Full-tuition McGill Scholars named for 2021-22
March 31, 2021
Five outstanding incoming Maryville College first-year students have been named McGill Scholars for the 2021-22 academic year.
They are: Macey Harbin of Maryville, Tenn., who is a senior at William Blount High School; Julia Jeffress of Johnson City, Tenn., who is a senior at Science Hill High School; Owee Kirpekar of Knoxville, Tenn., who is a senior at Bearden High School; Gabbie Noonan of Wildwood, Mo., who is a senior at Saint Joseph Academy; and Avery Shellist of Knoxville, Tenn., who is a senior at Webb School of Knoxville.
These five students were awarded the Dan and Melanie Mays McGill Scholarship, which covers full tuition and is renewable for up to four years of full-time study with an annual GPA of 3.25.
Established in 2017 with a gift from the estate of Dan and Elaine McGill, the McGill Scholarship Program offers the most prestigious awards available to incoming first-year and transfer students who enroll at MC.
Dan McGill graduated from Maryville College in 1940 and went on to earn degrees from Vanderbilt and the University of Pennsylvania. Considered an authority in the pension industry, he was a longtime professor and administrator at the Wharton School of Finance at the University of Pennsylvania. Honoring Dr. McGill’s impressive academic record, high standard for scholarship and numerous career achievements, the McGill Scholarship Program seeks to attract academically prepared and motivated students who desire to be leaders in the classroom, on the campus and in their communities.
McGill Scholars are required to live on campus and participate in the McGill living-learning community (LLC) for at least two years and participate in a capstone project. For the entirety of their LLC experience, McGill Scholars will center their research and conversations on one social justice initiative. Upon arrival to campus, McGills are placed in a capstone group determined by their self-reported interest in the following topics: environmental justice, gender equality, medical justice, poverty, and racial justice. As a team, McGills are tasked to research a specific issue, identify a need in the MC community, propose an initiative implement the initiative, and evaluate the initiative’s success. They also must commit to four semesters of service as an academic mentor.
To qualify for these awards, incoming first-year students must have a combined minimum 30 ACT superscore or 1390 SAT superscore and a minimum 3.8 high school weighted GPA. Applicants also should have demonstrated leadership abilities. The application process, which must be concluded by Dec. 1, includes applying for admission to Maryville College and submitting an online scholarship application via their application portal, two teacher recommendation letters and an essay on a given topic.
Select applicants will be invited to the College’s Scholarship Weekend in January, when they will meet other prospective scholars and be interviewed by members of the Maryville College community. If students are unable to travel to campus for Scholarship Weekend, interviews may be conducted by video conferencing. Awards are offered by March 15.
For more information about the McGill Scholarship Program, visit maryvillecollege.edu/mcgill or call the Maryville College Office of Admissions at 865-981-8092.
