Students selected as GCSU 2009 emerging scholars
Phi Kappa Phi has honored three GCSU students as 2009 Emerging Scholars. The honor society selected Thomas Pangia, Erin Schubach and Hannah Sadowski out of students from around the country.
“I think it’s pretty significant,” said Dr. Steven Elliot-Gower, director of the honors program. “I think it’s a reflection of the growing academic excellence of our institution. And it’s also a reflection of our students’ interest in seeking external scholarships.”
The award, established in 2007, gives 60 outstanding sophomores from Phi Kappa Phi colleges and universities $250 each. These three awards represent the first time GCSU students have received the award.
“I’m pretty excited about receiving this award,” Pangia, a chemistry major, said. “It is quite an honor to be chosen from among a very selective pool of students.”
“It is definitely an honor to be chosen as recipient of the Emerging Scholars Award,” added Schubach, an English major.
“It is an honor, I know it’s a very prestigious group and I’m honored that they picked me,” Sadowski, an environmental science major, said.
Two of the recipients, Schubach and Sadowski, are members of the Honors Program. Dr. Elliot-Gower acknowledged this and attributed it to selection of good students.
“I think we’re doing a pretty good job of putting these sorts of opportunities in front of our honors students.
And if we’ve done a good job in selecting Honors students at the front end, they will be the sorts of students who will not only understand the significance of applying for these sorts of external scholarships, but will also be competitive in doing so,” Elliot-Gower said.
When asked about his plans for the award money, Pangia said that he planned to use the money to help pay for an experiment. “Probably the most direct effect receiving this award will have on me is to encourage me to continue to study hard and devote as much time as I can to my research project,” he said.
“The money from the award will enable me to do something simple – purchase textbooks,” Schubach said. “With these textbooks I can excel in school and eventually accomplish the larger goals that I have set for my future.”
“The awards sort of act as stepping stones, you know. One small scholarship, one small award, might lead to something bigger and better down the road,” said Dr. Elliot-Gower, urging students to pursue external scholarship opportunities. “(People should) understand that they can really build a record of academic excellence by applying for some of these awards.”
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Sep 4 2009. Filed under News.
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