In life you meet people that just stand above the rest. Angie Petersen is one of the most kind and generous souls I’ve ever met and is also someone that has been faced endless obstacles in which she always seems to find a silver lining.
Tom, Angie’s husband, has been battling cancer since 2014 and simply would not be with us today without an incredible partner by his side. Despite the odds being stacked against them, Angie and Tom have forged on, raising two terrific young adults, and setting a beautiful example for all of us to follow.
Time and time again I’ve witnessed Angie placing others before herself. Sacrificing time, energy, and money to make life just a little bit better for others. Well, it’s about time the tables were turned.
2023 was a very difficult year for the Petersen’s as Tom faced daunting health challenges and Angie struggled to make ends meet. Nothing is more important to Angie than to support her family but that has become increasingly difficult. A light at the end of tunnel recently appeared through a 16-month accelerated nursing program at Metro State University (my alma mater). Although financially challenging, Angie seemed to have her ducks in a row to start the program next week, but that’s when yet another curve ball was sent her way. A tearful Angie shared that her financial aid was not what she had planned, and she would be forced to drop out of the program before it even started. That’s where DAWG Nation comes in.
This afternoon, Angie came into my office, and thanks to the generosity of literally hundreds, I had the immense pleasure to hand her a check to cover her first semester of nursing school and begin formulating a plan to cover the others. There was relief, there were hugs, there were tears, and there was the knowledge that Angie will absolutely crush it.
Life isn’t always fair, and it certainly hasn’t been fair to the Petersen’s, but life also gives us countless opportunities to lift up others. To me, there is no greater gift. God Bless.
