April L. Saul Memorial Scholarship
April Saul was a happy and proud Roanoke College student who was loved by the Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics Department. She graduated from Roanoke in 2013 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics and headed down the road to Virginia Tech to pursue a Master's degree in Mathematics; after completing that degree in 2015, she returned to Dear Ole Roanoke to pick up courses in Actuarial Science and Economics. She suddenly, and tragically, passed away from natural causes on March 26, 2018.
The Saul family has had a significant and long-lasting connection to Roanoke College, as April's parents also attended Roanoke. In April's memory, the Saul family and Roanoke College have established the April L. Saul Memorial Scholarship to support students studying mathematics or actuarial science.
"April was one of the brightest students we've had in the mathematics program at Roanoke College" says Dr. David Taylor, chairperson of the Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics Department. "She would light up the room whenever she entered, due to her wide smile, bright and vivid colors on her clothes, and true passion and desire for learning."
To apply, please write an essay using the prompt below and email to the department chairperson, Dr. David Taylor, at taylor@roanoke.edu by the end of the day on Tuesday, December 31, 2019.
We expect to award up to 3 scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year of up to $5,000 each to be used towards tuition. In order to be eligible, students must plan to be enrolled as a degree-seeking student for the entire 2020-2021 academic year and must have a declared mathematics or actuarial science major. At least one award will be primarily based on merit, and at least one award will be primarily based on financial need.
Write a 1-2 page essay that addresses the following questions; your essay should be well-constructed, cohesive, and not simply a list of responses to the questions.
- Why did you choose to major in mathematics or actuarial science?
- What has the program meant to you so far and what do you expect to get out of the program?
- What is something specific in the program you have really enjoyed, and why?
- What, if any, financial need do you have for the scholarship and why?