To donate to the O’Neill Alumni Association Scholarship Fund, visit https://iufoundation.fundly.com/support-o-neill-school-scholarships.
To say Matthew Behrmann is hard-working would be an understatement. In addition to his full-time, 16- to 18-hour class load at O’Neill IUPUI, Behrmann also works full-time, averaging 40-45 hours a week as a manager at Crew Carwash. Add in a couple of internships along the way, and it’s easy to imagine how someone in Behrmann’s shoes could become overwhelmed.
You won’t hear the Public Safety Management major complain about his loaded schedule, though.
“I think I have good time management skills, so it’s not too much of a challenge to balance,” Behrmann says.
While he admits it would be nice to take a break or hang out with friends every so often, there simply wasn’t time for that—until his senior year when he was awarded an O’Neill Alumni Association Scholarship.
“It’s given me a break,” he says with relief. “After working hard the past seven semesters—at school and at my job—it’s nice to have a little bit of break before we graduate.”
Behrmann says not only did the scholarship allow him to finally participate in the full college experience, it also helped him reach a goal many college students can’t even dream of achieving.
At a time when nearly 7 out of 10 students leave college with student loan debt, Behrmann will graduate with none.
“Once I realized what I could do by working and taking advantage of other opportunities, such as scholarships like this one, I knew it was an attainable goal,” he says. “I don’t think a lot of people can say they graduate from college without any student loan debt.”
That’s one reason Behrmann is encouraging other students to apply for the scholarship, and why he’s hoping O’Neill alumni will donate to the fund.
“The scholarship opens up opportunities to students who may not have otherwise had them,” he says. “It’s important to consider donating so current students can have the same opportunities alumni did when they were in school. It can quite literally make the difference between pursuing higher education and deciding they can’t afford to do so. Your donation can be that tipping point.”
