Lisa Edison-Smith and Penny Andrist

This scholarship is established by Lisa Edison-Smith and Penny Andrist on behalf
of the Edison Family to honor their late parents, Karen and David Edison, of
Milnor, North Dakota. Although they never had the opportunity to attend college
themselves due to financial and other hardships, the Edisons stressed the
importance of a college education to their six children, four of whom (David ’71,
Brent ‘78, Lex ’84, and Lisa ‘82) are graduates of NDSU. Our mother always
emphasized that despite our modest upbringing, we “could be anything” and
that a college education was a prerequisite to our future success. In recognition
of the hardships that prevented our parents from attending college, and in
gratitude for their encouragement to us in seeking higher education, this
scholarship is given to continue our parents’ legacy by supporting disadvantaged
students in obtaining the benefits of an outstanding education from North
Dakota State University.