Endowment establishes ‘Marie Narhi Shiesl Scholarship’

PALMER — An endowment in the memory of Marie Narhi Shiesl will fund an annual scholarship in her memory at Matanuska-Susitna College.

Don and Sherry Shiesl donated $28,520.20 to the college April 8 to permanently endow a scholarship — Marie Narhi Shiesl Scholarship — for Mat-Su College students in health-related fields.

The scholarship honors the memory of Don Shiesl’s mother, who worked as a nurse’s aide before training to be a licensed practical nurse. She was a widow who, while raising her two sons, was unable to afford training to become a registered nurse.

The scholarship is intended to honor the legacy of all nurses who have devoted their lives to caring for the sick and injured, according to a press release from the college.

Sherry Shiesl was born in Kentucky and finished high school in Wisconsin. She moved to Alaska in 1973 and was hired by the Municipality of Anchorage as a Secretary for Parks and Recreation.

Don Shiesl graduated from Kent State University with a bachelor’s degree in conservation. He went on to earn a master’s degree in management from Ohio State University. He then accepted a job with the Municipality of Anchorage and moved to Alaska in 1974.

Don and Sherry met at work and were married in 1982. They moved to the Matanuska Valley in 1994. After retiring from the Municipality of Anchorage, Don worked for the city of Wasilla and later the Matanuska-Susitna Borough as the Director of Public Works.

The Shiesls are both avid gardeners, and Sherry Shiesl grows an incredible array of tomatoes.

Talis Colberg, college director, said this is the college’s eighth scholarship fund established.

“We are a small school, and this is a very big event for us,” Colberg said. “In 55 years there have been only seven scholarship funds set up at our college. This will be our eighth scholarship fund, yet it is the fourth in three years. It is a wonderful trend.”