Luther College's Michael Berndt awarded 2013 Steven Mark Anderson Scholarship

DECORAH, IA (03/27/2013)(readMedia)-- Five Luther College students have each received a $1,000 Steven Mark Anderson Scholarship for the 2013-14 academic year.

Recipients of the scholarship were announced during the 12th annual Luther College Student Support Services Celebration Banquet held March 20. Recipients include Michael Berndt, Aimee Lenth, Kendra Moser, Katelynn Richman and Rebecca Rudquist.

The Steven Mark Anderson Scholarship benefits Luther students involved in Student Support Services, a Federal TRIO program sponsored by Luther for more than 40 years. The student success program provides services ranging from tutoring and advising to leadership development and graduate school preparation for 170 students annually.

The Steven Mark Anderson Scholarship was established in 2001 by Lloyd and Kathy Anderson of Ames, Iowa, in memory of their son, Pastor Steven Mark Anderson, who graduated from Luther in 1985. The endowed scholarship has benefitted 65 students since then.

Michael Berndt of Amery, Wis., is involved in a number of activities that promote Luther's values and mission. He volunteers in Decorah with Habitat for Humanity and the Blue Zones community initiative. He tutors music and French for Student Support Services and sings in the Collegiate Choir, one of Luther's auditioned choral ensembles. He also works as the full-time organist for a local church and plays guitar in a church worship band.

This summer, Berndt and another Luther student are performing their second benefit concert to raise money for a local food shelf.

Berndt will graduate from Luther in 2014 with a double major in music and philosophy and plans to attend graduate school.