Scholarship recipients follow in family footsteps to attend ASU


Students majoring in finance, political science, and justice studies will be the first recipients of the Arizona State University Alumni Association’s Legacy Scholarship program, which has been established to ensure that receiving an ASU education becomes a family affair.

The three awardees for the 2010-11 school year will receive $1,000 each, or $500 per semester. Children and grandchildren of ASU Alumni Association members were eligible to apply for the scholarship.

The following students were selected as 2010-2011 Legacy Scholars:

Shannon Baker will be pursuing a degree in finance at ASU. Baker maintained a 4.18 (weighted) GPA at her high school in Illinois and was a member of the National Honor Society. She also participated in student government and varsity dance team, and volunteered with soup kitchens and other community service projects in her area. Baker says her stepfather, an ASU graduate, inspired her to pursue post-secondary education at Arizona State, and she is proud to follow in his footsteps.

Abigail Howman is planning to major in political science. She is a resident of Chandler, and her family includes her mother, an ASU alumna, her father and her brother. Howman carried a 3.88 GPA in high school and was a member of the National Honor Society. She was on her high school’s varsity volleyball team for four years, and has been involved with the Girl Scouts for 12 years. Howman volunteers with Arizona R.E.S.C.U.E. and with Grace Community Church, where she has served as a camp counselor, Bible school leader and assistant teacher.   

Clare Morris, an ASU junior majoring in justice studies, plans to attend law school upon graduation. She maintains a 3.19 GPA and recently made the Dean’s List. In addition to her courseload as a student and her work responsibilities, Morris has been involved with the Student Alumni Association, and provided many hours of service to agencies such as Project Connect, Invisible Children, and Haymen Fire Relief. Morris was a Girl Scout for 11 years. She is an out-of-state student who hails from Colorado, and always has wanted to be a Sun Devil, just like her father.

Legacy Scholarship applicants had to demonstrate evidence of academic success, a strong commitment to community service and/or university involvement, and dedication to the achievement of their personal and educational goals. As part of the university’s commitment to promoting access to education, the association distributed a majority of this year’s awards based on need.

Christine Wilkinson, president of the Alumni Association, said the Legacy Scholarship program was key to engaging multiple generations of Sun Devil families.

“We are thrilled to announce this new group of scholars, who will continue to have an impact and successes as Sun Devils,” Wilkinson explained. “The Legacy Scholarship program enables the Alumni Association to pass on the values and traditions of ASU to future generations.”

For more information on the Legacy Scholarship program and other awards and scholarships offered by the Alumni Association, visit http://alumni.asu.edu/awards.