The Funds List
Over $8 Million in Scholarships to Denfeld Students since 1971
Thanks to countless supporters who love Denfeld High School, the Greater Denfeld Foundation can supplement the excellent work of its students, teachers and staff.
With these ongoing gifts, donations, and investments, the foundation provides educational support to about 170 Denfeld graduates annually, in both one-time and renewable awards. These awards are designed to recognize exemplary performance and leadership across the various disciplines of the modern high school curriculum.
Application opens on November 1, 2025
Applications will be closed on January 15, 2026.
Contact David Hammer at greaterdenfeldfoundation@
Renewable Student Scholarships
The Marie Saltwick, Armond Hauge, and Mark and Ina Myles Scholarships provide $3,000 renewable grants designed to support four years of post-secondary higher education for Denfeld graduates. Each year, these combined scholarships provide more than $130,000 for first year post-secondary education expenses for nearly 50 deserving Denfeld graduates.
The eligibility criteria are similar for the Saltwick and Hauge scholarships. Applicants must have a 2.8 GPA to apply.
A minimum 2.2 (Hauge) or 2.6 (Saltwick) GPA must be maintained for renewal after year one.
Scholarships can be used at any accredited two or four-year college, university or vocational school. Scholarship recipients can study any subject. Financial need is not a consideration.
The Myles Scholarship requires a 2.5 GPA and is intended for students who plan to enroll at UMD, UWS, Lake Superior College, Northwood Technical College, or Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. Renewal requires a 2.2 GPA. Recipients can study any subject. Financial need is a requirement.
Marie V. Saltwick Scholarship
$3,000 | renewable | about 15 annually
When Miss Saltwick retired in 1971, she became a founding member of the Greater Denfeld Foundation, and served on its Board of Directors into the 1980s. A fellow teacher and Foundation Board member, Jean Endrizzi, said “Marie was very strict in her way. She was demanding, but understanding. If a kid had it, she expected him to perform. If he had lesser abilities, she saw to it that there was a way for that kid to succeed as well.”
Miss Saltwick lived in Duluth nearly all her life and did nothing extravagant. She never owned a new car and seldom traveled. At 80, she still mowed her own lawn. She led a life of quiet generosity and was always willing to give extra time for struggling students. At home, she cared for her older siblings as well as the parents of some of her colleagues at Denfeld. She was a smart, caring woman who never married and wasn’t one to cause a stir. However, following her death in 2001, Miss Saltwick did cause quite a stir. No one had any idea that she was a millionaire.
She had left most of her unknown fortune to the Greater Denfeld Foundation for student scholarships. Her gift of $2.7 million allowed the Foundation to increase its annual scholarship allocations from about $8,000 annually in 2000 to over $100,000 per year in 2005. Miss Saltwick recognized and valued good character in the students she taught at Denfeld. Each year, 15 new students, who have demonstrated that same good character, are chosen to receive the scholarship created in her name.
Armond Hauge Scholarship
$3,000 | renewable | about 25 annually
Mr. Hauge earned his fortune by being a diligent saver. According to his niece, Juliane Netzel (Denfeld Class of 1965), “From the time he was a youngster, he taught himself to live on half of his paycheck and to save the rest, which led to his substantial investments.” She said her uncle believed in education for everyone, and wanted to help kids go to college. “Education was a big thing for him.”
Every year 25 new students who have demonstrated a strong work ethic are chosen to receive Hauge Scholarships, as Mr. Hauge’s success was due in large part to his respect for hard work and perseverance.
Mark and Ina Myles Scholarship
$3,000 | renewable | about 4 annually
Established in 2024, with a generous $100,000 donation, the Mark and Ina Myles Scholarship is awarded to Denfeld students based on financial need, character, academics, and community service. The scholarship grants four (4) $3,000 scholarships annually, renewable for up to four years, to support postsecondary education costs for those attending designated local public colleges, universities and vocational schools.
Mark Myles was raised on Tacony Street in West Duluth. He attended Longfellow Elementary, West Junior High, and graduated from Denfeld in 1961. His mother, father, four siblings, and several aunts and uncles also graduated from Denfeld. Mark graduated from UMD and UWS, taught in California and Duluth, was a principal in Duluth for 25 years, and was appointed Superintendent of Duluth Schools in 1993. After retirement, Mr. Myles managed the Hartley Trusts for 17 years. Mark’s wife Ina had a career at Westmoreland, Larson, and Hill, designing public relations and marketing programs for financial, medical, and retail organizations. Her interest in students and education helped create the Duluth Open School. She raised money for the Duluth Boys and Girls Club, as well as creating a nonprofit (Program of Promise) that helped students who dropped out of school get back into school or a vocational program.
