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Montana Western Foundation Announces New Scholarship in Honor of Larry and Darleen Link

October 27, 2020

The University of Montana Western Foundation is pleased to announce the establishment of the Larry and Darleen Link Memorial Scholarship.

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Larry Link passed away in January of this year. His son and daughter-in-law, Garry and Linda Link, approached the UMW Foundation about establishing a scholarship to honor Larry and Darleen Link and their commitment to helping students fund their education.

Larry retired from Montana Western (then known as Western Montana College) in 1985 after serving for twenty years as the Director of Financial Aid. He practiced as a CPA in Dillon until he was 80. Larry and Darleen Link raised their children in Dillon and were very active in the community. They were avid supporters of both academics and athletics.

The Larry and Darleen Link Memorial Scholarship will be awarded annually in the amount of $1,000. The recipient must be a Montana high school graduate enrolled at UMW as a full-time student, be in good standing, and have financial need.

The first recipient of the scholarship is Elizabeth Simonsen, a sophomore Psychology major and Statistics and Modeling minor. Izzi is a 2019 graduate of Beaverhead County High School and would like to pursue a master’s degree in Social Work once she completes her undergraduate degree at Montana Western. She plans to focus her studies on sexual assault prevention, intervention, and education. Eventually, she would like to attend law school and assist those affected by assault and practice family law.

“We are pleased to establish this scholarship in memory of my parents, who always stressed the importance of a college education. It was important to them, and it is important to us,” commented Garry Link.

“The UMW Foundation is grateful for this tremendous scholarship support. We see the impact that every scholarship dollar has and can’t begin to express our gratitude for establishing such a meaningful scholarship. Larry Link made a difference every day in the lives of WMC students. This scholarship in honor of Larry and Darlene will do the same,” said Montana Western Foundation Director, Roxanne Engellant.

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