Improving the quality of life in Arizona to benefit future generations.
I cannot believe that this is only the third day of our program! We have seen and experienced so much in only 72 hours and, as a chaperone, I must have counted, recounted, and counted our group of Scholars hundreds of times.
The day began at 8:58 am with a sprint to breakfast after I had pitted an exhausting but exciting night against my small travel alarm clock. Ten came and we were settled into the IIE office preparing for our first speaker of that morning, Károly Pintér.
Houston, we made it to Hungary! After a seven hour layover in London, 18 sleep-deprived Flinns wandered off into Budapest to experience Central Europe.
Each year, the Selection Committee that interviews finalists for the Flinn Scholarship includes one past Flinn Scholar. That Scholar is then invited to present an address at the Recognition Dinner in May when the new class of Scholars is introduced and graduates of the program are congratulated for their achievements. This year, the Scholar on the Selection Committee was Siobhan O'Neill ('88). Here are Siobhan's remarks at the Recognition Dinner.
The newest Flinn Scholars and the Flinn Scholars Program have honored 17 Arizona educators for their outstanding dedication and service. Each educator was nominated by a member of the 2009 class of Flinn Scholars for having a significant impact on their education and development.
Seventeen of Arizona's highest-achieving high-school seniors have decided to attend one of the state's public universities on a Flinn Scholarship. The award includes funding for four years of study, academic-focused travel abroad, mentorship by top faculty, and other benefits. Altogether, the package is worth more than $50,000--on top of the cash value of tuition, provided by the student's chosen university.
In a few days, Eric Jackson ('93) and his family will be returning to southeast China, where Eric and his wife Emily will be investigating some of the endangered dialects spoken by minority communities in the regions of China near the Vietnamese border.
The Flinn Scholars Program will honor 23 graduating Scholars at the program's annual Recognition Dinner on May 17, celebrating the students' exceptional array of accomplishments during their undergraduate years and highlighting their diverse goals for the future.
On May 2, a select group of Flinn Scholars spent a day working in the Cornville art studio of internationally acclaimed sculptor John Waddell and his wife, painter Ruth Waddell. A visit to the Waddells' studio has been an annual highlight of the Flinn Scholars program for nearly all of the past 24 years.
Shelly Lowe ('92) is trading in her responsibilities as dean of Yale's Native American Cultural Center for a new role: executive director of the Harvard University Native American Program.
For information about Flinn Scholars, please contact:
flinnscholars@flinn.org or (602) 744-6802
