Social studies department aims to put money where its collective mouth is

Scholarships have been a staple in assisting students striving for secondary education for years, and it’s not rare for plenty to be awarded to senior Wildcats on Awards Night. What is less common are scholarships that originate through academic departments themselves, but Paul Stellpflug and the social studies department have begun a campaign to create their own award that will last well into the future. Earlier this May, the department raised $1,625.00 and they are willing to donate up to $1,000 more as a matching challenge in their attempt to reach a final goal of $10,000.

“The scholarship will be awarded to a senior who is intending to declare a major in the social studies fields: history, political science, economics, psychology, sociology or geography,” Stellpflug said. “We’re hoping to give $300-$500, but to be able to do that year after year, you need a big chunk of change to earn that money in investments.”

Other requirements for eligibility include a social studies teacher recommendation, a GPA of 2.75 or higher, and a reputation as a student in good standing. 

“We just have the firm belief in the department that we need really smart people that know economics and political science because these are the people that craft policy,” Stellpflug said. “I’m tired of people being in government that haven’t studied history, how governments work, or how public policy works, so we’re trying to encourage kids to study social studies.”

The idea was inspired by two history professors Stellpflug had during his time at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh.

“This is sort of in the spirit of them: to get more kids studying the humanities and social sciences,” he said. “The department never had any money and there was no social studies award whatsoever, so I decided it’s time to create one. I had thought about it for a while, so it was just a matter of time.”

U.S. history teacher Andrew Britton believes the award will be an excellent incentive for someone who’s really passionate about social studies.

“I wish it could be a bigger scholarship than what it is going to be but you have to have a lot of money in the fund in order to do that because it has to evolve from year to year,” he said. “We’ve done a pretty good job of raising money so far, but it would be nice if it was even bigger because to me a $500 scholarship doesn’t go very far.”

Britton admits that it’s something the department should have done a long time ago.

“We have had so many amazing social students over the years and a lot of them have gone a long way after graduating from West in social studies,” he said. “Not just in college, but beyond that. We probably should have had this 10-15 years ago, but it is better late than never.”

With the invention of this award in the social studies department, junior Marcella Rennert believes that it could set a precedent for other departments for the future, helping change the lives of those pursuing more niche areas. 

“I think a scholarship in every department could be a good motivator for kids,” she said.
“With subjects like science, math, English, art, and more, that money provides aid to students who could use it to their advantage.”

In order to help ensure the target amount is reached, junior Joe Gonzalez and other students have been talking and taking action.

“I've talked to my friends about it, and I'm planning on talking to my family about it to see if we can contribute because I do believe it is a great idea from Stellpflug and the social studies department,” he said. “People should really talk to their families or talk to people they know who are known for having an interest in politics just to see if they would consider contributing.”

A financial incentive for every subject would be perfect in an ideal world, but the reality is that creating scholarships requires significant funds and promotion. The $300-$500 amount isn’t enough to allow a full-ride, obviously, but Gonzalez ultimately finds the intention behind the campaign extremely important. 

“I think it's a great idea to get students more politically engaged,” he said. “I think that the level of involvement should be changed, and we should become more intelligent and know what is actually going on in society.”

By Javit Thao

May 28th, 2021

Oshkosh West Index Volume 117 Issue 8