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WIU Students Awarded Mary Olive Woods Scholarships

October 28, 2015

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MACOMB, IL – The Western Illinois University Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies, through the support of the Mary Olive Woods Trust, has awarded six prestigious scholarships to students studying philosophy and/or religious studies at the University.

Two students, Luke Golemon, a sophomore from Brimfield, IL, and Lindsey Kuitse, a senior from Colorado Springs, CO, were each awarded the Mary Olive Woods (MOW) Academic Excellence Scholarship, for $6,000 each, for the 2015-16 academic year. Four students, Riley Addington, a senior from Boulder, CO; Dallas Boswell, a sophomore from Brimfield, IL; Curtis Howd, a senior from Peoria, IL, and Matt Whitlock, a senior from Springfield, IL, were each awarded the Mary Olive Woods Academic Achievement Award, for $3,000 each.

For a student to be considered for the MOW Academic Excellence Award, they must be a full-time WIU student with a declared major in religious studies and enrolled in a philosophy course or a declared major in philosophy and enrolled in a religious studies course. The students must also have a grade point average of at least 3.5 and have a minimum of 30 hours of coursework completed.

For a student to be considered for the MOW Academic Achievement Award, they must be a full-time WIU student with a declared major in religious studies or a declared major in philosophy and enrolled in a religious studies course. The students must also have a grade point average of at least 3.25.

Academic Excellence Award Recipients:

• Golemon is majoring in philosophy with minors in microbiology and chemistry. He is a research fellow for the student think tank The President's Institute and an executive officer for the Student Philosophical Association. Golemon recently co-authored a research paper with philosophy and religious studies Instructor Abraham Graber, titled "Is the Proponent of Neo-Darwinian Theory Committed to the Existence of a Designer," which is accepted at the Illinois Philosophical Association Meeting for 2015. He plays piano and sings for the St. Mary's Church Choir and works at Culver's. He hopes to eventually receive a doctorate in philosophy to teach at a collegiate level or work in ethics.

• Kuitse is a triple major in Spanish, anthropology and religious studies. She is a forward on the WIU Women's Soccer team. She serves as secretary on the executive board of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), is a member of the leadership team for Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and serves as president of the WIU Catholic Newman Board. After graduation, Kuitse plans to travel and volunteer in a non-profit organization before pursuing a master's degree in a still undecided field.


Academic Achievement Award recipients:

• Addington is majoring in philosophy with the pre-law option and minoring in political science. He intends to study law in order to be a public defender for juveniles. Addington is the vice-president for the Student Government Association. As a member of Pi Kappa Phi he is fundraising to participate in the Journey of Hope, a philanthropic event with the goal of raising awareness and supporting children with mental and physical disabilities.

• Boswell is a double major in chemistry education and philosophy. He is an executive officer for the Student Philosophical Association and he plans to be a high school chemistry teacher.

• Howd is majoring in philosophy and minoring in music. He is the president of the Student Philosophical Association and is an ambassador on student council. Howd received second place in the podium presentations in the 2015 WIU Undergraduate Research Day with his paper "Intrigue, Nostalgia, and the Nature of Aesthetic Response." He plans to go graduate school to pursue a doctorate degree in philosophy, with a focus in aesthetics. He would like to become a researcher and college professor.

• Whitlock is majoring in religious studies with minors in video broadcasting and communication. He works for Bridgeway, where he co-manages a group home. His future plans include creating videos and documentaries that highlight interesting aspects of religion.

For more information on the MOW program, visit http://bit.ly/1GGjWjU.

Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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