University News

WIU Students Awarded Mary Olive Woods Scholarships

October 25, 2016

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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, recently awarded prestigious scholarships to eight students studying philosophy and/or religious studies at the University.

Mary Olive Woods Academic Excellence Scholarships, of $6,000 each, were awarded to:

• Matthew Medley, a senior religious studies and French double major and honors student from Springfield, IL, is a research fellow for the President's Research Institute and enjoys writing, composing and teaching piano. His academic interests include linguistics and the anthropology of religion, the anthropology of cosmetics, and Sufism, focused on the works of Al-Ghazali and Ibn Arabi. He plans to translate, study and disseminate Sufi works.

• Luke Golemon, a senior philosophy major and microbiology and chemistry double minor, of Brimfield, IL, is a research fellow for the President's Research Institute and is president of the Student Philosophical Association. Golemon co-authored and presented a paper at the 2015 Illinois Philosophical Association Meeting. He plays piano and sings for the St Mary's Church Choir, and plans to earn a doctorate in philosophy in order to become a professor or work in ethics.

For a student to be considered for the MOW Academic Excellence Scholarship, he or she 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.


Mary Olive Woods Academic Achievement Scholarships, of $3,000 each, were awarded to:

• Haley Cullen, a sophomore philosophy pre-law major and pre-law (honors) and sociology minor, from Marengo, IL, is an honors student, a member of Heritage Ensemble and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars, and is the secretary of the Student Philosophical Association. She enjoys reading, singing and listening to music. Cullen plans to attend law school and become a criminal prosecutor.

• Khalyia Lawson, a sophomore philosophy pre-law major and psychology and law enforcement and justice administration double minor and honors student, from Decatur, IL, is a sprinter and jumper on WIU Women's Track and Field team, and enjoys cooking and working out. She plans to go to law school to be an attorney and eventually to become a judge.

• Dallas Boswell, a junior double major in chemistry education and philosophy, from Brimfield, IL, is currently the vice president of the Student Philosophical Association. Boswell has a passion for the topic of science, and hopes to teach high school chemistry in an attempt to inspire children to take up a career in science, or at the very least, have an appreciation for the discipline.

For a student to be considered for the MOW Academic Achievement Scholarship, he or she 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 student must also have a grade point average of at least 3.25.


Two students, Armel Kouassi, a senior psychology major, religious studies minor, of Homewood, IL, and Ian Sytsma, a sophomore history major, religious studies minor, of New Lenox, IL, were awarded the $500 Mary Olive Woods Religious Studies Minor Scholarships.

For a student to be considered for the MOW Religious Studies Minor Scholarship, he or she must be a full-time WIU student with a declared minor in religious studies. The student must also have a grade point average of at least 3.00.

Brenan Richardson, a senior philosophy major from Canton, IL, received the Mary Olive Woods Academic Scholarship.

For a student to be considered for the MOW Academic Scholarship, he or she 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 student must also have a grade point average of at least 3.00.

For more information on the Mary Olive Woods program, visit bit.ly/1GGjWjU.

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