My friend Elin Danien, the founder of Bread Upon the Waters, a UPenn scholarship fund for non-traditional-age women, just sent me an update that I'd like to share.
Elin wrote: "To date, 73 women have earned bachelor's degrees through Bread, many of them graduating with honors and going on to graduate studies while juggling careers and family obligations."
This year's crop of scholars include:
- Kimberly B., a single mother working toward a B.A. in English who recently gave up her job as a school bus driver to work as a freelance copywriter.
- Elizabeth S., a Humane Society Police Officer who aims to earn a Ph.D. in forensic anthropology.
- Maura C., a mother who became a passionate advocate for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act while securing resources for her son, and who plans to pursue a career in child development and special education.
Here's a description of the program on the UPenn website:
Bread Upon the Waters is the only scholarship of its kind -- specifically designed to benefit women over the age of 30 who wish to complete an undergraduate degree through part-time study at the University of Pennsylvania.
[The organization] was founded in 1986 by Elin Danien, a graduate of Penn's College of General Studies. Elin enrolled as a freshman at the age of 46 and graduated seven years later summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. Her academic awakening and positive experience as an older woman student led her to establish a scholarship fund to help other nontraditional students realize their dreams.
To make a gift to the fund online, go to www.sas.upenn.edu/gifts/bread.
