English Scholarships at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Corinne E. Forster Scholarship

Corinne taught Secondary Education English in the College of Education at UW-Whitewater from 1945-1984. She completed her bachelor’s degree at UW-Madison, and her master’s from the University of Minnesota, where she wrote her thesis on Jane Austen. Corinne cared deeply for her students, and was committed to their learning and achievement. In addition to her love for teaching and literature, Corinne traveled the world. She was a spirited woman and had a contagious passion for learning, great works, and writing ‘for the real world.’

She established this endowment to support students’ pursuit of writing, in keeping with her motto: “The pleasure of doing good never wears out.” This award grants three tuition waivers of $1800 each to English, Creative Writing, and Professional Writing majors who submit a portfolio of their writing.

Requirements

Freshman, sophomores, and juniors submit portfolios in the Spring for the award, which is granted as a tuition credit for the following academic year.

  • The application, completed online:
  • Current freshman, sophomores and juniors submit fifty (50) pages of prose, which can include papers submitted for class requirements, short fiction, a screenplay OR twenty-five (25) poems
  • Deadline for all materials: March 1

Edie Thornton Memorial Scholarship

This $900 tuition credit scholarship is in memory of Edie Thornton, who taught in the Department of Languages & Literatures and Department of Women's Studies at UW-Whitewater from 1998-2007. She was a highly regarded teacher who inspired students and faculty. She is known for her groundbreaking research and presentations on Edith Wharton and was active in both the Edith Wharton Society and the American Literature Society. This scholarship is to memorialize and encourage Edie's passion for teaching and scholarship. It is designated for students majoring and/or minoring in English and/or Women's Studies.

Candidate must be a full-time student at UW-Whitewater with sophomore or junior status. The scholarship is designated for students majoring and/or minoring in English and/or Women's Studies. The preference will be given to students who major in one (English or Women's Studies) and minor in the other (English or Women's Studies). Students should show exceptional academic promise and a record of service. Additional preferences include a demonstrable interest in Edith Wharton and/or women authors of her historical period, aspirations for future graduate study, and financial need.

Requirements

  • The application, completed online:
  • An updated résumé and an Academic Report (AR).
  • Two letters of reference must also be submitted from teachers, preferably teachers of English and/or Women's Studies.
  • Deadline for all materials: February 15

Ray Griffith Memorial Scholarship for International Students

This $600 scholarship is made possible through gifts by family and friends in honor of Ray Griffith, who taught English at UW-Whitewater from 1978 until 1995. During those years Ray became well known as a teacher and poet. He especially loved to teach American Literature and English for International Students. He was the recipient of the David Saunders Excellence in Teaching Award. Outside of the university, he was best known for his six years of cultural commentary on Wisconsin Public radio. Ray was a source of inspiration for students and teachers alike for his lively wit and his compassion for others.

The scholarship is specifically designated for international students who will be majoring in English at UW-Whitewater. This stipulation is logical, given Ray Griffith’s lifelong associations with the international community, from his teaching in Korea and India, to the adoption of four children from Korea, to his volunteer teaching in China, Indonesia, Romania, and Ghana after he retired.

Requirements

  • For the initial scholarship, the candidate must be a full-time student in high school (or, for transfer students, in a university) who demonstrates high academic achievement, with a strong aptitude in English and CLEPT scores of 550.
  • Registered UW-Whitewater students complete the online application:
  • An updated résumé and academic transcripts
  • An original 500-word essay on why the applicant would benefit from the study of English at UW-Whitewater
  • Two letters of reference from teachers
  • Supporting materials should be mailed to the Department of Languages and Literatures, 3209 Laurentide, University of Wisconsin Whitewater, Whitewater WI 53190-1790.
  • To continue support after the initial year, a student must maintain full-time status for the period covered by the scholarship, have achieved a GPA of 3.4 or better while at UWW, and demonstrate progress towards degree as measured by an academic advisor within the Department of Languages and Literatures.
  • While this award may be renewed for up to four years, it is given to one recipient at a time

Deadline for all materials: March 1, preceding the academic year of initial support

Silver/Savage Environmental Scholarship

The Silver/Savage Environmental Scholarship is given by Donna Silver and George Savage, both ardent supporters of liberal education: Donna, through her work at UW System and George, as Languages & Literatures faculty at UW Whitewater. This scholarship is made possible through the generous inheritance from George’s mother, Nellie Savage, a teacher, church elder, a leader of the of the local American Field Service, and world traveler who remained remarkably curious to the very end of her ninety-seven year lifespan. Nellie was married to Dr. William C. G. Savage, a veterinarian, whose interest in science and nature began in high school when he was an avid birdwatcher. Nellie’s interests gravitated to the humanities; William’s toward the sciences. This scholarship is meant to encourage a melding of both of these two worlds. It is in the spirit of consilience between the two cultures –humanities and sciences –that this scholarship is created. To that end, the scholarship will be given to an English major with a second major or minor in environmental studies/ science or biology.

The $2000 award will be granted for the next academic year following the application. The award will be determined by two faculty members in L & L, and one in Environmental Studies/ Science or Biology.

Requirements

The candidate must be a full-time second or third year student (or transfer student) in good academic standing who is a declared English Major with a declared minor or second major in Environmental Studies/ Science or Biology.

Candidates must submit the following documents:

  • A letter of application that includes a brief statement of 100-300 words about some of the ways the applicant sees his or her English major being enhanced by a second major or minor in environmental studies/ science or biology
  • An updated résumé
  • Academic transcripts
  • At least one letter of support from an English instructor and/ or an Environmental Studies/ Science or Biology instructor; these letters should focus on the student’s academic potential in the discipline.
  • Deadline: March 1

Renewable Details

The scholarship is granted for one year and is not renewable.

The Paul Grant Award

This nonrenewable $500 tuition credit is granted to an incoming freshman declared as an English Literature or English Education major. The credit is applied to the student’s first semester. All submissions are judged by the Languages & Literature Department’s Nomination and Scholarship Committee, who will contact the recipient. The award is granted ONLY to a student committed to attending UW-Whitewater as an English Literature or English Education major.

Requirements

  • Full contact information, including address, phone number, and email address.
  • A photocopy of ACT scores
  • Documentation of current high school G.P.A; preference will be granted to those candidates with a G.P.A meeting or exceeding 3.0
  • A current letter of recommendation from a high school instructor or school counselor
  • An original, typed, double-spaced, 300-word essay, addressing ONE of the following subjects:
  • The value of the student’s favorite work of literature
  • An explanation of why the student selected the English major
  • The social value of literature, using a particular text to illustrate this value
  • Deadline for all materials: April 1