August 24, 2006
SIUC student wins prestigious scholarship
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- For the second year in a row, an honors student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale is the winner of a National Alpha Lambda Delta (ALD) Jo Anne J. Trow Undergraduate Scholarship.
Nicole L. Saylor will receive $1,000 from ALD, which is a national honor society that recognizes students with a 3.5 or higher grade point average after their first year or term of studies.
Each year, 35 students nationwide receive the Trow scholarship. "These recipients represent the most-involved and well-rounded student leaders. The criteria for selection include dimensions of leadership, involvement and academics," said Lisa B. Peden, ALD adviser and coordinator with SIUC's Office of Supplemental Instruction.
Last year, SIUC student Fahran K. J. Robb won the prestigious prize.
"When I found out, I was jumping up and down," Saylor said. "I was so ecstatic. It's just a wonderful feeling and a true honor."
Saylor, a junior in the College of Education and Human Services, is studying secondary English education and Spanish.
The award recognizes her hard work as president of the local ALD chapter during her first year at SIUC. "She spearheaded the effort to update the chapter's constitution and by-laws, to increase the chapter's membership by 25 percent and to provide greater opportunities for intra-chapter communication," Peden said. "She has helped to reinforce the infrastructure of this local chapter so that we have a solid foundation for future leaders to build on."
Saylor will give up her post as president in October but she is not slowing down. "My hopes are to increase membership numbers and to raise money for the Cancer Federation, Inc. and the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale. I want to get ALD's name out there," she said.
Saylor is the daughter of Keith and Barbara Saylor of Cary. Saylor counts her parents and her teachers at Cary-Grove High School among her greatest influences. "My favorite teachers, expository writing teacher David McKay and chemistry teacher Troy Bruley, kept me going and kept me motivated. I was grateful beyond words for their support," Saylor said.
The Jo Anne J. Trow Award, created in 1988, honors a past national president of ALD. During her presidency, Trow restructured the society's governing body.
Developing citizen-leaders with global perspectives is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.