The Gina May Wiese Memorial Scholarship was founded in 2022 by Ron Wiese in honor of his late wife, Gina. Gina was a grateful member of the recovery community and was kind, caring, and giving her entire life. Gina’s scholarship aims to make a difference in people’s lives by funding tuition, textbooks, and supplies in addition to their scholarship from The Next Step. Eligible students meet criteria focusing on classroom excellence and respecting and caring for others.
Ron has committed to funding this scholarship annually with $20,000. His hope is to continue growing this fund each year with additional donations to better help students in recovery with additional scholarship funding.
How Can I Apply?
The Gina May Wiese Memorial Scholarship is available to individuals who have received The Next Step scholarship for at least one year. New applicants are not eligible.
A committee led by Ron Wiese chooses the recipients each year. Your general application is evaluated on the following criteria:
1. Financial Need: applicants whose tuition and books will cost more than their financial resources and the maximum scholarship award from The Next Step are considered in need.
2. Excellence in the classrooms: applicants demonstrate academic excellence, which includes maintaining a high grade point average
3. Strong recovery program: applicants will have a strong recovery program
4. Caring for others: applicants will have robust service work both in the recovery community and in other areas of their personal or professional life and in their volunteer efforts for The Next Step
The best way to be considered for this scholarship is to demonstrate on your application and in your interview that you meet the criteria to be considered by the committee. This scholarship is awarded in June, making it available for the fall academic semester. Awardees should be available to attend the Annual Scholarship Dinner, where their accomplishment will be celebrated!
For more questions about this scholarship, contact Beth Robinson, Director of Administration, at 314.719.2880 or via email.
I cannot begin to put into words how grateful I am. The work The Next Step does is so important. The transformative nature of education is without parallel. It is, with the exception of 12-step programs, the most impactful thing in the lives of those in recovery. I still believe that there are probably people that are far more deserving than myself.
I am humbled by the generosity of Ron Wiese and all the donors. I hope they know the impact they have had on my life and more than likely all the other recipients as well. It is their generosity that not only facilitates the realization of recipients’ dreams, but also the connections we make through this scholarship.
Mark D.
GINA MAY WIESE AWARDEES
Grace J.
2023 Recipient
Neil A.
2023 Recipient
Kristin I.
2023 Recipient
Christy I.
2022 Recipient
Lili S.
2022 Recipient
Mark D.
2022 Recipient
Kristi L.
2022 Recipient