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Supporting CDH: Scholarship Funds Make CDH Accessible

March 22, 2022

Jim Olsen '54 with scholarship recipients Paris Edwards '23 and Ariana Evans '22.

By creating a scholarship fund, donors make a CDH education accessible. It's also a great way to carry on a legacy of commitment to Catholic education.

Jim Olsen '54 established the Marcia Black Olsen Memorial Scholarship in memory of his wife. His generosity ensures that current Raiders have the same opportunities that Jim and Marcia enjoyed during their time at Cretin and Holy Angels.

Meet the donor: Jim Olsen '54

Jim Olsen '54 and Marcia Black Olsen around 1957 -

Why did you create a scholarship fund at CDH?

I wanted to memorialize my deceased wife Marcia. She was a brilliant (and beautiful) student at Holy Angels Academy in Minneapolis. Her parents couldn’t afford the tuition, so Marcia worked to clean the gym and classrooms at school. She also worked another job after school at an ice cream store.

What did it mean to you to meet the students who are recipients of your scholarship?

I really enjoyed meeting the enthusiastic, fresh-faced students. They had their goals well in mind and were striving to achieve them, much more clearly than the students of my time.

Why would you encourage other people to give?

I’m sure there are many other qualified, ambitious students who might need a little help. I wasn’t looking necessarily for valedictorians, rather well qualified, good students who needed some help to continue their career at CDH. There are plenty more of those who could use support.

What does CDH mean to you?

CDH has always meant a lot to me, since I was in the 5th grade, when I went to (then) Cretin to register with my 8th grade older brother. I could easily name several kindly Christian Brothers who encouraged my intellectual and leadership capabilities. I’ve returned frequently to see the faculty, students, staff who carry on, even improve the traditions of CDH.

You can make a gift to CDH online, impacting all of our students. If you would like to create a scholarship fund, reach out to Vice President for Advancement Rob Bollinger at 651-696-3343 or rbollinger@c-dh.org.