State College Branch Scholarship
Recipients
2008
We thought you might like to know more about this year’s scholarship
recipients,
Laura Swinyer, Jana Rohrbach, Centrice Martin, Carol Holt and Gwyn Phillips.
.
Evelyn Chostner Marboe AAUW - State
College Branch Scholarship
Laura Swinyer
Laura Swinyer is a student in the College of Communications and would
like to obtain a Master’s Degree from the Dickinson School of Law Public
Policy Program. In Laura’s own words she intends “to labor for an American
health care reform that streamlines patient safety codes and strengthens
the three cornerstones of health care: costs, quality and access”. A
single mother with a disabled daughter, Laura is a dedicated volunteer
who founded the Family Connection of Central PA, Inc., a grassroots
advocacy group for disabled students. The State College Area School
District Special Education Department has contracted with Family Connection
to have Laura conduct parent training on changes regarding federal legislation,
parent’s rights and supports for students with disabilities. Certainly
Laura is a perfect fit for the Marboe award.
Simmons-Jansma Project Renew Grant
Scholarship
Jana Rohrbach
Jana Rohrbach is the mother of six children. Her passion is to obtain an education in order to assist struggling women and children in crisis. Jana writes that she plans to use her degree in Health and Human Development “to encourage women to become independent and empowered through education”. Upon completion of her degree, Jana hopes to work as a Crisis Counselor and to advocate for women and children through volunteer organizations.
State College Branch AAUW Scholarship
Centrice Martin
Pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management, Centrice Martin plans to graduate by December 2009. Centrice completed an internship with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology where she met with prospective students and assisted in creating recruiting materials and is thinking of a career in marketing or public relations. Daughter of a single mother and becoming pregnant herself during her senior year of high school in 2002, Centrice writes that “I decided to do whatever it took to give my child a better life”. As stated in one of her letters of support, “Centrice’s potential is unlimited”
State College Branch AAUW Scholarship
Split between Gwyn Phillips and Carol (Buffy) Holt
The committee decided to split the final State College
Branch Scholarship between two women who are about to complete their
degrees and who both have been prior scholarship recipients. Although
Gwyn Phillips suffers from grave physical illness she is currently working
to combine her twelve remaining credits into one big Integrative Arts
project and will graduate in December 2008.
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts, Gwyn plans
to work towards a master’s degree focusing on the arts, anthropology,
and on children. Gwyn is also a single mother whose daughter will graduate
from Penn’s Valley High School this year.
Carol (Buffy) Holt, a major in Security and Risk Analysis
with an Information and Cyber Crime option, earned an Associate’s Degree
in
2003. After returning to college in 2006 she suffered health reverses
and is currently fighting a difficult divorce settlement. Buffy also
plans to graduate in December 2008.
SCHOLARSHIP GRANTS FOR WOMEN FOR ACADEMIC YEAR 2008-2009
The
State College Branch of the American Association of University Women is
pleased to announce its scholarship grants for women for the academic
year 2007-2008. The State College Branch will be sponsoring THREE grants
and selecting a recipient for a FOURTH grant, each for $5,000. The first
of these awards is the Simmons-Jansma Project Renew Grant. The
other two awards are State College AAUW Scholarships. The fourth
is the Evelyn Chostner Marboe AAUW-State College
Branch Scholarship that will be awarded through The Pennsylvania State
University to a Penn State student.
The purpose of these awards is to support women who, at some point, have
interrupted their academic work for at least two years and who wish to
resume or continue their studies at this time. The grants will be awarded
to four women residents of Centre County who have completed a minimum
of one-fourth of the degree requirements toward a baccalaureate degree.
The awards are made on the basis of financial need, academic promise,
clarity of educational goals, and service to the community.
The AAUW awards were inspired by two past leaders of the State College
AAUW Branch: Dr. Lucretia V. T. Simmons, a past president of the State
College AAUW Branch, who, in 1918, was the first woman on the Penn State
faculty to become a full professor; and Vonna McMillen Jansma, a past
co-president of the Branch and ardent supporter of educational opportunities
for adult women. These awards represent the continuing commitment of the
State College Branch to the educational advancement of women in Centre
County. All awards are deposited into the student’s account at her institution.
Grant applications are available from Nancy Weinreb and/or Chriss Schultz
email: neweinreb@comcast.com
or cys2@outreach.psu.edu
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS: FEBRUARY 1
of current year.
The
following materials are to be submitted to the Grants and Scholarships
Committee in care of
Ms. Chriss Schultz, 414 S. Main Street, Pleasant Gap, Pa 16823
NO LATER THAN
February 1 of current year:
1. Completed application form, including financial information (application instructions)
2. Resume/curriculum vitae
3. Two letters of reference (to be sent directly to the committee by the persons writing the references)
4. Transcripts: College(s), High School (optional)
Additional information, including confirmation of school admission, may be requested by the Grants and Scholarships Committee. Note, if you are unable to download the application form or instructions please contact Nancy Weinreb or Chriss Schultz.
For more information about
the State College Branch of the AAUW contact:
Talat Azhar or Jeanne
Weber