May 15, 2005
High school students win scholarships
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The Gamma Lambda chapter of Phi Delta Kappa named high school students Erin Nicole Varvil and Brittany Nicole Leggans local winners of the Prospective Educators Scholarship Program. They received the award during the organization's April 28 banquet and meeting.
Phi Delta Kappa International is a professional organization for educators. The Gamma Lambda chapter serves Southern Illinois University Carbondale and other schools throughout the Southern Illinois area.
This award, given to students planning for careers in public schools, includes a scholarship and a certificate. Award criteria include a written essay, academic achievements, recommendations and community service.
Both Varvil, a student at Carbondale Community High School, and Leggans, a student at Mount Vernon Township High School, had the opportunity to compete for scholarships at the international level.
As part of the Phi Delta Kappa Foundation international competition, Leggans won an additional $4,000 scholarship. She is only the fourth international winner in the history of the Gamma Lambda chapter.
Recognizing excellence is one of the objectives of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, a long-range blueprint the University is following as it approaches its 150th anniversary in 2019.