Southeast Missouri State University Alumni Association

Frank and Sandy Wersching Scholarship Endowed at Southeast

The Frank and Sandy Wersching Scholarship has been endowed through the Southeast Missouri University Foundation.

The scholarship was established with a $10,000 gift from St. Louis Cares, a Southeast alumni affinity group that seeks to develop scholarships for St. Louis youth, and with proceeds from a recent St. Louis Cares event, "An Evening with the Arts.” The event featured performances by Frank and Sandy Wersching's daughter, the television, stage and screen actress, Annie Wersching, best known for her work in "24,” and Southeast theatre and dance students. The scholarship was established in honor of Frank and Sandy Wersching.

The recipient of the scholarship will be a student who is enrolled at Southeast majoring in theatre and dance with at least a 2.0 grade point average and financial need. Preference will be given to a student from St. Louis or St. Louis County. The Department of Theatre and Dance will select the recipient.

Frank Wersching came to Southeast in 1961 from Jennings, Mo., in the St. Louis area. He graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science in Education and majored in speech and English at Southeast. While at the University, he served as treasurer of the Student Assembly and president of the Black Mask Honorary Dramatic Society. He was also a member of Student Life, the Student Union, the A Cappella Choir, the Men's Glee Club and College Players. During his years at Southeast, he directed and starred as the Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz” and played the role of Alfred Doolittle in "My Fair Lady.”

While at Southeast, Frank Wersching met Sandra Drebes, who was also from St. Louis and also graduated from Southeast in 1965. Drebes received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from the University. During her years at Southeast, she was involved in intercollegiate debate and University Players.

Frank and Sandy Wersching married and returned to St. Louis. In 1977, they adopted a baby girl, Annie. As a youth, Annie Wersching spent 14 years with the St. Louis Celtic Stepdancers, traveling and competing in Irish dance, before attending Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., where she received her degree in musical theatre.

After graduating, Annie Wersching lived in Chicago and began touring with "Anything Goes” and "A Christmas Carol.” She worked for various theatres, including Victory Gardens Biograph Theatre, the Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire and the Utah Shakespeare Festival, before moving to Los Angeles in 2001. Wersching appeared in the revival of "Do I Hear a Waltz?” at The Pasadena Playhouse and can be heard on its new cast recording.

Wersching's first television appearance was on "Star Trek: Enterprise.” Since then, she has appeared on "Journeyman,” "Boston Legal,” "Cold Case,” "Supernatural,” "Frasier,” "Charmed,” "Killer Instinct,” and the Fox pilot, "Company Man,” by the creators of "24,” among others. She also debuted on "General Hospital” as Television Producer Amelia Joffe in March 2007 and could been seen daily for five months stirring up trouble in Port Charles. In September 2007, Wersching began filming the seventh season of "24,” and in January 2009, she took audiences by storm as Agent Renee Walker.

Annie Wersching is married to the actor and comedian, Stephen Full, and they have a two-year-old son, Freddie.