Arlen M. Selu Special Education Memorial Endowment

Purpose
The Fund is established to provide financial assistance in the form of scholarships for University students entering into the field of special education.

The Arlen M. Selu Special Education Memorial Endowment was established by Arlen’s husband and Metropolitan State University of Denver alumnus, Eddy Reyes (‘97). Arlen cultivated, cherished, and celebrated relationships with people, animals, and the natural world with which she surrounded herself; material things mattered not. Early in her career, she worked tirelessly with physically and mentally disabled children as a special education teacher with the Denver Public Schools. When the job became physically too demanding, she left the field of teaching and went to graduate school to earn a master’s degree in Psychotherapy. Arlen worked at Maria Droste Counseling Center, developing lasting friendships with her peers along the way. During the last decade of her life, Arlen established her own psychotherapy practice, often taking on more pro-bono patients than those able to pay. Her career exemplified all that made Arlen a unique and unforgettable person: compassion, unconditional love, humor, forgiveness, courage … an advocate for the “little guy and gal” along with a healthy dose of chutzpah. Arlen was also an outdoor enthusiast who loved the Colorado mountains and outdoor activities like backpacking, tent camping, and traveling in a camper with her beloved husband Eddy. After she was diagnosed with stage four cancer of her lungs, Arlen died within the same year and forever will be missed by all those she touched so deeply.

Criteria
The scholarship recipient shall:
• Be meeting the University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements and cannot be in default or owe any refund/repayment of federal, state, or institutional aid
• Have a financial need as determined by FAFSA / CASFA and the Metropolitan State University of Denver Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships
• Be admitted into any of the University’s School of Education Special Education Programs that lead to teacher licensure
• Write a 500-word essay responding to the question: Why is cultural diversity important within a classroom environment?

Preference is for:
• Students who are bilingual (fluent in English and Spanish)
• The scholarship recipient to be familiar with the experience of Latino/a culture

The scholarship is renewable. (Contingent on available funds)