Energetic student wins Phi Kappa Phi award for graduate study
A graduating Arizona State University senior who has made a deep impact on her fellow students and the community has received a $5,000 Phi Kappa Phi scholarship for graduate school. Emily Reynolds, who just completed a triple major in English literature, history and psychology with a 4.0 GPA, is one of only 60 students nationally to win an award from the national honor society.
A gifted and energetic student, Reynolds helped redesign the freshman mentoring program at Barrett, the Honors College, developing a training program for 100 mentors. She further developed new traditions as part of the Barrett Leadership and Service Team.
She was on the Barrett Honors College Council all four years and served as president, advocating with the administration for increased support and funding for Barrett student organizations. Through her persistent efforts the group became the highest profile college council on campus, bringing about new programs that improved students’ lives.
Reynolds describes as “life-changing” her involvement as an operations coordinator for Teach For America last summer, as she discovered the power of a well-run nonprofit organization to impact the lives of thousands of individuals. As a result of her experience, she decided to pursue a master’s degree in nonprofit studies at ASU with a leadership and management certificate.
She has returned to the Teach for America staff this summer as operations director. She also works as the development coordinator for a newly founded, local nonprofit organization, the Southwest Speech and Debate Institute. The group works to extend the benefits of speech and debate to a broader socioeconomic group of students.
“What sets Emily apart is the level of responsibility and commitment she made to profoundly impact the honors community environment for her peers, the college and the university,” said Kristen Hermann, Barrett assistant dean. “She is one of the most intelligent, enthusiastic, hard-working and personable students I have worked with in my 20 years of mentoring students.”
Reynolds also received recognition in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, winning two scholarships last fall in the ASU English Department.
The ASU chapter of Phi Kappa Phi honored Reynolds at an awards ceremony along with two other outstanding students, recent graduate Eric Anderson and graduating senior Alyssa Bosak. All three received $1,000 awards from the local chapter, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2014.
The group also offers student study-abroad scholarships, which Reynolds won in the past, and love of learning awards for graduates. For more information, contact Pamela Stewart at pamela.stewart@asu.edu.