Recent Lee Honors College Graduate Wins National Alpha Lambda Delta Fellowship
Meg Gust, a December 2020 graduate of Western Michigan University and Lee Honors College, was recently awarded the Miriam Shelden Graduate Fellowship in the amount of $2,000 by Alpha Lambda Delta, a national honor society that recognizes students’ academic success during their first year at a college or university.
Twenty-six Alpha Lambda Delta graduate fellowships are given each year to members from a pool of competitive applicants across the U.S. Awards are used to offset the expense of pursuing graduate or professional studies and amounts range from $2,000 to $7,000. The graduate fellowship is for the 2021-22 academic year and each fellowship is named for a person of significance to Alpha Lambda Delta. Miriam Shelden served Alpha Lambda Delta from 1959 to 1975, first as District Adviser, then as National Secretary and finally, as Archivist.
During her time at WMU, Meg majored in Sociology and Criminal Justice as well as in French Language and had the opportunity to study abroad in three different countries. Meg’s long-term goal is to become a school social worker and she will begin graduate school this fall.
Upon learning she’d received the award, Meg felt “greatly honored and humbled to have received this recognition. This award will greatly assist me with being financially secure as I prepare to begin my graduate program in the fall. I am so grateful to have been chosen for this award and excited to continue my academic career with a master's degree in social work.”
Of her undergraduate experience with Alpha Lambda Delta, Meg says, “The network that I have gained due to Alpha Lambda Delta is vast. I have made great connections with ALD members and mentors. Additionally, ALD connected me to so many wonderful organizations within my community that I would not have known about otherwise. It is largely due to ALD that I was able to experience an international internship in Cape Town, South Africa as I was a recipient of the Stembler Scholarship. Alpha Lambda Delta made a lasting impact not only on my college experience, but also on my life. I am so thankful for the lasting friendships that I have made due to my participation in ALD.”
To learn more about Alpha Lambda Delta, The National Honor Society for First-Year Success, please visit their website. For more information on WMU’s Alpha Lambda Delta chapter, please visit their website.