2009 Recipients
This year’s Mike Warter College Scholarship recipients not only have great heads and feet for soccer, they also both play, referee and live with passion and serve their teammates and community with heart.
 TAYLOR JACOBS of Maple Grove is a graduate of Maple Grove Senior High School. She plans on attending college to earn a degree in English or history with the desire to become a novelist.
Taylor has been playing soccer since she was six years old. She started playing for the MapleBrook Soccer Association at nine years old and has continued with that club for the last 10 years. She played her high school soccer at Maple Grove Senior High and has been involved in soccer not only as a player but also as a referee. Outside of soccer, Taylor has participated in track and field; where she was a repeat letter winner, basketball and numerous community organizations including Special Olympics, Knights of Columbus and C.R.O.S.S. food drives to name a few. Taylor is described as someone who always shows outstanding leadership, determination and a positive attitude in everything she does.
 LINUS ONUOHA of Brooklyn Park is a graduate of Robbinsdale Cooper High School. He plans on furthering his education by attending college with the long term goal of becoming an electrical engineer or medical doctor.
Linus has been playing soccer since he was nine years old and this summer is playing for the Minnesota Thunder West U19 team. In addition to playing soccer, Linus has coached young recreational soccer players and is involved with the Knights of Columbus and Admission Possible; a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping promising, low-income young people prepare for and earn admission to college. With these organizations he has served pancake breakfasts, raked lawns for the elderly and collected food items for the needy. He strives to be a dedicated, caring and respectful person and believes that hard work and education are the key to a successful future.
MYSA and the Mike Warter family would like to congratulate these fine young athletes and wish them continued success in the future.
2008 Recipients
ANALEY SKOG of Isanti is a graduate of Meadow Creek Christian School. She plans to attend Bemidji State University where she will play soccer and pursue a degree in pediatric nursing.
Analey has been playing soccer from a very young age with the North Metro Soccer Club. She has also played on her high school team being chosen captain both her junior and senior years. She was named All Conference and All State Honorable mention her junior year and All Conference and All State her senior year. She was also awarded the Star Tribune athlete of the week both her junior and senior years.
Besides playing soccer, Analey has been involved in the game as a coach and referee. She is involved in a number of school activities including; basketball, National Honor Society and jazz band. Analey started a Fellowship of Christian Athletes group at her school and served as a Student Council member where she was elected president her senior year.
MARK FLEMING of Mankato is a graduate of Loyola High School. He will be attending the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology this fall where he plans to study mechanical engineering.
Mark has been very involved in the Mankato United Soccer Club as both a player and referee. He earned the Eric Gerlitz Memorial Award for Outstanding Young Referee as well as the MYSA’s Young Male Referee of the Year Award in 2007. His high school soccer accomplishments include being named captain of his soccer team, being selected to the Mankato All City Team and receiving the Loyola “Most Valuable Defensive Player” award.
Mark attended Gustavus Adolphus College full time as a PSEO (Post Secondary Education Option) student where he made the Dean’s list. He has participated in the aeronautical engineering project the last five years at the State Science Fair and has also participated in the International Science and Engineering Fair winning multiple awards.
2007 Recipients
Laura Olson (St. Louis Park)
Laura, a graduated from Saint Louis Park High School graduadte, plans to be a physical therapist and counselor. She will pursue here studies at Winona State University were she will play soccer for the Warriors. Throughout her high school career, Laura excelled on and off the soccer field. According to Benjamin Kent, St. Louis Park Girls Soccer Coach, “Laura has a tremendous work ethic and an attitude about life that has made her one of the best student-athletes I have had the pleasure to coach in my twenty plus years of coaching.”
Laura has spread her passion for soccer and life over the past several years by working through her church running an after-school program called Magic Attic in which she lead the participating 5th and 6th graders in fun soccer activities. She has also served as an assistant coach and referee for the St. Louis Park Soccer Program. Laura wrote in her essay, “I believe that in the past 14 years, soccer has made me who I am today. It provided me with outstanding relationships, acted as a vital getaway, provided me with fun and worthwhile jobs, and brought me closer to my community.” She goes on to write, “Soccer provides me with one important message; strive for your goal. This message can be applied not only on the soccer field, but also in the game of life. And that is what I plan to do; strive for my goals in life.”
Christopher Roskowinski (Cottage Grove)
Christopher sums up his experience in this way, “My wish is for soccer to touch the hearts of kids the way it has touched mine.” A 2007 graduate of Park Senior High School in Cottage Grove, he plans to work as a physical therapist. “I would like to help people, recovering from injury, to achieve their highest quality of life.” He will attend the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse this fall. Like Laura, Christopher is an excellent student and an outstanding volunteer in his community. “Mr. Roskowinski views soccer as not just a game, but rather as a connection to people and relationships” wrote Jonathan Schaefer, Director of Program and Player Development for Cottage Grove Soccer Club.
Active as an assistant coach and referee in the Cottage Grove Soccer Club, Christopher also found time to volunteer for his church. He wrote about a recent mission trip and described playing soccer with children in a poverty stricken community, “I watched how the simplicity of soccer could bridge the gap between people of all ages, races, religions and socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. With milk cartons as our goal posts, we laughed as we played the world’s greatest game.” As a player “his positive communication skills and relentless efforts to ‘cover’ for people as a defender made him a special player,” wrote Schaefer.
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