Recipients of the Fiterman Scholarship

Meet The Fiterman Scholars

Thursday, August 3, 2017

Senior Katy Putzker is one of the inaugural recipients of the Fiterman Scholarship for nonprofit management majors. She first heard about the major through a course that asked her to look at what she enjoyed doing most to help her figure out what to do professionally. “I had an ‘ah ha’ moment and am so thankful that the U offers a nonprofit management path as an undergraduate,” she says. “My second major is marketing. I hope to work for a nonprofit in marketing and fundraising in the future.”

Putzker is not only receiving a financial scholarship courtesy of the Fitermans, but is also being directly mentored by Mr. Fiterman. “Mike’s mentorship is definitely helping me realize my career goals and explore exactly where I want to be,” she says. “He and Linda are so generous and are willing to work with me in order to help me get to where I want to be professionally. For me, it really isn’t about the financial support. Mike and Linda have made it so much more and have been there to support me and help me continue to realize my future dreams.”

Another scholarship recipient, Lauren Hepburn, is a junior finance and public and nonprofit management major with a minor in business law. She came to her major in a roundabout way as her sights were first set on sports management before she discovered her true passion. “I knew I wanted to work in a business environment, but learning about corporate social responsibility in an ethics class reinforced my desire to make philanthropy and social service a part of my professional life,” she says. “Going forward, I want to work in consulting because it appeals to my big-picture perspective and ‘fixer’ mentality. The most ideal version of that would be consulting for nonprofit organizations to help them fundraise effectively and structure themselves as sustainable as possible.”

“They identified an opportunity for change and used their resources to encourage that change.”

As a Fiterman Scholar, her dream is one step closer to reality. “A large part of my college experience is my sorority, Alpha Chi Omega. That’s where I’ve received a lot of my experience with nonprofit organizations and fundraising, as well as support in a million other ways,” she says. “To pay for tuition, rent, dues, and expenses, I work year round. The support I receive from the Fitermans gives me more breathing room. I can focus on jobs that are interesting and great experiences, and money doesn’t have to be the deciding factor.”

Hepburn says other potential donors can look to the Fitermans as an example. “They identified an opportunity for change and used their resources to encourage that change,” she says. “Their goal is to encourage Carlson School students to work in fundraising and nonprofits, and that’s exactly what I’m doing.”

For the Fitermans, there is a satisfaction in giving back. “Those of us who have been given great blessings also have great responsibilities. But it also gives us a great pleasure to give to others so someday they have that opportunity to pass that give on,” Fiterman says. “The reason that it’s fun to give back is we know the dollars will be well shepherded. The University of Minnesota is one of the greatest institutions to invest in because it is an investment in our future. When you give to the U, you give to what our future is going to look like.”

Spring 2017  alumni magazine cover

This article appeared in the Spring 2017 alumni magazine

Learning doesn't just take place in the classroom anymore. In this issue, we explore how the Carlson School is thinking outside-the-box to meet the education needs of today's students.

Spring 2017 table of contents