TACOMA, Wash — Last December University of Puget Sound announced it had received a $2.3 million gift from the Lillis Foundation to establish the Lillis Scholar Program at Puget Sound. Today the university is announces it has selected the first two recipients of the new scholarship, which covers tuition, room, and board.
The largest expendable gift for financial aid in the university's 120-year history, the program allows the university to offer two highly qualified students full scholarships each year, including tuition, room, and board.
Selected from a pool of more than 5,000 Puget Sound applicants, Lillis Scholars demonstrate high academic achievement in high school and the promise of outstanding performance during their undergraduate years and beyond.
Rachel Gary; Edmonds, Wash.
Gary is a senior at Edmonds-Woodway High School. She is interested in international relations and ethnic and gender studies. Her career plans include an interest in serving on a college faculty as a history professor. Rachel is a vocal jazz musician and the founder and editor-in-chief of Zeitgeist, a magazine covering controversial topics including gun control, abortion and the imperfections of democracy. She has been recognized by her high school as the Spanish student of the year and twice as the history student of the year.
Allison Phillips; Houston, Texas
Phillips is a senior at Clear Lake High School in Houston, and is the daughter of astronaut John Phillips. She comes by her talent in math and science naturally and aspires to put this talent to work as a surgeon. An accomplished soccer player, she works at the local YMCA as a sports official, supervisor and coach. She ranks first in her class of 776 and was recognized as a semifinalist in the Discovery Channel "Young Scientist Challenge" in 2003. Clear Lake High School consistently acknowledges Phillips' "intelligence, maturity, and leadership ability."
The Lillis Scholar Program was established through a generous gift made by the Lillis Foundation of Castle Rock, Colorado. Charles Lillis, former chairman and CEO of MediaOne Group and founding partner of Lone Tree Capital, and Gwen Lillis, chair of the Lillis Foundation and board chair-elect of the University of Oregon Foundation, are the parents of Puget Sound alumna Jessica Baker Isaacs, '05. Each year, two more Lillis Scholars will be selected from the incoming freshmen class. For information about eligibility for the Lillis Scholar Program, contact the Office of Admission at 800.396.7191 or visit the university's Web site. |
