Cedar Community Awards Carl Ziegler Scholarships 

By Sarah Malchow, chief administrative officer, Cedar Community

Prof. Carl Ziegler (July 19, 1940-April 19, 2021) was a faithful friend to and supporter of Cedar Community in West Bend, Wis., for many years, giving generous gifts of time and talents on various campus development projects, sharing his treasure as a faithful donor, and offering his wise and thoughtful leadership as a member of our board of directors. He made an indelible impact on Cedar Community over the course of his life. In his passing, he magnified that legacy with an incredibly generous gift from his estate. With the guidance of his estate’s trustee and family relative, Ben Schloemer, the Carl Ziegler Endowed Scholarship Fund has been established to support Cedar Community team members in their educational and professional development pursuits. 

“I am very impressed with the thoughtfulness of the process and the incredible strength of the candidates,” Schloemer stated. “I learned a great deal about the challenges faced by those serving in senior healthcare, and also about how much these individuals truly care for the residents they serve. The applicants were all deserving.” 

In May of this year, the second annual application process was opened to Cedar Community team members employed with the organization for at least 12 months. The following individuals were awarded scholarships:

Undergraduate scholarship for four-year programs—$5,000 each:

Lorren Handke is a rising sophomore at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh studying social work/counseling. Loren currently serves Cedar Community as a reception team member in Cedar Community’s assisted living at The Aspen at Cedar Lake. In addition to her reception duties, Lorren brings a joyful and welcoming attitude to residents and visitors alike. She is looking forward to offering support and assistance to others in her professional vocation.

Erika Elsinger has served as a Cedar Community team member for two years, starting first as a resident assistant, then as a certified nursing assistant, and now as a med tech. She is motivated by her desire to demonstrate care and compassion to those who need it, and she is an active an enthusiastic mentor for her peers. Erika will be continuing her studies at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the honors nursing program.

Technical college scholarship—$2,500 each:

Samantha Esquibel joined the Cedar Community team in 2014 as a resident assistant at The Cottages, Cedar Community’s memory care campus. Samantha continued her professional development and growth and now serves as the manager of The Aspen at Cedar Lake, Cedar Community’s assisted living campus. Samantha is a dedicated and supportive leader whose care for her residents and her colleagues makes her a highly impactful member of Cedar Community’s assisted living leadership team. With this generous scholarship, she will be pursuing her LPN and eventually her RN degree at Moraine Park Technical College. 

For the past four years, Alyssa Graunke has served in various capacities across Cedar Community’s dining teams, first in assisted living and now as a licensed bartender and server at The Top of the Ridge Restaurant located on our Cedar Ridge Campus. She is always willing to take on additional duties and is a great support and mentor for her teammates. Alyssa is stepping back into her educational journey pursuing a radiology technician certification at Moraine Park Technical College. 

Continuing education/professional development scholarships—up to $5,000 each:

For the past 17 and a half years, Lindsay Sauer has had a wide variety of responsibilities in the Cedar Community family. From her early career days as a nursing assistant to her current role as manager of The Cottages, Cedar Community’s memory care campus, Lindsay has been a dedicated lifelong learner and natural leader. Her love for patients suffering the ravages of Alzheimer’s and related dementia makes her well-suited to mentor and support team members and residents alike. Lindsay will be pursing her Master’s in Healthcare Administration through the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. 

Amy Kopfmann joined the Cedar Community family in 2023 to provide therapy and end-of-life support to residents and families as part of Cedar Community’s life enrichment team. Amy has a rich background of musicianship and music performance and has leaned into music therapy. Her work—especially with Cedar Community’s memory care—results in improvements of motor skills, relaxation, decreases in anxiety and agitation, and truly improves residents’ quality of life. She also compassionately and with empathy supports families facing end-of-life stress and moving through the grieving process. This scholarship will support her in achieving her music therapy certifications and additional certifications in sound therapy. 

Sarah Malchow, chief administrative officer, worked with Carl prior to his passing, and is pleased with the ongoing impact of his generosity. “His commitment to Cedar Community was and is inspiring,” Malchow said. “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to know him and feel fortunate that we are able to honor his legacy in such a way—he would be proud.”