$1.5 million estate gift will support agricultural education students, athletics staff
Dec. 16, 2025 – When Mark Meydam, a 1985 University of Wisconsin-River Falls graduate and former staff member of nearly 40 years, was being inducted into the university’s Athletics Hall of Fame in October, he and his wife, Katrina Larsen, a 1982 grad and 33-year former staff member, decided to drop a surprise on the crowd. Meydam announced that he and Larsen were dedicating an estate gift estimated at $1.5 million to support scholarships for agricultural education students and professional development for UWRF Athletics staff.
Both Meydam and Larsen studied agricultural education, with Larsen going on to complete a master’s degree at UWRF in 1986. As staff members, Meydam worked in various roles in the Admissions Department and Larsen was director of outreach and continuing education. After retiring, the pair established the Meydam-Larsen Agricultural Education Scholarship in 2021, aimed at helping first-generation students attend college.
“College was not a possibility from my family’s point of view,” said Meydam, who grew up on a dairy farm and was the first in his family to go to college. “One day I was helping my dad plant corn when mom brought out a letter with a scholarship award, the Wisconsin Rural Rehabilitation Corporation Scholarship. Without scholarships and financial aid, I never would have made it to college.”
Larsen was in the same boat when it was time to consider college. She was also the first in her family to attend and she could not have afforded it without assistance. Now the couple wants to be sure other students get the same opportunities they did.
“We want to pay it forward, bottom line,” Larsen said. “It’s all about having an impact on people’s lives.”
The estate gift will boost support for scholarships into the future. Meydam and Larsen also wanted to find a way to support Falcon Athletics. Meydam started volunteering with in the department as a student and is still a familiar face at basketball and football games, where he operates the game clock. Meydam and Larsen decided to help fund professional development for staff across the department, focusing on non-coaching staff and young coaches who want to grow and learn.
“I always appreciated the opportunity to go to professional development, go to a conference,” Meydam said. “We want people to be able to learn and grow in their positions and do an even better job for UWRF.”
Larsen and Meydam considered making their generous gift anonymously, but in sharing their story, they hope to encourage other alumni and staff whose lives have been impacted by UWRF to support future generations.
“We want people to realize that you don’t have to be rich to make an impact and support students into the future,” Larsen said.
The couple believes those impacts will be felt long after students graduate.
“When those students leave, they go out and impact communities across the state, doing the things they learned at UWRF,” Meydam said. “They coach football and run FFA programs. They do good things for the state and the world.”
To learn about ways to support UW-River Falls and its students, visit uwrf.edu/university-advancement/ways-give.
Photo: Mark Meydam and Katrina Larsen, both UW-River Falls alumni and former longtime staff members, stand on the steps in the University Center in December. The couple recently announced an estate gift estimated at $1.5 million to support scholarships for agricultural education students and professional development for UWRF Athletics staff.