Trine student Lauren Hillin receives Phi Eta Sigma scholarship

Trine University student Lauren Hillin has been named as the recipient of a $5,000 Founders Fund scholarship from Phi Eta Sigma, a national honor society for first-year college students.

Hillin, a biology major from Charlotte, North Carolina, was president of Trine’s Phi Eta Sigma chapter this past year and will serve as senior student advisor during the upcoming school year.

She heard about the scholarship through Phi Eta Sigma's monthly newsletter, which she received as president of Trine's Chapter.

“I decided to apply because I felt like I had made significant contributions at both the university and national level for Phi Eta Sigma,” she said. “I also believe in taking any chance you have to make your future better, so putting in the time and effort to make my junior year less stressful (both financially and academically) made sense to me.”

Hillin and vice president Alexander Jackson represented Trine’s chapter at Phi Eta Sigma’s 2024 National Convention last fall.

Strong recommendations

Phi Eta Sigma provided one application for 95 scholarships, with individual awards ranging from $1,000 to $10,000. Hillin gathered three letters of recommendation and a transcript. She also answered six questions about her contributions to Phi Eta Sigma and other organizations, as well as academic achievements, future academic plans and work experience.

She felt the “wonderful” recommendation letters she received from Jennifer Staude, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Science, Sam Drerup, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, and Colton Martens, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Science, positioned her well to receive a scholarship.

“They have been amazing professors and I am so thankful that they took the time to write kind and thoughtful things about me so that I could receive this,” she said.

She was “really excited” when she got the news that she had won the scholarship.

“They emailed the results earlier than when they said they would, so it was an unexpected, but pleasant, surprise,” she said.

Future in medicine

Hillin plans to attend medical school after graduating from Trine and hopes to become an orthopedic surgeon.

“This scholarship will allow me to focus on studying for classes and the MCAT, while giving me some breathing room to save up for my remaining time at Trine and for the expenses of a medical student,” she said.

She said serving as president of Phi Eta Sigma was a wonderful opportunity to grow in her leadership and communication skills.

“I am incredibly grateful to all the faculty and staff at Trine, especially [faculty advisor Dr. Haseeb] Kazi, who helped me grow out of my comfort zone in these areas,” she said.

Phi Eta Sigma scholarships

Phi Eta Sigma awards scholarships to students who have demonstrated leadership, service, academic excellence and a commitment and involvement within Phi Eta Sigma.

In 1940, the Honor Society established its Founders Fund to award scholarships to students at the national level. Each year, Phi Eta Sigma awards more than $400,000 in scholarships at the national level through its Founders Fund program, convention grants and local scholarships.

Scholarships are available for both undergraduate and graduate students.

Phi Eta Sigma was founded in 1923 at the University of Illinois to encourage and reward high scholastic achievement among members of the freshman classes. Today, Phi Eta Sigma supports more than 175 active chapters across the nation.

The organization, both nationally and at Trine University, has focused on initiatives to improve literacy and educational access, working to uplift communities through education.