Endowment is Payback for Satters,
DSU's Athletic Scholarship Fund
By Dan Holsworth
Madison Daily Leader

On hand for a special presentation of the Kari Satter-Holman Endowment to DSU's athletic scholarship fund Friday were (left) Dr. Jerald Tunheim, president of DSU; Barbara Satter, Kari's mother; Kari; Robert Satter, her father; and Dr. Thomas Gioglio, DSU's athletic director.

     A shared endeavor by the Satters, Wells Fargo Bank and DSU   athletics, the university's athletic scholarship fund was endowed with a $5,000 gift in presentation ceremonies at the DSU Fieldhouse during halftime of the Lady T's game against Dickinson State.

     The Satter-Holman endowment is in the name of Kari (Satter) Holman, who was a standout post player for Jeff Dittman and his Lady T's in the late 1990s.  Kari gained both All-Conference and NAIA Academic All-American honors while playing for the Lady T's.  She ended her career among the university's Top Five assists leaders, dishing out 207 assists in her 1995-99 career.

     "We feel that Dakota State and Coach Jeff Dittman did so much for Kari, both in basketball and in the classroom," said Barbara Satter, a family and consumer science teacher at Irene High School.  "Coach Dittman really helped Kari in every way," she said.

     "We felt that it was just one way we could give back to the university and to help its athletic program."

     The Satters have seen both Kari and her sister Heidi graduate from DSU, as well as their sons-in-law, Eric Holman and Scott Sandal.  Holman was a starter for the Trojans before he earned his bachelor's degree. He is pursing a master's program at DSU.

     Kari (Satter) Holman is following her mother's footsteps, teaching fourth grade at Tea this year.  "We felt that when our kids got scholarships from DSU, we should do likewise to help other students," said Robert Satter, manager of Irene's Wells Fargo Bank.  Through Wells Fargo's education Matching Gift Program, the Satters were able to enlarge their contribution to DSU's athletic scholarship fund.

     "The only thing we stipulated was that the money go to either a sophomore, junior or senior women's basketball player," said Robert Satter.

     Dittman, reflecting on the endowment, said: "We're very appreciative of the Satters' contribution. It will help us to bring quality student athletes, like Kari, into the program in the future. It is also a reflection of the quality of people we've had in our basketball program at DSU.  The Satter's were tremendous supporter during Kari's basketball career and continue to help us any way they can."