Announcing the Andrea Merrick Dranberg Scholarship

Posted on: February 14th, 2024 in Foundation, News & Events

In the fall of 2023, Mr. and Mrs. Bill and Cheryl Merrick established the Andrea Merrick Dranberg Scholarship Fund in memory of their daughter, Andrea Merrick Dranberg (Beta Xi 1998/Michigan Tech). 

Andrea belonged to a tight-knit group of Beta Xi Chapter Sisters who continued to meet up with and support each other after college. When she was diagnosed with colon cancer, her Sisters took turns accompanying her to chemotherapy sessions. 

When Andrea passed in 2021, her Sisters continued to stay in touch with her husband, son, and parents as they all coped with the grief of losing a loved one. Liz Helminski (Beta Xi 1998/Michigan Tech) emotionally described it as an example of Sisters’ strong connections and the support system we must provide each other with. 

When her parents expressed an interest in honoring their daughter’s Sisterhood connections, Liz introduced the Merricks to the Alpha Sigma Tau Foundation to establish a scholarship. As Andrea was an engineer, her scholarship fund is available to a Beta Xi collegian studying engineering, with special preference given to first-generation college students. 

The Alpha Sigma Tau Foundation dreams of a world where every Alpha Sigma Tau member can pursue her college education free of debt and financial burden. The Merricks’ generous gift – and the subsequent gifts from Beta Xi Sisters, friends, and family to Andrea’s scholarship fund – helps Alpha Sigma Tau get one step closer to making this dream a reality. 

The Alpha Sigma Tau Foundation would like to express their sincere gratitude to Mr. and Mrs. Merrick for their support of scholarship among our Sisters and the Beta Xi Sisters who help keep Andrea’s memory alive. 

The first award for the Andrea Merrick Dranberg Scholarship Fund will be offered during the 2024 scholarship cycle. We know generations of Alpha Sigma Taus will benefit from this scholarship.

To honor Andrea’s memory and support Sisters at Michigan Tech, make a gift here to the Andrea Merrick Dranberg Scholarship.