News
Bretschneider and Mendez Win Malson Memorial Scholarship
September 09, 2019
This year the Political Science Department is pleased to announce Berkley Bretschneider and Elvia Mendez as the recipients of the Malson Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship was established by GVSU alumnus Tim Zeeb, who graduated with a B.A. in International Relations and minors in Political Science and German, and who is now Managing Director at Conway MacKenzie, Inc.
Tim created this generous scholarship in honor of his dear friend and fallen hero, Lieutenant Adam S. Malson, a Michigan native who was passionate about politics and international relations and who excelled in school while also participating in collegiate athletics and the ROTC. Lieutenant Malson was assigned to the 4th Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, based in Fort Drum, NY, and was killed in action while on patrol in Bagdad on February 19, 2005.
Berkley is from Wolverine Lake, Michigan, and attended Walled Lake Northern High School. She is currently studying Political Science with a minor in Criminal Justice and in the future hopes to pursue both of these passions in a career and perhaps graduate school. Berkley will spend next semester interning and studying in Washington, DC, through Grand Valley’s partner institution, the Washington Center.
Elvia is from Greenville, Michigan, and graduated from Greenville High. She will graduate in the spring of 2020 with a degree in Political Science and minors in Spanish and in Human Rights. Elvia participates in the campus group Laker Familia and was a member of the first LeaderShape Institute here on campus, a six day leadership program. She is a member of the Latino Student Union and currently serves as its Vice President, and during this final year of undergraduate studies she is also a Cook Leadership Academy Fellow in the Hauenstein Center. For the past two summers, Elvia has interned at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center and tutored at the Hispanic Center. Post-graduation, Elvia hopes to expand her knowledge of public policy, especially regarding higher education, and to work in underrepresented communities to promote the value of education and help provide opportunities for students to be successful.
Congratulations to Berkley and Elvia, and special thanks to Tim Zeeb for creating this scholarship in Lieutenant Malson’s honor.