Bemidji's Emilie Jessen awarded memorial scholarship in honor of Liz Granlund Hacker

May 1—BEMIDJI — When

Bemidji High School

senior Emilie Jessen was called to the office on Friday morning, she was none the wiser of the reason.

Being directed into the Blue Ox Boardroom, she was warmly greeted by her parents, Mike and Tricia, as well as BHS Assistant Principal Christine Christiansen and two notable guests — Mike and Peg Granlund.

Longtime residents of Bemidji,

the Granlunds had established a scholarship fund in memory of their daughter, Liz,

who passed away in 2006 from a rare blood disease.

Making note of Liz's good nature and character, the pair first awarded scholarships at Langdon High School and the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, where Liz graduated in 2001 and 2005 respectively. The initial scholarship nomination process at Langdon proved a bit unconventional.

"We had the whole senior class write an English paper about a classmate that touched their life," Peg mentioned. "That class nominated (a scholarship recipient) without knowing it."

As one of Liz's favorite places for boating and waterskiing, Peg and Mike sought to expand their scholarship offering to Bemidji, where Emilie would become the inaugural Bemidjian recipient of the Liz Winks Award. Christiansen played a pivotal role in Emilie's selection as she received input from BHS staff to determine the eventual awardee.

"Unlike those typical scholarship opportunities where there's criteria for straight A's, volunteer hours or AP classes, this was more about what character you displayed," Christiansen said, "so it was a fun experience being able to select an award winner based on being kind to their peers, having great character and having a smile that lights up the room."

Emilie exemplified the qualifications during the scholarship presentation as she expressed excitement for not only the award but for her future plans. In the fall, Emilie will pursue biology at the University of Alaska Fairbanks — marking her first time in the state as she works toward a career in veterinary science.

"A coworker of mine had mentioned that he thought about going there (for college), so I looked into it and they have a really good biology program," Emilie detailed. "I might as well go now, otherwise I never will."

With no strings attached to her recently awarded $500, Emilie would return to her Friday morning class knowing she'll leave a positive mark on her alma mater once she graduates.

"I was really surprised, but I'm really honored," Emilie said. "It's a great scholarship, by far the best one I've gotten and it means a lot to me."

Since Liz's passing, Peg and Mike have noted their daughter's continued presence in a myriad of ways aside from the scholarship created in her honor. Peg recalled a story linked to Liz's favorite color, pink, shortly after her funeral in Grand Forks, N.D.

"A group of her sorority sisters had been in Grand Forks for the service, and then they drove back to Fargo. When they went into a gas station, the sky had been blue," Peg detailed. "When they came out, it was lit up pink."

The Granlunds considered such an instance as a "wink," in reference to SQuire Russell's book "When God Winks: How the Power of Coincidence Guides Your Life." According to Russell, God winks when "a coincidence will show up like a neon signpost in the fog."

Liz's uncle-in-law, Nick, noted a wink when a deer halted in its path and nodded at him.

"He took it as a sign that Liz made it to heaven," Peg added.

Among other winks, the pair sought to collect such stories into a book written by their friend, Lynn Zimmermann. Proceeds from the book contribute to the scholarship fund, allowing the award to be given out in perpetuity to those who carry on Liz's legacy of kindness.

"We wanted to give a scholarship to someone for being a truly good person," Peg left off, "and for touching lives in a special way."