The first Mark and Ina Myles Scholarship will be awarded in the spring of 2025 and continue through 2035 funded through annual contributions. Both Mark and Ina highly value education and respect the traditions of Denfeld High school. Academically, applicants must have a 2.5 GPA or higher. But the Myleses also wish to support students who otherwise might not be able to afford school. So, they have chosen to add a financial need component to their scholarship. Students who meet the criteria for the State of Minnesota’s North Star Promise Scholarship Program (<$80K family income in 2024) can apply for this scholarship.
Greater Denfeld Foundation Awards
The Greater Denfeld Foundation provides seven annual scholarship awards to Denfeld High School graduating seniors funded through on-going gifts, donations and investments. These one-time awards are designed to recognize exemplary performance while enrolled at Denfeld and are awarded at the school’s Honors Night held each spring in Denfeld’s Auditorium.
Greater Denfeld Foundation “Leaders for Life” Award
$5,000 | 4 annually
The Greater Denfeld Foundation “Leaders for Life” Award is the Foundation’s highest honor given to the “best of the best.” The award is granted to four students who clearly exemplify the “Spirit of a Denfeld Hunter,” with a combination of strong academic success, enjoying the respect of the student body and the faculty, while doing everything they can to improve the standing and build up the reputation of Denfeld High School. Students who receive this honor are recognized for their collective contributions to their school and their community which have left a positive and permanent mark.
Greater Denfeld Foundation Linda Soderstrom Service Award
$2,000 | 1 annually
The Greater Denfeld Foundation has continued to fund this award, first established in 1999 by family and friends of Denfeld Home Economics teacher Linda Soderstrom. Soderstrom led the development of Denfeld’s Peer Helper and Mediation programs in 1988, and was known for her commitment to helping students through emotional and academic difficulties. She was a teacher and mentor to countless students, helping to instill in them a sense of caring and personal responsibility to their school and community. The award is given to a student who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to serving their peers, their school and their broader community.
Greater Denfeld Foundation Mark Overland Performing Arts Award
$2,000 | 1 annually
The Greater Denfeld Foundation established the Mark Overland Performing Arts Award to recognize a student who excels in and has been positively influenced by their participation in music or the performing arts programs at Denfeld. Described as a natural teacher, Mark Overland, or Mr. O as “his choir kids” called him, was Denfeld’s choir director for 20 years retiring in 2012, leaving a legacy of nurturing confidence and talent in hundreds of Denfeld’s young performers. He was behind 26 productions in the Denfeld Auditorium and created the show choir groups “Steppin’ Up” and “Solid Gold.” The award is given to a student excelling in and majoring in a music or performing arts degree program.
Greater Denfeld Foundation Stephanie Fehringer STEM Award
$2,000 | 1 annually
The Greater Denfeld Foundation has named its STEM Award in honor of Stephanie Fehringer. Mrs. Fehringer was well known in the Duluth robotics community until her passing in 2024. She and her husband Bruce founded the Denfeld Nation Automation Team 4009 in 2011. Nearly a decade later, the couple served as co-chairs for the regional FIRST Robotics Competition in Duluth. She also helped organize the Arrowhead Robotics Coalition, a group that builds and brings a practice field to the Arrowhead robotics teams in preparation for competitions. Although she was a talented musician, Master Gardener, and Chief Master Sergeant in the Air National Guard, according to Bruce, “Stephanie was known to be always about the students, never about her.”
The award recognizes a student who demonstrates a strong aptitude for exploration and discovery, essential characteristics for success in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math, and who will be pursuing a degree in any of these fields.
Greater Denfeld Foundation Business, Economics, and Accounting (BEA) Award
$2,000 | 1 annually
The BEA (Business, Economics, Accounting) Award was established by the Greater Denfeld Foundation to recognize a student who demonstrates a strong aptitude for the skills and disciplines required for achievement in the world of business and commerce. The BEA Award is given to a student who will be pursuing a Business, Economics or Accounting degree.
