Ira Whitten '01 of Medway is a pre-med student at Assumption
College. A recipient of a President's Council Scholarship, Ira
is "extremely proud" and honored to have received the
scholarship. He is also a volunteer with the Reach Out Center
and helps out with the center's program at Clark Street School,
where Assumption students tutor elementary students and conduct
after-school activities for them. "I feel it is my duty to
the school and to the person who donated the scholarship (Dr.
Richard Miller '50) to try my hardest and to reach my goals.
"Ever since my arrival at Assumption, I have known that
it is my destiny to be involved in the sciences. After graduation,
I plan on using my education to help others, either as a doctor
or a medical researcher. I can only hope that later in life, I
will be able to pass on the gift of scholarship that was generously
given to me."
Worcester resident Lisa Ostberg '00, a recipient of an Albert
G. Nault Scholarship, is majoring in Chemistry with a minor in
Biology. Lisa started out as a pre-med student and then realized
that she really liked learning about the chemical world "that
is all around us." She is a lab technician's assistant in
the Natural Sciences Department and is employed by the University
of Massachusetts Medical School, where she works in the Molecular
Genetics and Microbiology Department as a lab technician conducting
simple laboratory research and preparatory work. She is applying
to various institutions for a summer research program and plans
to continue her education in a pharmacology/toxicology program
or in graduate school.
"My scholarship means a lot to me. It made me realize that
it is nice to be honored for all my hard work, and that someone
actually noticed that I was working really hard and did well,"
Lisa said.
Erin Cox '99 of Oxford, MA, is sincerely grateful for the generous
donations that allowed her to receive an Albert G. Nault Scholarship
and the Dr. Eugene Byrnes Scholarship for an outstanding student
in the Natural Sciences. "I enjoy studying the sciences at
Assumption, and I am honored to receive recognition for my efforts,"
she said.
Erin is majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry and French.
She felt that studying science was a way for her to become more
aware of the interdependent systems that comprise not only the
human body, but also the universe, and she participated
in research that allowed her to disclose the mysteries of these
systems. During her junior year, she assisted in a research project
led by Dr. Steven Theroux involving the ZPR gene, and now she
is participating in a study of pheromones involved in the mating
of yeast. The project will ultimately lead to a greater understanding
of the function of hormones in the human body. Erin plans to enroll
in graduate school, where she will concentrate in the medical
sciences and enter a career where her knowledge and skills will
help others.
Scholarships are the key to opportunity and the future for these
and many other Assumption College students. Annual gifts of $2,500
or more can be designated to financial aid for President's Council
Scholarships. Endowed scholarships require a funding level of
$20,000, which may be endowed immediately with a gift of cash
or securities, or payments may be made over a period of three
years.