Emmy poses with her father, Hal Sigtryggsson, at her high school graduation in 2022. Courtesy | Spencer Sigtryggsson

Legacy Board establishes scholarship in her name

The 2026 senior class gift will honor the memory of Emerson “Emmy” Sigtryggsson by establishing a scholarship in her name, the Legacy Board announced Sept. 11.

“When we were asked what sets our class apart from others, many of us thought about Emmy and the impact she had on us,” senior and Legacy Board member MaryEllen Petersen said in her remarks at the unveiling ceremony. “That’s why we chose to create a memorial scholarship in her name. A scholarship is more than money. It’s an opportunity.”

A physics major and member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, Sigtryggsson died Sept. 8, 2024, shortly after she was diagnosed with cancer. The Emerson Sigtryggsson Memorial Scholarship will offer financial aid to enrolled Hillsdale students who are facing an unexpected financial hardship, such as an illness in the family, that threatens their ability to return to the college. 

Sigtryggsson’s parents attended the dinner at which the Legacy Board announced the class gift. 

“Few positives come from the death of someone so young,” Sigtryggsson’s mother Kirsten Lindstrom told The Collegian. “Emerson was a true people person, and we commend the Class of 2026 for using her tragedy to positively impact others in similar situations. We are grateful to the students for honoring her memory in this manner.”

The Legacy Board has raised over $1,300 and aims to raise $10,000 by the end of the academic year to fund one or more scholarships. While the majority of the funding will come from the class of 2026, anyone can contribute to the scholarship fund through the link on the Legacy Board’s Instagram page, according to Kaeleigh Di Cello ’24, the young alumni programs coordinator. 

“Emmy was not the first person at Hillsdale College who needed time away from the semester for an illness, nor will she be the last,” Petersen said. “There are also students every year whose families are impacted by serious illnesses. Our hope for the scholarship is that even though their families are impacted, their schooling won’t be.”

The Legacy Board each year suggests a senior class gift it thinks would represent the graduating class and benefit the student body in future generations, Di Cello said. Often, the board chooses from a list of pre-approved projects that the college has already planned. Creating something new requires the additional work of securing the college’s approval.

But Petersen said as soon as the idea was raised in meetings over the summer, the board members quickly agreed they wanted to honor Sigtryggsson.

While many classes choose to add something physical to campus, the class of 2026 wanted to steer away from additional construction projects on campus, according to senior and Legacy Board Member Adeline Kaufman. The past two senior class gifts have funded physical structures: a glass conservatory from the class of 2024 and a fire pit from the class of 2025. 

“We wanted to think outside of the box and do something a little bit more creative and a little bit more personal,” Kaufman said.

The board believed seniors would resonate with the gift honoring their friend and would be more supportive of a gift that could make a significant difference for a few students, Kaufman said. 

“This feels like a more tangible way to give back to a few specific students,” she said. 

Even if current members of the senior class did not know Sigtryggsson, Petersen said, they know someone who knew her and feel her absence on campus.

“By establishing this scholarship in Emmy’s memory, we hope to carry forward her spirit of generosity, joy, and compassion so that future students can have some relief in difficult times,” Petersen said. “This scholarship ensures her legacy isn’t just something we talk about today with the students of our own class. It’s something that will have the opportunity to change the lives of students who have yet to walk onto campus.”