Greater Denfeld Foundation Health Science Award
$2,000 | 1 annually
The Health Science Award was established by the Greater Denfeld Foundation to recognize an outstanding student who demonstrates a deep interest in and strong aptitude for the essential disciplines and the personal characteristics necessary for an innovative career in applying science to health. The award is given to a student who will be pursuing a degree in a health-related field.
Greater Denfeld Foundation Trades Award
$2,000 | 1 annually
The Trades Award was established by the Greater Denfeld Foundation to recognize a student who demonstrates strong skills and aptitude for pursuit of a career in any aspect of today’s demanding and high-level trades environment. The award is given to a student pursuing a degree in (but not limited to) a building, industrial or mechanical-related trade career.
Friends of Denfeld Tribute Awards
The “Friends of Denfeld Tribute Awards” are made possible through generous contributions from families and friends of special Denfeld educators and students who have passed away. The Tribute Awards are named in their honor, with specific eligibility criteria established by the donors. Each year these awards are given to several students as one-time grants of at least $2,000. The intent of the Tribute Awards is to honor the memories and contributions of their namesakes and to assist Denfeld graduates with expenses related to post secondary education.
Darin Cannon Memorial Scholarship
$2,250 | 1 annually
His family, friends and classmates were shocked that this could happen to such a wonderful young man. Their hope is that this scholarship will forever be a reminder that violence is never the answer to solving conflict, and that it might encourage others to take a stand and try to defuse any situation in which conflict might erupt. Designed to “Promote Peace Among Peers,” the award is given to an athlete who demonstrates these peacemaking characteristics and works hard in school and all other aspects of life.
G. Dell Daedo Leadership Award
$2,000 | 2 annually
Students receiving the Leadership Award should be proud and honored to carry on Mr. Daedo’s legacy of generosity and respect. Recipients should model a generosity of spirit, and conduct themselves in a respectful manner, both in and out of school. The Leadership Award is given to students who demonstrate a combination of leadership, good academics, contributions to the school, and enjoy the respect of the student body and the faculty.
Richard Jukich Scholarship
$2,000 | 1 annually
The award is given to a student who demonstrates a combination of these characteristics along with good academics, contributions to Denfeld, has the respect of the student body and the faculty, and who intends to pursue a degree in education.
Matt Kero #4 Memorial Scholarship
$3,400 | 2 annually
Matthew Thomas Kero passed away at the age of 18, shortly before he was to start running with the College of St. Scholastica cross-country team. Matt was an accomplished cross-country runner, hockey player and track athlete. For all of Matt’s athletic accomplishments, he was an even greater young man in character and heart. The original $1,604 scholarship value signified the 1600 Meter, Matt’s favorite event in track, and his hockey jersey #4. Thanks to continued dedicated gifting by Matt’s family and friends, the award was increased to $2,004 in 2025. As a competitor, Matt consistently put forth his best efforts to achieve personal and team goals, helping others to reach their goals, while always being respectful to his teammates and opponents.
These two $2,004 scholarships are awarded to student athletes who have balanced athletic achievement, academics, leadership and citizenship throughout their high school careers. Denfeld coaches nominate the candidates.
Kelly Kreager Ackerman Scholarship
$2,000 | 1 annually
Kelly and her sister Julia (class of 1989) were third generation Denfeld graduates. Her father Russell (class of 1965) and grandmother Dorothy (Dahl) Kreager (class of 1934), have always taken great pride in Denfeld’s traditions. The school and education are very close to the heart of the Kreager family. Through the generosity of friends, coworkers and family, this scholarship was established to honor Kelly’s memory.
The award is given to a female student attending college in Minnesota who challenges herself to reach her dreams and exhibits leadership, integrity and determination in all her endeavors.
Click to view Never Say Never, a poem by Kelly.
Americo “Mertz” Mortorelli Scholarship
$2,000 | 1 annually
The “Mertz” Mortorelli Scholarship makes it possible for the coach to continue to shape young people into great men and women. The scholarship is awarded to a male or female athlete who has participated in four years of high school athletics and is of good academic standing. The recipient must attend a four-year college or university.
Dr. Fred C. Grover and Artense DuCharme Grover Memorial Award
$2,000 | 1 annually
The Dr. Fred C. Grover and Artense DuCharme Grover Memorial Award was established in 2025 as a “Friends of Denfeld Tribute Award” by Timothy Grover and Linda LeGarde Grover to honor the memory of Tim’s paternal grandparents. This award has been established in honor of Dr. Fred C. and Artense DuCharme Grover for their steadfast commitment to education, and their many descendants who graduated from Duluth Denfeld High School.
Dr. and Mrs. Grover began their life as West Duluth newlyweds in 1912, when Dr. Grover opened his medical practice in the Ramstad Building. They experienced many challenges in their lives, particularly during the Great Depression. But, believing in the power of education to open doors, they encouraged Denfeld students to stay in school and graduate during that challenging time.
Their son, Rev. Eugene Grover, graduated from Denfeld in 1934. After working two years to save money for tuition, he enrolled in Duluth Junior College (D.J.C.). The junior college was created by the Duluth school district in 1927 so that “its young people can get their first two years of college at home.” Its curriculum was designed “to give the work required for entrance to the senior college or to the professional schools that require two years of pre-professional work.” This mission aligned perfectly with Dr. and Mrs. Grover’s hopes for their son.
The junior college was housed on the third floor of the newly built Denfeld High School from 1927-1946. The building was only a year old, but its imposing 120-foot clock tower had quickly become the symbol for both Duluth Junior College and Denfeld High School. Graduating from D.J.C. in 1938, his junior college experience gave Eugene the solid foundation needed to pursue his educational and career dreams at Hamline University and Yale Divinity School.
The award will be given to a graduating Denfeld senior who will be attending Lake Superior College, selected at random from among the qualified students who apply through the Greater Denfeld Foundation application process. The award’s intention is to assist with expenses directly related to post-secondary education at Lake Superior College, such as tuition, fees, books, and technology needs.
Mike Colalillo Scholarship of Honor
$2,000 | 1 annually
One of nine children, Mike Colalillo was born shortly after his parents emigrated from Italy. He was raised in the close and ethnically rich Raleigh St. neighborhood of West Duluth and left Denfeld High School without graduating to help support his family by working in the neighborhood bakery after the death of his mother. Drafted in 1944, Mike served in World War II and at the age of 19 brought special honor to his family, neighborhood, and city by heroic action in Europe. Colallilo went above and beyond the “Call of Duty” leading his men on an attack against enemy forces in Germany. In the face of savage artillery machine gun fire and almost certain death, he was committed to protecting others on the battlefield and our freedoms here at home.
For his valor the Congress of the United States awarded Mike the nation’s highest military decoration, the Congressional Medal of Honor, which was presented by President Harry Truman at the White House on December 18, 1945.
The Mike Colalillo Scholarship of Honor recognizes a graduating senior with plans to enlist in the military or pursue a career in public safety or community service. These fields include law enforcement, fire safety, nursing, teaching, police science, ministry, social work etc. The award is given in honor of the service and sacrifice of past and present military veterans like Duluth’s own Mike Colalillo.
Since 2006, the Brian LaViolette Scholarship Foundation has had the privilege of presenting the Mike Colalillo Scholarship of Honor to a Denfeld senior. However, 2026 is the first year it becomes part of the Greater Denfeld Foundation family as a “Friends of Denfeld Tribute Award,” carrying the memory of a member of the Greatest Generation and the promise of students who will go on to achieve great things.
Faculty & Staff Donations
While the Greater Denfeld Foundation’s main goal is supporting graduates through scholarships, it also provides donations to teachers, coaches, advisors, and staff with funds for items not covered in their regular budgets. These donations are made from the “Greater Denfeld Foundation Memorial Fund,” created with contributions from the Harry Fisher/Class of ‘55 and the Steve Anderson Memorial Funds. Previous donations have included support for AP classes, careers in forensics, graphing calculators, sports equipment and upgrades to the Denfeld Auditorium to support theater, music and the performing arts.
The Greater Denfeld Foundation Memorial Fund
$10,000 – $15,000 | Awarded annually to Denfeld staff members
Every fall, the Greater Denfeld Foundation Memorial Fund provides between $10,000 and $15,000 in donations to teachers and staff of Denfeld High School to enhance the educational experience of the school’s students. Applications are due annually in the fall.
HOW OUR DONATIONS MAKE AN IMPACT
