Imagine going to a great college in a wonderful city. You’re the first person in your family to go. It’s the perfect place to pursue the subjects that you love and to start the career you’ve always wanted. But there’s one problem- you don’t have enough money. That’s where scholarships like the Heyl come in, by allowing students to overcome financial setbacks and obtain a higher education at Kalamazoo College.
Three Loy Norrix seniors received the Heyl scholarship this year, including Marjorie Wolfe, Julie Zabik and Shuku Ariane Nsenga.
Even though getting the Heyl wasn’t her initial goal, Nsenga met all the prerequisites for receiving it.
“We had to take biology, chemistry, physics, at least four science credits and four credits of math,” said Nsenga. “But I actually heard of it the day I applied.”
Receiving the Heyl is a great honor, and Nsenga plans to attend Kalamazoo College using the scholarship and hopes to one day become a neurosurgeon that specifically serves children. By taking rigorous classes and displaying great motivation throughout her high school career, Nsenga was chosen to be one of this year’s recipients of the Heyl.
“It was FAFSA Day, and I got this email from Dr. Kiino and she was congratulating me and I was so excited because I was about to apply for financial aid and then this covers all of it. It was perfect,” Nsenga said.
Dr. Heyl was a graduate of Yale and joined the Upjohn Company in 1913. He would later become a vice president and the first Director of Research of the Upjohn Company, along with teaching at Kalamazoo College. He was passionate about the importance of science and education and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by Kalamazoo College in 1937. Dr. Heyl’s ardor and dedication to education and the sciences led him to create the Heyl Scholarship, which has been supporting Kalamazoo high school students in the pursuit of their passion for science, tuition free since 1971.
Sophie Snow is a junior who has spent her last three years at Loy Norrix preparing to apply for the Heyl. She hopes to get a degree in chemistry and applied sciences.
“I’ve actively been a part of after school clubs focusing on science, like dissection club and organic chemistry club,” said Snow, “I’ve also been taking more math and science classes the beginning sophomore year to show my interest. I’ve also been on a tour and have talked to a lot of people who’ve gotten the Heyl before.”
The Heyl Scholarship is a highly esteemed science scholarship that was established by Dr. and Mrs. Frederick W. Heyl that grants four years tuition at Kalamazoo College or Western Michigan University Bronson School of Nursing to graduates of Kalamazoo Central or Loy Norrix High Schools. In 2009, eligibility was extended to Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center (KAMSC) students.
Because of the generosity of Dr. and Mrs. Frederick W. Heyl, students like Snow and Nsenga have the opportunity to go to a highly esteemed school and follow their passion for science and nursing in college without having to worry about being in debt for it, which is a privilege that not many students in America are fortunate enough to have.
“Getting the Heyl would mean that I went above my dreams of just going to K College but also getting one of the nation’s best scholarships,” said Snow.
Loy Norrix Students Awarded the Heyl Scholarship
June 10, 2016
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