Augustana senior earns Davies-Jackson Scholarship

Kai Yin (Queenie) Ho, an Augustana College senior, is the recipient of the Davies-Jackson Scholarship. An anthropology and biology double major, Ho will use the scholarship to pursue graduate studies at St John’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. The award covers fees and expenses, including room and board, and is valued at $50,000.

The Davies-Jackson Scholarship is given to graduating seniors with exceptional academic records who are the first in their family to graduate from college. The prestigious award offers students who demonstrate significant achievement the opportunity to study internationally and to immerse themselves in the educational environment at Cambridge.

The primary purpose of the scholarship is to provide an educational opportunity similar to the one received by the donor, who became part of the Cambridge intellectual community and vowed to give back the gift he was given.

Ho attended Mount Pulaski High School in Mt. Pulaski, Ill., and came to Augustana in 2011 as a transfer student from Lincoln Land Community College in Springfield, Ill.

She explained her interest in biological anthropology at the graduate level, saying, “Before moving to the United States, my family spent several years in Guam, where I became interested in cultural studies. During high school, I was introduced to the biological sciences, and I have been pursuing both interests ever since.”

After what Ho describes as a “very lengthy” application process, she was “ecstatic” to be named a winner, adding, “It took some time for the idea of being awarded the scholarship to completely sink in my mind, but once it had, I couldn’t stop smiling.”

According to Dr. Margaret Farrar, associate dean of the college, “Kai Yin represents the best of Augustana because she’s the total package: a serious scholar, an interdisciplinary thinker, an engaged campus citizen and a great person. Her passion for learning is evident to everyone who meets her, but so are her sense of humor, humility and warmth.”

Dr. Farrar said, “This award means that Kai Yin gets to pursue her studies at one of the best universities in the world.”

The associate dean also noted, “The Davies-Jackson award confirms that Augustana students have the talent and ability to achieve at the very highest levels. It also demonstrates the importance that Augustana faculty place on mentoring, and the thrilling things that can happen when skilled and caring mentors encounter intellectually curious and committed students like Kai Yin.”

Davies-Jackson scholarships recipients were first named in 1990, and this year two scholarships were awarded. The Council of Independent Colleges assists the U.S. Selection Committee of the Davies-Jackson Scholarship to administer the program.