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OSU Alumnus Honored Through Memorial Scholarship
Matt Scheidt loved all things OSU, and defied odds to complete his degree. An avid outdoorsman, tenacious learner and passionate fan of Oklahoma State, Scheidt threw all his energy into everything around him.
After a long battle with leukemia, Matt passed away May 6, 2005 at the age of 25. Determined not to let Matt’s memory be forgotten, his family partnered with the OSU Foundation to establish a memorial gift in his honor. Thanks to the Scheidt family’s dedication to cancer research and students like Matt, his life and passion for Oklahoma State will create a lasting legacy through the Matthew Allen Scheidt Memorial Scholarship.
“Matt would be astounded at the outpouring of love this scholarship represents,” said his mother Mary Scheidt. “To know that so many people thought so much of him would blow him away. Matt would be so honored to help an OSU student enter the profession he loved.”
Shortly after enrolling at OSU in 1997, Matt became ill with an immune deficiency disorder. He battled disease throughout his OSU career, eventually leaving school for a semester. Matt was determined to receive a degree from the school he deeply loved, and eventually graduated from Oklahoma State in December 2001 with a bachelor’s degree in Wildlife Fisheries and Ecology. The youngest of four children, Matt joined Brad (BS 1993, MBA 2000), Amy (BS 1995) and Julie Schultz (BS 1998) as a proud OSU alumnus.
“Matt always was one to go off the beaten track,” Mary Scheidt said. “Before he passed away, Matt was working on a second bachelor’s degree in accounting. We are so proud of our scholarship recipient Jeff. He is so like Matt in so many ways.”
At OSU, Matt was a member of Beta Theta Pi and was active in intramural sports. He dreamed of becoming a park ranger, and after graduation, worked for the Tulsa Office of the Trust for Public Lands and as a project associate with Land Legacy. Matt was an avid Kansas City Royals fan, and loved spending time with his niece Abbie.
In 2004, doctors diagnosed Matt with Large Granular Lymphoma (LGL), a form of leukemia rarely found in people under 50. He traveled to world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to undergo treatment in January 2005. Matt returned to Sapulpa, Okla. to be with family a few months later.
“The morning that Matt died, our family needed to put together an obituary for the local newspapers,” said Brad, Matt’s brother. “Instead of receiving flower donations, we began to discuss a memorial gift to OSU. We thought this might lead to a few hundred dollars in gifts, but never dreamed so many people would donate more than enough to endow a scholarship. [Matt] would appreciate the fact that the scholarship is helping other students have the same experiences he enjoyed during his time in Stillwater.”
Honoring Matt’s life and love for OSU, his family created a memorial scholarship for students like Matt. Reflecting Matt’s personality and time at OSU, the scholarship benefits upperclassmen Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology students with a 3.5 or below grade point average. Students with a health condition receive priority for the scholarship, although it is not a requirement of the award. |
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“I am honored to receive this scholarship because it recognizes Matt’s achievements in life and academia,” said OSU senior Jeff Fore, first recipient of the Matt Scheidt Memorial Scholarship. “Knowing Matt’s story inspires me to work harder to succeed in school and life. I am extremely grateful for the Scheidt’s generosity.”
In addition to establishing a memorial scholarship in Matt’s name, the Scheidts teamed with American Cancer Society’s OSU Coaches vs. Cancer. Sponsored by OSU men’s and women’s basketball teams, the program raises money for cancer research through corporate sponsorships, student organizations and donations at basketball games. David and Mary Scheidt, along with Matt’s siblings, volunteer at the OSU Coaches vs. Cancer booths at Cowboy and Cowgirl basketball games.
“The Scheidt family made the campaign more ‘real’ to each of us,” said Kendria Cost, OSU Seretean Wellness Center Marketing Coordinator and Coaches vs. Cancer manager.
“When I look at Matthew's picture, it clearly drives home the fact that cancer knows no boundaries. Matthew looks like the hundreds of students I see on campus every day - young, loved, full of life and ready to take on the world. The Scheidt family made each of us see the importance of finding a cure and fighting for the ones you love,” said Cost.
The Scheidt family invites Matt’s friends and OSU supporters to contribute to the Matthew Allen Scheidt Memorial Scholarship Fund. Memorial gifts of endowed scholarships and professorships allow friends and family to remember their loved ones in an enduring way. Gifts like Matt’s ensure that their memory will influence many generations of future OSU students.
“The Matt Scheidt Memorial Scholarship will have tremendous impact at OSU,” said Jana Duffy, Director of Development for the College of Arts and Sciences. “Not only does the scholarship provide tuition support for Wildlife and Fisheries Ecology students, but Matt’s story inspires us all to reach beyond our circumstances to make a difference.”
“By ourselves we can’t make a big difference, but partnering with OSU gives us the chance to hopefully help so many more people,” Mary Scheidt said.
For more information about establishing a memorial fund at OSU, or to donate to Matt’s scholarship, please contact the OSU Foundation at 800.622.4678.
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