Debra Dee Siegle Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Debra Dee Siegle graduated from Eastern Montana College (now MSU Billings) with honors in 1980 with a Bachelor of Science in Business. While attending EMC, she sewed and designed theater costumes. Following graduation she began working as an accountant at Rowland, Thomas & Company in Miles City, Montana. Debra was a member of the Montana Society of CPAs and the Miles City Court Appointed Special Advocate Guardian Ad Litum Board (CASA/GAL). CASA/GAL was responsible for placing children in foster care who were taken from their homes because of abuse or neglect. Debra passed away March 24, 2007, after a two-and-a-half year battle with cancer. In memory of Debra and her work with foster care children, her brother Del Siegle established the Debra Dee Siegle Memorial Scholarship Endowment in August 2007 to provide scholarship assistance to MSU Billings students coming out of foster care. The first scholarship was awarded in academic year 2009-2010.
Impact
“I would like to take the time to say thank you for selecting me for the Debra Dee Siegle Memorial Endowed Scholarship. I am excited to start my senior year at MSU Billings as I will be completing my internships. I have chosen to work with The Center for Children and Families working with the teenagers in the foster care system that are aging out. Having come out of the foster care system myself I am so proud to be graduating soon and be able to say I beat the odds! I am so grateful for the education I have received at MSU Billings and feel that I have grown so much since first starting. I am ready and so excited to take on life after college. Again, thank you so much for supporting and believing in me and my education.” — Dannielle M., Human Services major