DONOR STORIES
SCHOLARSHIP AWARDS – $3,000 per year for up to four years of undergraduate degree programs.
ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT– None.
The Stories Behind the Donors
Every scholarship tells a story—a story of generosity, remembrance, and the profound impact one person can have on the lives of many. Behind each named scholarship is a donor who chose to transform their gratitude and love into opportunity, ensuring that the legacy of someone special continues through the success of future generations.
Here, we celebrate these remarkable donor stories—the individuals and families who have turned loss into hope, tribute into action, and memory into meaningful change. Through their generosity, students are empowered to pursue their dreams, carrying forward the spirit of those honored by each scholarship.
The Oconomowoc Scholarship Fund is grateful to donors who create limited-term, named scholarships and include us in their estate planning. Through their generosity, they leave a lasting legacy that empowers students in Lake Country to pursue their passions in post-secondary education.
Steve Lyles
Steve Lyles grew up in the Lake Country area and settled in Oconomowoc after graduating from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with a major in Journalism. He worked as an editor for the Oconomowoc Focus - part of the family of local newspapers of then Lake Country Publications. He could often be found walking the streets with local business owners and community leaders. One of his passions was local sports and he enjoyed covering all the local high school games.
Steve passed away unexpectedly on May 28, 2019. He and his wife, Kari, met at Lake Country Publications and had two daughters, Megan and Julia, who both graduated from Oconomowoc High School.
As a former high school athlete himself, his love of basketball blossomed into getting certified as a WIAA basketball official. For over 20 years, you could find him on a local basketball court almost every Friday night and he was honored to be chosen to referee a few State tournaments. He was a highly involved parent who loved supporting his girls in their activities from dance, cross country, soccer and track meets.
Steve’s career grew from editor to various positions in sales and sales management. He was often asked to join the marketing classes at Oconomowoc High School and enjoyed interacting with students.
“Knowing how much Steve loved this school district and supporting not only our girls, but students in general, it makes sense to honor his legacy by furthering a student’s education,” explained Kari.
His genuine character, quick wit and inclusiveness of everyone made for a wonderful leader and friend.
ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT– Must be a senior graduating from OHS with plans to major in Communications, Marketing or Journalism
The Lyles Family
Donna Wojcik
In recognition of Donna’s remarkable impact, three scholarships have been established in her memory. Two valued at $12,000 and one valued at $3000 will be awarded to deserving students residing in the OASD, ensuring that her commitment to education lives on. These scholarships honor Donna’s spirit and her belief in the power of education to transform lives.
Donna Wojcik’s legacy as an extraordinary teacher is one that continues to inspire both students and colleagues alike. Her dedication to education and her unwavering passion for nurturing young minds enriched the lives of countless families throughout the OASD. Donna believed in igniting curiosity and fostering growth, always encouraging her students to reach for their dreams and embrace the joy of learning. She had a special knack of connecting to children with special needs.
Donna Wojcik
Ruth A. Knoll
Ruth A. Knoll (1936-2023) was born in Oconomowoc and grew up on Lac LaBelle. She loved spending her evenings sitting on the deck of her childhood home watching the lake. The Oconomowoc Scholarship Fund is grateful to Ms. Knoll for remembering us in her estate planning. Her days were spent in Hartford where, for thirty years, she was the choir director at Hartford High School and was the music director for their musical theater productions.
During her career, she was instrumental in offering her students voice lessons and preparing them for the Wisconsin School Music Associations solo and ensemble festivals. Her award-winning choir auditioned and was selected twice to sing with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
At the request of many high school alumni who wanted to continue singing, Ruth founded the Hartford Community Choir in 1960. She was the Musical Director for fifty-five years and directed more than 700 singers during her tenure. They are Hartford’s resident choir at the Ruth A. Knoll Theater in the Schauer Center for the Arts.
Ms. Knoll received many distinct honors during her career including the Herb Kohl Teacher Fellowship which recognizes and supports teaching excellence and innovation in the state of Wisconsin in 1991; the Paul Harris Fellowship through the Hartford Rotary and the Wisconsin Choral Directors Association Morris D. Hayes Award. She was named the Hartford Teacher of the Year and the City proclaimed December 12, 2010 as Ruth A. Knoll Day. Ruth received her B.A. from Kalamazoo College in Michigan and her M.S. in Music Education from UW-Madison. The Ruth A. Knoll Scholarship will be awarded to an Oconomowoc area student who is pursuing a degree in music.