Shatford Hall Reunion – Scholarship Project

Shatford HallWhen the word spread that Shatford Hall was being torn down, social media became alive with memories and photos of costumes, hall decorations, and tradition. The ladies of Shatford Hall reminisced on their time in the dorm and the relationships and bonds formed during its existence. The Shatford tradition was known for caring for and blessing people’s lives, and that is what these ladies of Shatford will continue to do.

Shatford Hall was built in 1962 and served as a residence hall for over 50 years. “With the addition of modern residency buildings and the cost to repair and renovate the building, the decision was made to take the building down. In more recent years, mold and needed plumbing upgrades made this a costly building to maintain,” said Rev. Rick Carder, Director of Alumni and Church Engagement. Videos have been shared of the deconstruction of the Hall.

Sarah Burmeister, a former Shatford girl and IWU 2005 graduate, had the idea to purchase bricks from the Shatford building. “I was sad, too, but at the same time, I completely understood. IWU is always in a state of progressing or building something new, so I knew it was inevitable. Shatford had to come down at some point,” said Burmeister. Aaron Baker, a friend of Burmeister, agreed and decided to take action, reaching out to IWU administrators.

Burmeister traveled from her home in California to visit campus over this past Christmas to finalize details. She said, “I was shocked that IWU would take the time to listen to a bizarre suggestion, agree to do it and put time, money and energy into salvaging bricks.”

After many conference calls and much planning, Shatford Legacy Scholarship Project was created. “Although the building is coming down, that doesn’t mean that the Shatford sisterhood is going to end in anyway,” said Burmeister. It was difficult to find all the women who lived in Shatford, but the number found has increased to over 500. Therefore, a letter was then sent out to spread the news quickly.

Soon after, Burmeister and the others in charge discovered enough money had been given to begin a scholarship fund. “We wanted the money to go toward something that would change someone’s life and bless somebody,” stated Burmeister. The committee decided to do a one-time financial scholarship to a woman in leadership, but with the money they received, the scholarship has the ability to be ongoing.

Burmeister and hundreds of other Shatford girls will continue to leave their legacy. The Shatford sisterhood is not over year and many will be blessed by the decisions these ladies make and will continue to make throughout the years coming.

To read more about Sarah Burmeister and her journey during and after IWU, follow the link below.

Ambassador for Children

We invite your participation in the Scholarship as well as the reunion during Homecoming.

 

Written by Emily Lehner, a writer for the Alumni Center and a sophomore Writing major at IWU. She is active on the cross country and track teams. She is passionate about using her writing skills to share the good news of Christ with others and writes often on her personal blog at www.emilylehner.wordpress.com.

 

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