Four students are pursuing new opportunities this academic year, with the help of the Frances E. Smith Scheidel Scholarship.
These awards are given to undergraduate students majoring in one of the school’s academic units who have overcome significant hurdles to achieve academic success. The scholarship fund was established in 2007, thanks to the generosity of Mrs. Frances Scheidel, whose personal history included returning after a significant interruption to complete her Illinois degree.
This year’s awards were given to two students from the Department of Spanish & Portuguese, Michael Caplan and Mia Vavaroutsos, and two students from the Department of Classics, Molly Moomaw and Tallulah Trezevant.
“[Receiving this scholarship] is an honor,” said Caplan. “It not only validates my perseverance through significant medical and personal challenges over the last several years, but also serves as much needed encouragement to stay committed to academic excellence and keep pushing forward despite all of these challenges.”
Caplan, a junior from Glenview, Illinois, is double majoring in organizational psychology and Spanish with a minor in business. With the help of the Scheidel scholarship, he’s rescheduling his study abroad experience in Barcelona for Spring 2025, after a medical emergency forced him to cancel his previously scheduled trip.
“Studying abroad in Spain during college has been a lifelong dream of mine,” he said. “It’s an unparalleled opportunity to merge my academic interests with cultural immersion.”
Trezevant, a senior from the San Francisco Bay area, is a classics major with a minor in medieval studies. She used her scholarship to attend the 120th annual conference for the Classical Association of the Middle West and South, where she presented a paper titled, “Living Property: Depictions of Slavery in Roman New Comedy.” In her paper, she discussed the depictions of enslavement in the play “Phormio” by the Roman playwright Terence.
“It was very daunting to be one of very few undergraduates at the conference,” said Trezevant. “However, everyone I met was extremely kind, brilliant, and accommodating. I also attended panels [that helped me] learn more about topics I was already interested in while simultaneously opening my eyes to subfields within the classics discipline previously unknown to me.”
For Trezevant, this scholarship isn’t just a recognition of her dedication and perseverance in the wake of a difficult time for her and her family; it’s also a way to keep an important connection intact.
“My late grandmother was an ancient history and Latin teacher, well known among her students and friends for her zealous admiration of the Greco-Roman world,” she said. “Sadly, she died when I was only 2 years old. Growing up, my family regularly memorialized my grandmother through reading Greek mythology. [My studies] are a way of following in my grandmother’s footsteps.”
Vavaroutsos, a senior from Chicago, is studying English and Spanish. She’s on a pre-law track, with a goal of becoming an environmental attorney or consultant. She said this scholarship will help her stay on track to not only graduate on time and pursue law school, but also continue to excel academically.
“Receiving this scholarship is incredibly important to me, as it reflects my success despite hardships that make my education more difficult,” said Vavaroutsos. “Further, this scholarship is going to allow me to graduate from college debt free, which I am beyond thankful for.”
Moomaw, a senior majoring in classics and political science, echoed this sentiment.
“As someone who is entirely financially responsible for their college tuition, I’m incredibly grateful for the aid that the Scheidel scholarship gives me,” said Moomaw. “Like many other college students, I work multiple jobs in addition to full-time class schedules all year round in order to fund my education. It’s especially gratifying to have my hard work recognized and supported through scholarships like these.”
Looking toward the future, all four recipients are planning to continue their education after finishing their bachelor’s degrees at Illinois. Caplan is planning on pursuing a graduate degree focused on the intersection of his passion for travel and his course of study; Trezevant hopes to pursue a PhD in classical philology, which will allow her to dive deeper into the research interests she developed at Illinois; Vavaroutsos is planning on going to law school after taking a gap year; and Moomaw hopes to pursue a master’s degree in museum studies or library science.
For more information on the Scheidel Scholarship, visit our website. To learn more about investing in the future of our students, please visit our giving page or contact Ai Niemeyer.