from Monroe High School with an unweighted 4.0 GPA. I continuously worked hard in order to earn my spot at a world class institution like UW-Madison. Unfortunately, with my single mother's income, I would not have been able to attend UW without going into significant debt and working as many hours as possible every week. This scholarship, however, has allowed me to not work my first semester of college. With that time, I plan to devote myself to my studies and experience everything that UW-Madison has to offer. 

I was accepted into the School of Music with flute as my primary instrument. I plan to study instrumental music education with the intention of becoming a middle or high school band director. Music has had such a positive impact in my life, and I want to share the gift of creating music with young students. Teachers also have the honor of helping young people become kind, intelligent, and respectful citizens. I am eager to help students achieve their goals and become the best version of themselves. 

It is an understatement to say that this scholarship has helped my life. The Arndt Family Scholarship has dramatically changed my future. Not only will my debt be very minimal, but I also won't have to deal with the stress and anxiety that financial instability brings to low-income students. I am able to focus on my education and get the most out of UW. My family also no longer has to worry about my future. I am eternally grateful for this scholarship, and I will use this gift to acquire the necessary tools to educate young students for year to come.