Emma Willard in the News

Emma Willard Joins Groundbreaking Pilot Scholarship Program

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November 2, 2007

mma Willard School has been selected by the Shelby Cullom Davis family to participate in two groundbreaking pilot programs that further the school’s efforts to provide an empowering education to talented and motivated girls from across the globe.

Head of School Trudy Hall announced that the programs will award scholarships to both international students and domestic students in order to strengthen diversity at Emma Willard and four other boarding schools. Initial grants will be made for the 2008–2009 school year. As many as 10 new Emma Willard students per year will receive need-based scholarships of up to $20,000. Students may enroll as sophomores, juniors, seniors, or for a post-graduate year. After graduating from Emma Willard, Davis Scholars will then be eligible to receive support for their undergraduate studies if they enroll at one of the 89 American colleges participating in the Davis United World College Scholarship Program, which now supports more than 1,400 college students from 126 countries and provided the blueprint for the boarding school pilot program.

“The potential impact of this program at Emma Willard is both profound and compelling,” said Hall. “This extraordinary opportunity comes at a moment when the school is well positioned to respond. Emma Willard has a long tradition of educating a diverse group of young women of merit and shares the Davis’ commitment to building cross-cultural understanding. As the leading educator of young women, the school is ready to leverage the value of this initiative to contribute proactively and positively to the world.”

Of the five boarding schools selected to participate in the Davis programs—a group that also includes Andover, Lawrenceville, Taft, and Westminster—Emma Willard is the only school devoted exclusively to the education of girls. “We are thrilled that Gale Lansing Davis, a member of the Class of 1963, and her family have chosen to include her alma mater in this extraordinary program,” Hall said. “Their generosity supports our mission to provide the finest educational opportunities to the best and brightest young women, regardless of their means, as we prepare them to serve and shape their world.”

The transformative power of the scholarship programs, Hall said, will benefit not only the Davis Scholars themselves but also the entire school community. In supporting highly motivated, high potential students from around the world, the Davis family hopes to create a cadre of future leaders, Americans and non-Americans alike, ensuring a network that will be constructive and beneficial for all. Hall said, “As our world becomes smaller and yet increasingly complex, initiatives like the Davis Scholars Program will make a demonstrable difference in levels of awareness, tolerance, and sensitivity among young people worldwide. What better way to prepare the leaders of tomorrow for the challenges they will face?”

For information about applying to Emma Willard School, contact Eric Niles at eniles@emmawillard.org, (518) 833-1320 or visit our Admissions page.

For more information about the Davis International Scholars and Davis Scholars Programs at Emma Willard School, contact Steve Ricci at sricci@emmawillard.org, (518) 833-1785.