Scholarship Recipient Shares Her Gratitude and Encourages All Students to Apply for Scholarships

Alli with a goat

Since Alli Matzek was in first grade, she knew her career path: she wanted to be a veterinarian. Growing up with her parents, Joe and MaryBeth, and older brother, Michael, the family home was filled with pets, including cats, rabbits, guinea pigs, and hamsters. Alli also loved taking care of friends’ pets, volunteering at local animal shelters, and walking friends’ dogs. 

When she was a senior at Xavier High School in Appleton, Alli applied for and received multiple scholarships including the Mildred Ryan Disher Scholarship, which was offered through the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region. The scholarship is designed for students pursuing a major in veterinary science and is available to students who are pursuing a 4-year program for a total award of $6,000 and to students pursuing a 2-year program for a total award of $2,000.  

Since Alli finished her undergrad education in three years, she was able to use the final year of eligibility of the Mildred Ryan Disher Scholarship for her first year of veterinary school. 

“This scholarship directly supported my pre-veterinary education in animal science and my first year in veterinary school,” Alli said. “With the funding provided by the scholarship, I was able to focus on my education and work towards my goal of becoming a veterinarian without the additional stress of managing finances.” 

Alli at her UW- River Falls graduation

After graduating from Xavier in 2022, Alli enrolled at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls where she majored in animal science. While at UW-River Falls, Alli was on the college’s poultry judging team and animal welfare judging team. She also conducted and published research on a more humane way to stun bison prior to slaughter. 

Last May, Alli graduated from UW-River Falls summa cum laude and was accepted into the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine in Madison where she is a first-year student. She plans to be a poultry veterinarian. 

Alli’s dad, Joe, said he was grateful for the financial assistance she received from the foundation.  

Alli at UW-Madison

“Alli worked hard while she was in high school, so it was wonderful to see her efforts recognized. She knew she had a lot of schooling ahead of her and wanted to complete her undergrad education without any loans, so she applied for a lot of scholarships to make that possible,” he said. 

Alli learned about the Community Foundation scholarships from her mother and brother, who is a year older and had also applied for scholarships through the Community Foundation. 

“The scholarship application process was very straightforward. I understood exactly what needed to be submitted and when which contributed to me choosing to apply for the Community Foundation scholarships,” Alli said.  

Alli applied for multiple scholarships, and she encourages high school seniors to investigate the different scholarships offered by the Community Foundation and other organizations.

Most Community Foundation scholarship applications open on December 1. To learn more about scholarships visit our website at www.cffoxvalley.org/how-to-apply-for-scholarships. 

“Apply! You won’t receive any financial support if you don’t apply for it,” shared Alli. “This scholarship made a big difference in my education, and it could for you, too.”