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John Creagh Memorial Scholarship Award Recipients Announced

Two deserving students have been chosen as this year’s recipients of the John Creagh Memorial Scholarship Award.

Sarah Koop and Morgan Whithaus were selected by the scholarship committee as students who exemplify the personal qualities and scholarship that were valued and fostered by Dr. Creagh. Professor Creagh was a beloved Meredith faculty member of theatre and communication for 23 years until his passing in 2007.

Nominations were sought from Meredith College faculty and staff for students in Communication, Theatre, and English. Nominees were evaluated on the following criteria for the award:

“The Fund shall be used . . . for undergraduate students of communication, theatre and literature who have demonstrated financial need and academic merit. Preference shall be given to students who contribute to the diversity of the student body and who embody Dr. Creagh’s inquisitive spirit, thirst for knowledge, commitment to effective communication, love of literature, sense of humor, passionate spirit, unflagging determination, dedication to intercultural communication, and acceptance of difference.”

Sarah Koop, the granddaughter of Burmese immigrants, is a senior with a major in Theatre and a minor in English. She is quite involved in the Meredith theatre program, serving as president of the Extra Theatre Company and having had key roles in several recent productions: Aunt March in Little Women: the Musical, Helena in Midsummer Night’s Dream, Estragon in Waiting for Godot, and Mrs. Venable in Suddenly Last Summer. She is a member of the national honorary dramatic fraternity Alpha Psi Omega, and last year she received multiple nominations as an actor for the Irene Ryan Scholarship. In addition to serving as theatre shop assistant, she works two other jobs off campus to support her education.

Morgan Whithaus is a freshman who is planning to combine her interests in communication and English in a contract major in professional media studies. This Honors student and Teaching Fellow has already begun her career as a writer and advocate for undocumented students with several published articles in The New York TimesThe News and ObserverThe Durham Herald-Sun, and The Huffington Post. You may find some of her writing in The Meredith Herald or on her website 148writings.com.

Deep appreciation is due to the many faculty, staff, students, alumnae, and friends who contributed to the fund and made these awards possible. Scholarships honoring John Creagh will be a legacy that impacts the lives of the recipients now and in the years to come. Said Dean Garry Walton, chair of the selection committee, “This year’s nominees were particularly strong and deserving of financial support for their outstanding record of scholarship and service.  We invite all Meredith faculty and staff to consider designating their annual contributions to the Creagh Scholarship, to permit more of our deserving students to receive the recognition and support that they deserve and need.”

Melyssa Allen

News Director
316 Johnson Hall
(919) 760-8087
Fax: (919) 760-8330

allenme@meredith.edu