University Circle > University Circle Tuition Scholarship Award

University Circle Tuition Scholarship Award

Northwestern University
May 10, 2007

NU Circle awards Scholarships to Three Students in the School of Continuing Studies.

In 2004, Northwestern University Circle established a Scholarship to assist University employees who are taking courses through the School of Continuing Studies with tuition and other student fees. The Scholarship is funded by donations from the Circle membership as well as the general public. On May 10, 2007, The Circle presented its 2007 Tuition Scholarship Awards to three remarkable young women. This is the third year in which awards have been made.

Annie McGurk

The first scholarship went to Annie McGurk, program assistant and business manager for the Pathology Core Facility of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, who is pursuing a BS in Economics. According to her references, Annie is already an accomplished and effective business manager but she is eager to take her education and her career a step further. By completing her degree in Economics, she hopes to gain expertise in financial forecasting and planning. One of her professors wrote that Annie “reflects the best that the Northwestern community has to offer” and added that “her determined work-ethic, combined with an eagerness to learn, makes her an ideal student.” When Annie is not working or studying, she is a volunteer for the Chicago Children’s Advocacy Center and she is an accomplished photographer.

Allison Strick

The second scholarship was awarded to Allison Strick. Allison is a Graduate Program Assistant in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering. With an undergraduate degree in the humanities, she is currently studying in the Pre-Medicine Professional Development Certificate Program in preparation for applying to medical school. Her goal is to one day work with “Doctors without Borders.” When Allison isn’t working or studying, she is helping others. She is a web “guru,” has tutored other students in her program and has served as a mentor for international students and adult refugees. She is also a volunteer at Rush North Shore Medical Center. Letters of recommendation in Allison’s behalf were very enthusiastic, emphasizing her deep desire to learn and her strong motivation to be a doctor.

Maureen Searcy

The third recipient, Maureen Searcy, is a program assistant in the Chemistry Department, is working on her Master of Arts in Creative Writing with the goal of becoming a professional writer. One of her professors wrote, “Maureen is a promising writer who brings a maturity, sense of passion and breadth of vision to her work and is deeply committed to her craft. He went on to say that granting Maureen a University Circle Scholarship would be “an excellent investment in a promising career.”