Mindy Brandenburg, Saginaw native, selected for SVSU's prestigious Roberts Fellowship program

2014 Apr 29

Mindy Brandenburg, a Saginaw native, was one of 12 remarkable Saginaw Valley State University students chosen to participate in the Roberts Fellowship Program for the 2014-15 academic year.

The year-long leadership development initiative enlists a dozen students annually in both academic course work and extracurricular activities designed to enhance their potential as future political, economic and civic leaders. The program culminates in a trip to Asia to provide the Fellows with an international perspective on leadership. The previous group selected for the program will travel to Asia in May, and this class will make the journey one year later.

Brandenburg, a computer information systems major, was selected in part for demonstrating both scholarship and leadership potential.

Brandenburg is a Presidential Scholarship recipient and was named either to the prestigious Dean’s List or President’s List each semester at SVSU. An active member of the SVSU community, she has volunteered with Relay for Life, the Freshman Wilderness Experience, and the First Year Writing Thoughtsphere. She also has volunteered in service projects with Habitat for Humanity.

The other 11 students selected to the program are Rachael Blaylock, of St. Charles; Dylan Kosaski, of Stanwood; Sarah Lewan, of Royal Oak; Emily Nelson, of Freeland; Laurence Paterson, of Burton; Bonny Rye, of Davison; Courtney Seamon, of New Lothrop; Rachel Stocki, of St. Clair; Bethany Thrun, of Garden City; Emily VanFleteren, of Troy; and Kylie Wojciechowski, of Bay City. .

To qualify, students must have completed between 48 and 100 credit hours with a minimum grade point average of 3.40 and pass a rigorous selection process. Students are chosen based upon their academic accomplishment, a record of university and community service, and other evidence of leadership potential.

Students selected to be Roberts Fellows will be required to complete a three-credit "Leadership Seminar" in the fall and winter semesters, within one or more academic departments. During the year, the Fellows will also meet for informal seminars and discussions with various political, business and civic leaders from throughout the Great Lakes Bay region. Andrew Swihart, professor of psychology, and Brian Thomas, associate professor of sociology, serve as the group's faculty advisors.

Established in 1999, the program is named in honor of Donna Roberts of Midland, who has demonstrated an outstanding commitment to SVSU through her personal generosity and prior service on the Board of Control and the Board of Fellows. A respected attorney, business leader and philanthropist, Roberts retired from The Dow Chemical Company, where she was Secretary and Assistant General Counsel. She is an honorary director of the SVSU Foundation Board.

Editor's note: Photos of the Roberts Fellows are available upon request by e-mailing Justin Engel at jlengel@svsu.edu.