Margarete L. and D. Glenn Hilts Scholarship

Dr. Margarete Ambs Hilts established this scholarship to benefit and encourage students at La Sierra who majored in a modern language such as French, German or Spanish. She understood the important and entwined nature of language and culture, so stipulated that recipients should have spent at least one year studying the language abroad to be eligible for the scholarship. Dr. Hilts was a true leader and an influential, visionary faculty member at La Sierra for more than 50 years. Her honors include being named the Alumni Teacher of the Year, the LLU Distinguished Service Award and the G.T. Anderson Award for Excellence in Teaching. She has the distinction of having taught at this institution longer than any other professor: 58 years.

Carmen and Rafael C. Morales Spanish Language Scholarship

The Carmen and Rafael C. Morales Hispanic Scholarship Fund was established by Dr. Lourdes Morales-Gudmundsson and her brothers, Tito Franklin Morales, Ralph Morales, Jr., and Raul Jose Morales, in memory of their parents, Carmen Lopez de Morales and Rafael Casimiro Morales who made many personal and financial sacrifices to provide Christian education for their children at La Sierra Academy, La Sierra University, and Loma Linda University. Dr. Lourdes Morales-Gudmundsson is an alumna of La Sierra University, having graduated with her brother, Dr. Ralph Morales, Jr., also a Loma Linda University alumnus. Raul J. Morales is an alumnus of La Sierra Academy and Tito F. Morales attended then La Sierra College through his sophomore year in the pre-med program. As a freelance “social worker” among Latinos, Mrs. Carmen Lopez de Morales taught women how to read and write, how to drive, how to teach, and encouraged the young people in newly-baptized families to attend Christian schools in the area and abroad. A native of Caracas, Venezuela, Mr. Rafael Casimiro Morales, an artist, draftsman, and self-taught scholar, who spoke English, Italian, and Spanish fluently and could read French and German, was an inspiration to his family. This award goes to a deserving Spanish major who is involved in Hispanic community service.

Clarence Jesse and Marié Buhalts Boyd Scholarship

This scholarship was established to honor the memory of Clarence Jesse Boyd and his wife Marié Buhalts, who dedicated their lives to Christian education as teachers and administrators. They had two grandchildren and two great-grandchildren who graduated from La Sierra University. Awards are to be given to a graduating senior completing a major in biology, chemistry, physics or mathematics, and who is preparing for a career in secondary teaching. The scholarship will assist students entering in the fifth year teacher certification program at La Sierra University. 

Maybel Jensen Memorial Scholarship

Although born in Wisconsin, Maybel Viola Jensen’s lifetime home was La Sierra. Her parents, Charles and Mary Jensen, were farmers of Danish descent who believed in Christian education. Maybel earned a B.A. degree in 1925, from Union College. She then began a career that spanned more than half a century teaching in church schools, Hutchinson Theological Seminary, La Sierra Academy and Southern California Junior College. After receiving her M.A. degree in education from the University of Southern California, she taught in the Education and Psychology departments at La Sierra College for more than 40 years and supervised the development of Loma Linda University’s School of Education special education resources. This trust was founded in her memory after her death in 1981. Her bequest and gifts of time and dedication remind us that Maybel was a great benefactor of La Sierra University and Christian education.

Eliza Landeen Endowed Scholarship

Born in Sweden in 1891, William Martin Landeen came to the U.S. in 1915. He received his B.A. and doctor of law degrees from Walla Walla College (where he met his future wife), and a second doctorate from the University of Michigan. In 1924, the Landeens served the General Conference European Division, where he was educational secretary. He taught at the University of Pennsylvania, served five years as president of Walla Walla College and taught and held three terms as La Sierra’s president beginning in 1961. Eliza taught in several church schools, then reared and schooled their five children at home. While serving as a major in the U.S. Army under Patton, Dr. Landeen refused an order to destroy historical Nazi documents (that might later help explain the madness) and eventually donated 1,600 volumes of rare Nazi documents and books to La Sierra’s library. When Eliza died in 1965, Dr. Landeen set up this endowment in her memory to assist elementary education majors on the La Sierra campus.

The “Pat on the Back Award”

The “Pat on the Back Award” award is given in recognition of a senior education major who has demonstrated outstanding teaching skills and a connection with their students during their student teaching experience, and will be teaching in an SDA school or attending an SDA graduate school seeking a master’s degree in the fall. The award seeks to reward a job well done as well as encourage current education majors to give their best as they pursue their degree and enter the classroom.  The award is given by an Elementary Education graduate with gratitude for the generous grants and financial aid given during their college years.