University of Louisville Magazine

FALL 2011

The University of Louisville Alumni Magazine: for alumni, faculty, staff, students and anyone that is a UofL Cardinal fan.

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POWERHOUSE ACHIEVING NATIONAL PROMINENCE WITH PRESTIGIOUS SCHOLARSHIPS The Overseers Honors House is one of the smallest build- ings on Belknap Campus, but big things are happening inside its walls. This is where the National and Interna- tional Scholarship Opportunities Offi ce, a part of UofL's Honors Program, coordinates most applications for the Fulbright and similar scholarships, helping more students win prestigious scholarships than ever before. During the summer of 2011, the university announced "THERE IS SOMETHING EXTREMELY SATISFYING ABOUT HELPING A STUDENT WHO HAS NEVER LEFT KENTUCKY TRAVEL TO CAIRO OR MOSCOW AND RETURN TO UOFL AS A MORE MATURE PERSON WITH A BROADER WORLD VIEW." 14 students had earned Fulbright awards, matching its 2010 benchmark and placing UofL among the nation's top Fulbright-producing institutions. To put things in perspec- tive, UofL had more Fulbright winners in 2010 than all Kentucky institutions combined — as well as more than such esteemed institutions as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Duke University and Georgetown University. "We are seeing an increase in scholarship applications and win- ners across the board," said Pa- tricia Condon, PhD, 78GA, who heads the offi ce. "That includes such highly regarded awards as the Goldwater, Boren, Critical Language, Rotary Ambassadorial, Truman and more." But that wasn't always the case. Prior to 2003, UofL had only two Fulbright winners; today there are 60. And while the Honors Program has been around for decades, there was not an offi ce specifi cally devoted to helping students navigate the arduous scholarship application process. UofL faculty and administrators decided to change that in 2000, according to John Richardson, chemistry profes- sor and Honors Program director. "We knew our students were defi nitely capable of com- peting for prestigious scholarships and fellowships," he said. "We just needed to offer them a better infrastructure to help them succeed." That clear objective gave impetus to the founding of the Overseers Scholars Development Program, charging it with the responsibility of identifying high-potential students and helping them apply for scholarships. At the same time, Condon joined the Honors Program staff. SUCCESS BEGETS SUCCESS The newly formed unit had its fi rst big year in 2003 when three students earned Fulbright English teaching assistantships. One of those students was Seabrook Jones. She is now the assistant to the director of national scholar- 28|LOUISVILLE.EDU ships and works alongside Condon to help with the grow- ing number of applications. Another defi ning moment came in 2009 when UofL graduate and former Fulbright scholar Monica Marks won a Rhodes Scholarship. She was the fi rst UofL graduate to win the honor in decades and the fi rst female winner. "One of our best ambassadors is 2010 graduate Robert Works, who won numerous scholarships. He was heavily involved with his fraternity, student government, the Mc- Connell Center and was even Mr. Cardinal. We continue to meet students who say they heard of our offi ce because Robert told them about us," said Condon. IT TAKES A VILLAGE While the offi ce was formed to work only with undergraduate honors students, it now serves the entire university community. Condon and Richardson keep their network active and engaged by serving on in-house com- mittees that make scholarship decisions for such awards as the Brown Fellows and the Jones, McConnell, Grawemeyer and Hallmark Scholars. Students who win these awards as incoming freshmen often are good candi- dates for national and interna- tional scholarships as juniors and seniors. Faculty members play a big role, too. "It is the close relationship between the students and their faculty that leads to most of our referrals," Con- don said. "The faculty who serve on our scholarship review committees, and those who write letters of recommenda- tion for scholarship candidates, are on the lookout year 'round for students whose futures would profi t from the application process." During the current academic year, Condon's offi ce will work with more than 90 students who have applied or are applying for some of the most signifi cant scholarship awards in academia. And that fi gure doesn't include the scores of other students who are not yet ready to complete an application but come to her for advice as they chart their academic journey. Helping students make that jour- ney is gratifying work, according to Condon. "There is something extremely satisfying about helping a student who has never left Kentucky travel to Cairo or Moscow and return to UofL as a more mature person with a broader world view," she concluded.

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