Hometown: Kalispell, MT
Major: Political Science
Minor: Women's and Gender Studies/History
Each year, the Women’s and Gender Studies Program honors the best work of its students and faculty through the administration of scholarships and awards. The 2008-2009 academic year brought several qualified applicants to our scholarship competition. The Winner of the Louise Green-Elizabeth Smith Academic Scholarship is Kelsi Steele.
Kelsi has been active in the Model UN-she recently attended the National Model United Nations Collegiate Conference (NMUN) in New York City this past April along with 11 other UM students. The Collegiate Model UN is an academic simulation of the United Nations—aiming to educate students in diplomacy and civics
Kelsi submitted Alice Paul: Suffrage Activist, Human Rights Activist for her scholarship application. Kelsi has taken a number of WGS courses such as Anya Jabours Women in America series, Women in the Western Hemisphere, and History of International Human Rights.
She says the WGS program “has given me a sense of legacy. As a result of my studies within the program, I have a better sense of how hard women have worked in this country, and that we must continue the work to ensure that all Americans have an equal opportunity. Also, as a student of international relations, I no longer view women's oppression around the world as so inconceivable, but now understand that at one point even women in the United States were once subjected to the same denial of fundamental rights, and I feel that much more inspired to fight for women's civil and political rights around the world.”
Future plans for Kelsi include graduating in 2010. She plans to attend grad school in an International Relations Program and then apply to law school to become international human rights attorney at the US State Department.
Fall Scholarship Winner: Svein Newman
Hometown: Billings, MT
Major: Political Science
Minor: Women's and Gender Studies
Each year, the Women's and Gender Studies Program honors the best work of its students and faculty through the administration and awards. The 2007-2008 academic year brought a change to our scholarship competition. Whereas in past years we had granted one schoarship to a Women's and Gender Studies major or minor who excelled academically and who enacted her commitment ot feminist issues through community activism, the year we chose to give two awards, each honoring one of the two prongs of Women's and Gender Studies work.
The Winner of the Louise Green-Elizabeth Smith Academic Scholarship is Karen Weaver. Karen is a senior majoring in Sociology and Anthropology with minors in Women's and Gender Studies and in Human and Family Development. To qualify for this scholarship, Kraen submitted a research paper, "Women's Suffrage: The Great Unifier," that she worte for prfessor Anya Jabour's course, History 370: Women in America from the Civil War to the Present, during spring semester 2006. That course and other WGS courses have helped Karen "view past and current issues from a feminist perspective" and discover women's "amazing and powerful work in all aspects of life." In addition to her full-time studies at UM and half-time employment, Karen volunteers for Students for Choice, Montana Women Vote, NARAL, the Western Montana Humane Society and the Montana Anthropology Students Association. Karen believes her minor in WGS will give her valuable skills for use in her futrure career, community and family life. Karen's professors speak highly of her investigative mind and writing skills. They describle her as an intelligent, dedicated, and self motivated student, as well as a well-rounded leader and feminist activist. The Women's and Gender Studies program at UM is very pleased to offer this scholarship to Kraen Weaver and has the highest confidence in her future achievements.
