Krista Anne Nordgren Awarded Kemper Scholarship

As a habitual goal-setter, Krista Anne Nordgren, a first year student at Knox College, says being an entrepreneur is her ultimate goal. That takes a lot of creativity, and Nordgren plans to combine work in creative writing with practical business experience that a Kemper Scholarship offers.

Each year, the James S. Kemper Foundation selects one first-year student from each of its participating schools to serve as Kemper Scholars. Knox is one of 15 schools in the United States that can nominate their students for the Kemper Scholars Program sponsored by the James S. Kemper Foundation in Chicago. This year, Krista Anne Nordgren has been selected as the Knox College 2009 Kemper Scholar.

At Knox, Nordgren is a member of the Student Senate, Terpsichore Dance, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority and intramural basketball. Community service is also an important part of her life. While in her hometown of Durham, North Carolina, she attended a Quaker school where she says community service was a part of the curriculum. She is a jack-of-all-specialties for community service. She volunteered at an AIDS orphanage, helped in the preservation of sea turtles, worked with migrant farm workers and with the Music Maker Foundation that helps retired and impoverished musicians in the south.

As part of the Kemper Scholars Program, Nordgren will receive annual scholarships and paid summer internships following her sophomore and junior years at Knox.

Nordgren says she thinks that her focus on specific goals is what set her apart from her competition. "My dad teaches creativity and entrepreneurship classes, so I have been exposed to those kind of conversations in our house my whole life."

When it comes to leadership style, Nordgren defines hers as servant leadership. "You have to have a sensitivity and awareness of the group of people that you are leading. What they need, what they are look for, what they want, and [that] you are the risk taker."

She attended a small high school and says she was looking for the same thing in a college. "I picked Knox because I wanted the same experience. I wanted to continue to expand my interests rather than be specific right away. Knox was the only place I could do that. As a college student you have a lot of time in college to figure out what you are going to do with yourself and that helps solidify the perception of who you are."

Nordgren commented that on one of the first warm and sunny days of spring, she was walking across campus and thought "This is exactly where I wanted to be in my life right now."

Her immediate plans are to major in creative writing and to use that "creative world of ideas" as a jump-start in her career as an entrepreneur.

Kemper Scholars receive annual scholarships of between $3,000 and $8,000, based on need, during their sophomore, junior, and senior years of college.

Kemper Scholars also receive $6,000 stipends for work as interns in major nonprofit organizations in Chicago during the summer following their sophomore year. Scholars are placed in full-time positions where they can learn about administration, financial management, organizational strategy, fund-raising, and non-profit administration. During the Chicago summer, Scholars live in the same apartment residence hall and participate in a weekly seminar while having opportunities to explore the cultural, historical and entertainment aspects of the city.

During the summer following their junior year, Kemper Scholars are eligible for internship grants of $2,000-$6,000 to spend the summer either conducting an independent project or in another internship to further prepare them for entrepreneurial careers.

Each fall, all Kemper Scholars attend a national conference to discuss summer projects, meet with former Kemper scholars and consider topics in administration, leadership and business. They read and discuss major works on leadership, service, ethics, or business; and have frequent contact with Kemper Foundation staff to discuss the Scholars' academic and professional goals, internships and learning opportunities.

The Kemper Foundation was created in 1942 with an endowment from Kemper Insurance Companies and its founder, James S. Kemper and members of his family. The Kemper Scholars Program was founded in 1948. The program connects summer business experiences with undergraduate academic programs. It also provides students with scholarship support based on financial need. Each scholar is selected for their personal and professional success, intellectual curiosities and desire to use their business careers to benefit society as a whole.