Generous scholarships made available to CHS seniors from 1964 grad Dr. Emmerich
By Allen V. Stock
Foster County Independent
A former Carrington resident and graduate of Carrington High School is making possible an outstanding scholarship opportunity for graduates of CHS.
Michael W. Emmerich, who died this past summer after a short bout with cancer, was an optometrist in Grand Forks and in his estate requested that a scholarship fund be set up for financially needy students to attend college.
The criteria for the scholarship is that the student must be a high school graduate from Grand Forks, N.D., East Grand Forks, Minn., or Carrington, N.D. The student must have maintained a 2.0 average and have been accepted into an institution of higher learning.
The scholarships are to be based primarily on financial need.
The amount of the scholarship could be as much as the average cost of educating a student at UND, roughly $15,500.00 per year, but is not dependent on the student attending UND.
The scholarship may be for four years (at basis of $15,500.00 per year) and in order to maintain the scholarship the student must be full time and maintain a 2.0 average.
Applications are now being taken for the start of the fall semester of 2016.
A website has been established at www.mwescholarships.com where additional information is available.
About Dr. Emmerich
The MWE Scholarship Fund was established by Dr. Michael W. Emmerich in 2015.
Dr. Emmerich was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota and moved with his parents to Carrington as a small boy. After graduation from high school in Carrington in 1964, Michael attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.
From there, he entered Optometry School at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. He graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry in 1969, and moved back to Grand Forks, North Dakota.
Dr. Emmerich, along with Dr. Calvin Rustad, Dr. Loren Hendrickson and Dr. Quentin Haroldson established a new eye clinic on the south end of Grand Forks next to the Cinema Theatre, (what is now the WDAZ building).
They named the eye clinic, Valley Vision Clinic. The clinic opened its doors on April 1, 1970.
Dr. Emmerich was a son of Ardis and Willard Emmerich who, for many years, operated Emmerich’s Jewelry Store and Ladies Ready-to-Wear on Carrington’s Main Street.