Richard (Dick) and Linda Bergman
The Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools (FEPS) announced the establishment of the Bergman Family Scholarship to be offered to Eden Prairie High School seniors each Spring. Linda Bergman was a beloved 3rd and 4th grade teacher for over 15 years at Forest Hills Elementary. She especially loved and enjoyed working with her English Language Learning (ELL) students and celebrating diversity in her classroom. Since her retirement in 2008, she continued in her dedication to teaching by becoming the Tutoring Volunteer Coordinator for Baro, which means “learn” in Somali, at the Eden Prairie Library. Through that program she provided free tutoring for any student that needed it, as well as ELL help for parents. Her work at Baro led her to participate in other City of Eden Prairie committees such as PeopleFest and the Diversity Committee.
Her husband, Richard, was an Eden Prairie High School Alumni, and the first person in his family to continue on with a college education. Together they made their home in Eden Prairie and raised their son and daughter here. According to their daughter, Kelly Berge, “The Bergman family’s involvement with Eden Prairie Schools started in 1960 when my Dad’s family moved to Eden Prairie. My Grandmother got a job in the school’s kitchen that year and worked her way up to Director of Food Service before her retirement in 1996. My Dad and his siblings all graduated from Eden Prairie High School, as did my brother and I. I also taught 4th grade and 5th grade in Eden Prairie Schools for 8 years before becoming a substitute teacher, and now my children both attend Eden Prairie schools.”
Richard passed away in 2016, and sadly Linda passed away this past July in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. As her family was still grieving, Kelly contacted the Foundation for Eden Prairie Schools to inquire about the possibility of starting a scholarship fund for high school seniors. She and Linda talked about wanting to do something special for the Eden Prairie School District to give back to the City and a School District that had given her family so many opportunities over the years.
Are You a Good Potential Applicant?
This scholarship is awarded to a graduating Eden Prairie High School senior who:
- Will attend any post-secondary school in the fall following graduation
- Has overcome adversity, such as being an ELL student, a student who may be the first person in their family to attend college, or has had some hardship making the college dream difficult to achieve.
Award Amount: One-time award of $1,000, non-renewable.
How to Apply:
The application process will take place through Eden Prairie High School’s Multi-Scholarship Application process. Applications are open December through February. A committee will choose the recipient and the scholarship will be awarded at the EPHS Senior Community Scholarship Awards night on May 19th.
Step 1: Get a letter of recommendation from a teacher. This scholarship requires a letter of recommendation. Letters of recommendation currently in SCOIR will be used. If you do not have a letter of recommendation in SCOIR, one must be uploaded by a teacher or emailed to Ms. McNamara Elizabeth_mcnamara@edenpr.k12.mn.us by February 6, 2023 at 3pm.
Step 2: Complete the Multi-Scholarship application through EPHS’s online SCOIR system. The application form can be found in your My Drive in the student SCOIR portal. The application form is available from December 19 through February 6,2023. The top 5 candidates will be called for an interview.
Current & Past Recipients:
- 2022 Hamza Mahamud
- 2021 Umu Omar
