By Tommy Flanagan
We are continually humbled by the generosity of members of our community, which is shown in countless, meaningful ways. Occasionally, however, a single act of generosity stands out because it will reshape the future for generations to come. That is what Sirkka Sinervo-Dragonas has done.
Sirkka lived a quiet life in Wilmington, Delaware. Born in Turku, she carried a deep pride in her Finnish roots and spent her career as a government accountant. While many in our community might not have known her personally, her commitment to Finnish America and to education was profound and unmistakable. Sirkka had something rare: foresight. Guided by her passions for education and the Finnish American community, her intent as expressed in her will was to establish a scholarship fund to support Finns and Finnish Americans attending Finlandia University, the only Finnish-American institution of higher education in North America.
With its 126-year history, Finlandia University was a natural choice as a place where her legacy could endure. When Sirkka passed away in September 2024, the future of that vision was anything but certain. Finlandia University had closed a year prior, and there was no clear path forward to fulfill her intentions at the intersection of Finnish America and higher education. In early 2025, Finlandia Foundation National received a call from attorney Robert Pasquale of Doroshow, Pasquale, Krawitz & Bhaya in Wilmington. He believed there was a way to honor Sirkka’s wishes. His legal team argued in the State of Delaware that Finlandia Foundation National, given its national scope, mission, and longstanding commitment to scholarships, was the most appropriate organization to carry forward this legacy. They were successful.
That decision was more than a legal outcome. It affirms decades of commitment to our mission. Since our founding in 1953, Finlandia Foundation National has worked to promote and sustain Finnish American heritage and connection. In 1956, we awarded our first scholarship, establishing a lasting commitment to education that continues to grow today. This April, that legacy took on new meaning.
The Sirkka Sinervo-Dragonas Fund has been officially established at FFN as a $1.5 million endowment dedicated exclusively to scholarships. The annual proceeds from this fund will directly support students and extend Sirkka’s vision far into the future. The fund will give preference to students in the United States and Finland who are pursuing Finnish or Nordic studies. These fields sustain language, culture, history, and identity. At a time when such programs are increasingly rare and the cost of education continues to increase, this support will make a meaningful difference for generations of scholars. The announcement of this fund was made during a gathering that took place in conjunction with FFN’s annual board meeting. Hosted at the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation’s Copeland Maritime Museum, the moment carried deep historical resonance.
The museum is home to the Kalmar Nyckel, the ship that carried one of the first groups of settlers, including many Finns, from Sweden to the New World. Centuries later, the Finnish-American community gathered in that same place to honor a gift that will sustain its future. FFN also received items from Sirkka’s estate following her passing. Many were liquidated, with proceeds added to the fund to further support scholarships. Select items identified as historically significant will be preserved and added to the collections of the Finnish American Heritage Center Historical Archive in Hancock, Michigan. These items include Finnish ryjiy and textiles, photographs, and some of Sirkka’s personal papers. The Sirkka Sinervo-Dragonas Fund will become an FFN Signature Scholarship, with the first awards anticipated in 2028, our 75th anniversary year. In the years ahead, we will see the establishment of “Sirkka Scholars,” individuals whose studies and contributions will carry forward the Finnish-American connection in new and lasting ways. Sirkka’s gift also stands as a powerful reminder of continuity.
While Finlandia University is no longer in operation, its spirit endures through the values it championed, including education, heritage, and community. Through our work, across the country, with our chapter affiliates, and especially at the Finnish American Heritage Center, and nearly seven decades of scholarship support, that legacy continues.
Gathered among friends in Sirkka’s hometown of Wilmington, Finlandia Foundation National members raised a toast of Sirkka’s remaining lakka (cloudberry liqueur) in honor of her continuing legacy through scholarship.