Summer 2000

Heading to Graduate School with a
Fistful of Scholarship Dollars

Samford Grads Earn Impressive Packages for Continued Study

Kellie Warren receives congratulations from Samford President Thomas E. Corts after receiving the Velma Wright Irons Award as class salutatorian at graduation. Pennsylvania State University put together a $63,766 scholarship package to recruit her to graduate school.

Kellie Warren wants to be a college teacher, and that means graduate school for the recent Samford grad. Like a number of her classmates, she will venture forth in the fall to continue her education armed with substantial scholarship awards. In Warren's case, very substantial awards. Pennsylvania State University offered the English major from Gardendale a $63,766 package for two years in its comparative literature curriculum. She was one of only 10 students admitted to the highly competitive graduate program. If she maintains strong academic standing, the funding will continue a third year. "I had applied to other places," said Warren, "but this offer was so good, I didn't pay much attention to the others." Warren caught Penn State's attention with her superior academic record (she was class salutatorian) and a variety of academic experiences which prepared her for graduate study, according to her Samford mentor, Dr. Denita Drees of the World Languages and Cultures Department. These included research abroad in Spain, using her second language of Spanish; extensive experience writing undergraduate research papers; study in yet another language, Portuguese; and her performance on an undergraduate oral examination this spring in literature and literary theory and criticism. Warren took a number of Spanish courses at Samford, partly because she preferred reading Spanish literature in its original language. At one point in her Penn State interview, a professor "spontaneously interviewed Kellie in Spanish, and later in Portuguese, to assess both her capacity for applied research in those languages and also her ability to teach in Spanish and/or Portuguese," said Dr. Drees. Samford provides a good academic climate for students who want to go to graduate school, said political science professor Fred Shepherd, who coordinates the Samford College Society, an organization which stresses preparation for graduate study. The emphasis on a broad education in the core curriculum helps them develop their abilities to write, reason and speak, said Dr. Shepherd. Samford's involvement in the National Collegiate Undergraduate Research competition does the same, he added. NCUR gives students (44 this year) an opportunity to present research papers at a national meeting each spring.

Graduate study at well-known institutions beckons other Samford grads this fall. Here's a sampling of opportunities they earned.

Gareth Dutton, Louisiana State-A psychology major, Dutton applied to 13 Ph.D. programs, was accepted by nine and received "exceptionally good" scholarship offers from three: LSU, the University of Florida and the University of South Florida. LSU offered a scholarship of $16,200 renewable for four years, plus annual waiver of out-of-state tuition (currently $7,300). He accepted, not because it was the highest, but because "my mentor's research interests are closest to mine," he said. Dutton wants to specialize in health psychology issues. His degree will be in the field of clinical/medical psychology, which will enable him to deal not only with traditional clinical disorders in mental hospitals but with the medical population in traditional hospitals. This fall, a hospital assistantship will have him working as a therapist for hospital employees. He will rotate throughout the hospital.

Kristen Green, University of Notre Dame-Green is Samford's first graduate in Ernst & Young's Your Master Plan program, which enables non-accounting majors to earn a master of accountancy degree while employed by the national accounting firm. The business major will attend classes two summers in South Bend, Ind., and take long-distance courses spring and fall while working in the company's Birmingham office.
"It's very intense," said Green. "We basically study from dawn until dusk." The package provides full tuition, housing, meals, school supplies, laptop computer and travel valued at about $30,000. Plus, Green earns an entry-level E&Y salary.

Luke Roy, University of California at Riverside-A missionary kid who spent most of his youth in Uruguay, Roy came to Samford because of its environmental science/geographic information systems major. Now, he will work toward a master of science in environmental toxicology with a two-year package totaling $54,000. He will assist in setting up an aquatic ecotoxicology lab in California­Riverside's Soil and Water Sciences Department, considered one the nation's best. Roy also received a full-ride scholarship offer in the University of Mississippi Ph.D. program.

Louis Britton, University of Mississippi School of Medicine­Britton hails from a family of physicians. His grandfather and uncle are physicians, seven family members are in medicine including two cousins in medical school, and his mother is a nurse. Britton follows the tradition with the help of a four-year $88,000 Bryan Barksdale Scholarship. The biology major hopes to go into internal medicine specializing in geriatrics, eventually joining his uncle's practice in Jackson. Britton came to Samford to play football, but an injury forced him to give up the game. He later worked in Biology Department research projects and served as a Samford Ambassador.

Karen Smith Hetzler, Washington University-Hetzler, a voice performance major, wants to teach, "maybe at the undergraduate level, and you need a doctorate for that." First, she will work toward a master's in music with a two-year teaching assistantship. It provides tuition of $32,000 per year and a stipend of $3,000 per year. A performer with Samford Opera Workshop and the A Cappella Choir, she was twice chosen for Concerto-Aria, which annually spotlights Samford's top music students.

Chris Nelson, Indiana University-A double major in theatre and religion, Nelson will pursue a master of fine arts degree on full scholarship and stipend totaling $18,000 per year for three years. He will be a teaching assistant his second and third years. He will also attend classes in acting, speech and movement and be available for casting in productions the first year. "Basically, they will be paying me to act," said Nelson, a baritone who had lead roles in Guys and Dolls, Children of Eden and Rumors at Samford.

Elizabeth Godsey, Wake Forest University-Godsey sat in the office of University Minister James Barnette facing a video camera. Barnette tore open an envelope and started asking questions. Godsey's job was to respond cold to six questions. "They were very open-ended questions from my subject area," said Godsey, a history major. "It was pretty terrifying, actually." The interview was part of her application process, and her responses were effective. They helped her gain acceptance into a 14-month Master Teacher Fellows program that took only five history majors and 24 total students. The scholarship pays $10,000 full tuition and a $4,000 stipend.

Chad Eggleston, Duke University-Eggleston, a religion major, had scholarship offers from Duke and Princeton University divinity schools. He chose Duke's offer of $11,100 for three years. "I was looking for a place to provide three things: practical training in the ministry, a community aspect where I would fit in and add something, and an atmosphere where I would be challenged," said Eggleston. His home church, Tabernacle Baptist of Carrollton, Ga., is also providing Chad $1,000 in assistance per year.

Melissa Mauldin, University of Florida-She majored in sociology, minored in Spanish and spent three years working with the Alabama Poverty Project, which is headquartered at Samford. Her long-range goal is to earn a Ph.D. and work at the policy level of poverty programs in Latin America. "I know I am called to missions," Mauldin said. She will specialize in Latin American studies at Florida with a two-year teaching assistantship totaling $18,000 and another $18,000 in stipends.

Jennifer Baxley, Circle on the Square, New York City-This prestigious theater conservatory on Broadway accepts 70 students each year and offers a two-year professional certification equivalent to a master's degree. First-year students in this highly competitive program receive no assistance, although second-year students do. A theatre and voice major at Samford, Baxley will attend classes on a nine-to-six schedule and have opportunities for night acting work. This summer, she made her equity acting debut with the New Harmony Theatre in Evansville, Ind., playing the maid in The Philadelphia Story.

Davi Johnson, University of Georgia-A talented debater who talked her way to this year's National Championships, Johnson will work toward a Ph.D. in speech communication with the help of a $12,000 a year teaching assistantship. She will assist in Georgia's speech communication and debate programs.