South honored former math department chair and teacher Rosemary Finn this year by awarding a single $500 scholarship to a senior who loves math just as much as Finn.
“This [scholarship] is in memory of Rosemary Finn who was our department chair for math. She was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and lost her battle with that [in 2010],” said Sandra McKinney, math and science division chairperson.
Students were able to apply for the scholarship until April 24 if they met a certain list of requirements.
The scholarship was eligible for seniors who took four years of math with an unweighted grade point average of 3.5 or higher and were accepted into university or college to pursue career in Mathematics or a STEM related field.
“They have to write an essay and we’re looking for if they emulate some of the same philosophies and principles that Mrs. Finn stood for,” said McKinney.
Applications had to include the completed form, two teacher recommendations, an essay of 500 words or less, a list of extracurricular activities if applicable, and a copy of an acceptance letter from a university or college.
“We have a panel of teachers that sits down and reads through the essay and then [the winner] was selected,” said McKinney.
“We raise money to support her memory and also to support our seniors,” said McKinney. “We fundraise through the department and the division, every year we do the cougar coffeehouse, we also raffle off a spot in the faculty lot called ‘Rosemary Finn’s Spot’. That’s raffled off every semester and you get a front row spot if you win.”
Val Kacinskas is the 2018 recipient of the Rosemary Finn scholarship and will be attending Concordia University in the fall.