In 2011, when Jennifer Holley ’15 arrived on campus from Ludlow, she was a shy and quiet freshman. Four years later, at the top of her class, Holley had distinguished herself as the clear choice to represent Westfield State in the national competition for the prestigious Phi Kappa Phi’s graduate fellowship.
She was one of 57 graduating seniors selected from an applicant pool of 161 to receive a $5,000 scholarship, and she was thrilled to win. “The scholarship helped me pay for books, food, housing, and other essentials,” Holley says. “It took a lot of stress off of me, so that I could get settled and figure everything out.”
Outside of the classroom, Holley was a three-season athlete, earning varsity letters in cross-country and track as well as a consistent 4.00 GPA. Since she graduated as a Commonwealth Honors Scholar in May 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in movement science, Holley has enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Connecticut, which she hopes to complete in 2018.
Holley is the fifth consecutive graduating senior from Westfield State to be awarded this coveted fellowship. She joins the ranks of Michael Brill in 2014, Rob Donoghue in 2013, Mary Cafferty in 2012, and Erin Judge in 2011. Longtime Fellowship/Scholarship Coordinator Ricki E. Kantrowitz, Ph.D., a professor in the Psychology department, said it’s a “fantastic” testament to Westfield State to have five fellows at the national level, five years in a row.
Holley’s undergraduate experiences helped her pursue her interest in the human body. In addition to taking traditional classes and lab courses, Holley shadowed physical therapists in various settings to gain a better understanding of the diversity in human functioning. “My years at Westfield State truly prepared me to become a better student and leader,” says Holley. “The small-school atmosphere made me feel like a part of a community that truly cared about my success.”
