The Film and Video Production program at Grand Valley State University recently awarded their first Dirk Koning scholarship to senior Matthew Pische.
The Dirk Koning Film and Video Scholarship is an endowed scholarship fund whose interest monies will be spent on scholarships for students who have made or intend to make media that contributes to the improvement of society. The scholarship was recently renamed to honor the late Dirk Koning, founding director of the Community Media Center in Grand Rapids, and once an adjunct faculty member at Grand Valley.
The competitive scholarship was awarded based on an essay, resume, and grade point average, determined by a committee consisting of Film/Video faculty and community representatives. Film and Video Production student Matthew Pische, an Honors College senior from Rockford, received the first scholarship. When he first arrived at Grand Valley, Pische was sure that he wanted to pursue fictional filmmaking with Hollywood as the ultimate goal.
"As I have matured in my studies, however, I have come to realize that the concrete world around me is far more interesting and meaningful than any clich¿d fantasy I could hope to invent," said Pische. "Now I find myself powerfully drawn to documentary as a tool by which I can try to use the screens of cinema and television to explore and expand my understanding of the world while simultaneously sharing what I find with an audience of strangers. "
Fundraising for this scholarship began several years ago. Much of the funding came from sales of the "Move Click Move," a retrospective collection on DVD of animation and experimental films by Film and Video Professor Deanna Morse.
The DVD project, donated by area professionals, has been honored with Addy and Omni awards, and described as "raising the bar for DVD interactivity."
To support this scholarship, send a check to:
University Development
202C DeVos
401 West Fulton
Grand Rapids, MI 49504-6431
616-331-6000
Please indicate that you are contributing to the Dirk Koning Film
and Video Scholarship Fund. Please provide a return address for your
receipt (useful for Michigan and federal tax deductions). For more
information contact Deanna Morse at [email protected] or 616-331-3101.
