David and Darcy Osterlund Music Education Scholarship

Scholarship Criteria: To aid a worthy student pursuing a degree in Music Education. Recipients should demonstrate financial need, have received a minimum ACT score of 21 or high school GPA of 2.5 or greater, and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater while enrolled at the University.

Scholarship Story:

When Dr. David C. Osterlund arrived at the University of Northwestern – St. Paul in 1975, the music program was still in its formative years. The University had not yet established a full Music department, but that began to change when David accepted what turned out to be three roles at once: Music Chairman, Band Director, and leader of the emerging Music Education major. His experience teaching at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, along with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Wisconsin – Superior and his doctorate from the University of Illinois Urbana – Champaign, helped him build a strong foundation for what the program would become.

In the early years, Northwestern was not yet accredited to offer a Music Education degree on its own. To ensure students could still pursue this calling, David helped create a cooperative program with the University of St. Thomas, where Northwestern provided the music coursework and St. Thomas provided the education component. This temporary partnership allowed students to graduate from Northwestern while still receiving the training required for licensure, a creative solution that David believes may have been unique among Christian colleges at the time.

During his years of service, David worked alongside influential leaders such as President Bill Berntsen, John Benham (whom he credits with starting the Christmas at Northwestern annual concert), and Rose Totino, whose generosity not only made the Totino Fine Arts Center possible but also provided funds for a harp that is still played by students today. David also designed Totino’s Band and Choir rooms, spaces that continue to support music-making year after year. After more than sixty years of teaching, he continues to view Music Education as a worthy and life-shaping vocation.

David also created this scholarship in honor of his late wife, Darcy, whose life overflowed with music, warmth, and service. Darcy taught violin for many years, including during the four years the Osterlunds lived and worked in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Her love for music continued throughout her life as she played weekly for residents in local nursing homes, bringing joy, beauty, and Christlike compassion to people who needed it most. She was a teacher, scholar, writer, faithful church member, and devoted follower of Jesus. Together, she and David raised four children, all of whom were shaped by their parents’ love of music and ministry.

After Darcy passed away in 2017, David returned to Minnesota, and this scholarship became a meaningful way to honor her legacy and support future generations of music educators.