The kinesiology faculty at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh are dedicated to providing a superior educational environment for students interested in exercise and healthcare-related fields. They also are dedicated to providing scholarship opportunities for their students.
Dan Schmidt will bike 200 miles to raise funds for kinesiology scholarships.
The second-annual Schmidt Don’t Quit Scholarship Ride will do just that.
Dan Schmidt, the kinesiology department co-chair and exercise and sports science program director, along with seven kinesiology students will bike across parts of Wisconsin in September to raise funds for kinesiology student scholarships.
Pedaling across the state is not an easy task but working to provide opportunities for dedicated students focused on completing their degree makes it all worth it for Schmidt.
“Our students work really hard,” Schmidt said. “It is just not going to class but also working outside jobs in order to pay for their schooling. They believe in working hard and anything I can do to give them a leg up and make their time here a little easier, I want to do.”
Schmidt will start in Eau Claire and bike the nearly 200 miles back to Oshkosh over three days from Sept. 6 through Sept. 8, with seven students joining him in Fremont on Sept. 8 for the final 28-mile trek to campus.
Bernie Payne, a senior from Hanover Park, Illinois, is appreciative that the kinesiology department is working to raise funds for scholarships and will be one of the students riding back to Oshkosh with Schmidt.
“Raising these funds shows students the amount of effort put into their education, how much this university wants you to be here with them,” Payne said. “It’s a sign of appreciation and adds motivation for the student to perform at the standards UWO sets for us.”
Riding with Schmidt in September is an opportunity to repay the appreciation.
“It is easy to say ‘yes’ when you’re approached by someone who’s work ethic and character you admire like Dr. Schmidt’s,” Payne said. “I appreciate the trust he puts in his students to complete this long journey with him.”
UWO students welcome Dan Schmidt back to campus after his 2019 ride.
This is the second year Schmidt will bike across parts of Wisconsin to raise funds for the department and the first year students will join in.
“I am really proud of these students,” Schmidt said. “The fact that these seven students have stepped up to pay it forward says a lot about them and their character.”
In 2019, Schmidt rode 150 miles from La Crosse to Oshkosh and raised $2,830 for scholarships. The first Schmidt Don’t Quit scholarship will be awarded this fall.
Please consider a gift to the Schmidt Don’t Quit Scholarship Ride. Your gift will provide valuable assistance to students on the road to graduation. They will receive an outstanding education and leave UWO prepared to help others improve their health and achieve their fitness goals.