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Kate Sylvia Gaustad from Atlanta wins scholarship from Sons of Norway

The Sons of Norway Foundation named Kate Gaustad as an Astrid G. Cates Scholarship recipient for the 2008-2009 school year.

Kate Sylvia Gaustad is a resident of Snellville, Georgia, where she lives with her mom and dad, Anne Finkelman and Paul Gaustad, as well as her brother Jake.

She attends Brookwood High School, and during after school hours devotes her time to dancing in the Senior Company of Northeast Atlanta Ballet.

She participates in Girl Scouts, having earned the Bronze Award, the Silver Award, Community Service and Leadership Awards, and is working on her Gold Award.

Kate is also in charge of planning events for her temple's youth group, and is a volunteer summer camp counselor. Kate loves to travel, in particular visiting family and friends in Norway.

Kate will be attending Kennesaw State University where she'll be majoring in Nursing. One day she hopes to become a Nurse Practitioner.

She credits the help and support of her family for her success and also values the continuing family tradition of Sons of Norway membership, one her father and grandparents have fostered. She is a charter member of the new Vennekretsen Atlanta Lodge 3-678.

Kate has family in Haugesund, Stavanger and Flekkefjord, and has visited family friends in Sandnes and Farsund during several trips to Norway. She participated in Lucia in Atlanta for many years, until dancing in The Nutcracker caused a conflict. Her paternal grandparents are from Norway, and her father tells her stories about marching in the Syttende Mai parade in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn where he grew up.

Dancing has been a big part of Kate's life, and her company performed the ballet 'The Little Mermaid' at the Scandinavian Festival in Atlanta in the fall of 2005.

During one trip to Norway, in June 2000, Kate attended a scout jamboree in Kristiansand. The photo of a very young Kate in a bunad was taken at Vasa's Midtsommer gathering at Lake Lanier.

The Sons of Norway Foundation celebrates culture and expands the horizons of our members
by awarding scholarships and grants to promote the heritage and culture of Norway, and
provides assistance to our members, lodges and their communities. Since 1966 we have
awarded over 2,000 scholarships and more than 400 grants totaling over $1 million. For more
information on this scholarship and the Sons of Norway Foundation, visit
http://www.sonsofnorway.com/foundation