Katie Greer ’28 was sitting in adoration praying to God for a sign. She desperately wanted a high-quality education at a small faith-based institution. But she wasn’t sure she could afford it.
As she stepped into her car after exiting the church, her phone rang.
“It was a number in Iowa, and I was like, ‘no way.' I tried to keep it cool on the phone, but as soon as I hung up, I called my parents. I got the scholarship. It was huge. It was really, really exciting!”
Greer was one of hundreds of prospective St. Ambrose students invited to the university's 2023-24 Scholars Days. Academically strong future students who demonstrate a talent for leadership and service are invited to visit campus and compete for the school’s top scholarships in academics, leadership and service.
Greer, a high-achieving high school student with a 4.5 weighted GPA, was invited to these types of events at almost every school she applied to. But none of them offered the experience and personal touches St. Ambrose’s event did.
“I thought it was cool that President Amy Novak was there and interacting with all the tables,” Greer recalls. “She came up and talked to me and asked me personal questions."
“I liked that the event was more focused on getting to know me as a person because they’d already looked at my grades, that’s why I’m here. It was cool that they wanted to know me as a person as well.”
Greer, the oldest of four children, plans on becoming a teacher. Her parents have paid for her and her siblings to attend private school their whole lives. As the first of her siblings to go off to college, Greer was determined to find an affordable option for her degree.
She thought this meant she would end up at a state school. Instead, she says God intervened. The financial aid package she was awarded made her dream school affordable, and she’s immersing herself in the abundance of opportunities St. Ambrose has to offer.
“That call changed everything for me. I would not be here if it wasn’t for this scholarship."
“I definitely think that this was God's plan for me. I already feel like such a part of the community, I have so many friends, I love my teachers.”
Greer, a member of the St. Ambrose Honors Program, has already joined several clubs on campus including Bee Readers – a program where St. Ambrose students go into elementary schools in the area to read to children – Bridge Bible Study, Ambrosians for Peace and Justice, and Campus Ministry, just to name a few.
“This is where I'm supposed to be.”