Making the Dream of College Possible for Others: Michael M. Feeney '64

Mike Feeney '64 knows first-hand the importance of scholarships. Growing up in a large family, living in a small house with not a lot of money, college was nothing more than a dream until a scholarship made it possible. In gratitude for what he received, Mike has established an endowed scholarship that he is funding through gifts during his lifetime and through a bequest in his will. His commitment to this scholarship will make the dream of college possible for others as it was for him.

His story is not unusual. When Mike was a high school senior in Elk Mound, Wisconsin, the Saint Mary's choir performed a concert in a nearby town. The next day, Mike was called in to the rectory, where Brother Paul – then Director of Admissions and the choir director at Saint Mary's – had stayed. Bro. Paul had a question for Mike: would he attend Saint Mary's College if he received a scholarship and other financial assistance? Mike's answer, of course, was "yes."

For Mike, attending Saint Mary's changed his life. He firmly believes that he would never have achieved what he has without the education he received in Winona. "Bro. Paul saw potential in me and was willing to take a chance. Now it's my turn to give another young person the chance that was given to me."

Mike and his wife Joan live in Sierra Vista, Arizona.