Susan Renaud "Giving back and making a difference"
By Kristin Johnson
Susan Renaud always knew she wanted to work with people, and she knew she wanted to make a difference. Her parents had instilled the values of working hard, contributing to society, loving your neighbor, putting your heart into everything you do, and following your passion. She was determined to do all those things and more.
After studying social work at a different institution, she followed her brother's footsteps and transferred to Minnesota State University Moorhead, completing her degree in 1974. She admits this was one of the best decisions she has ever made. "I feel like when I came to MSUM, I came home," she said. At MSUM, she found experienced, motivating professors, a welcoming campus and fellow students who become more like family to her. "I felt a sense of belonging, and had a community of people who believed what I believed," she said. "I just felt a connection to MSUM immediately."
Upon graduation, Susan set out to follow her dream of making a difference. She helped out the senior population by delivering Meals on Wheels. Later, she completed a master's degree and moved on to become a school counselor at a community college, helping students plan out their futures. For 25 years, she was a volunteer park ranger, living out her passion of energy conservation and protecting the environment.
For Susan, making a difference also meant giving back. She worked hard for years, saving money whenever she could. Today, she's in a position to help others out, which included starting the Susan and Bruce Renaud Endowment Fund at MSUM. In addition, Susan made a future planned gift, designating MSUM as the beneficiary of part of her estate. "I'm at a point now where I'm blessed," she said. For her, donating to an institution that impacted her life just made sense, and having no children of her own, she turned to helping students through scholarships. "When I give, I really in my heart just want it to go where it can do the most good," she said. "I wanted to help the most students I could who had the passion but not the resources."