Alumna creates Travel & Empowerment Fund
Ellis alumna Marcie WATERMAN Love '56 is passionate about many things: women’s rights, world travel, and roller coasters just to name a few. Now she is taking her commitment to women’s empowerment to the next level by establishing a fund that will allow at least one Ellis student during the summer before her senior year to design and pursue an independent study-abroad project meant to empower women in developing countries.
The first grant will be awarded in February, with the inaugural travel experience happening in summer 2015. The deadline for applications is Monday, January 26, 2015. The selection committee will review applications and select and announce the awardee by mid-February.
The Marcie WATERMAN Love '56 International Travel Grant for the Global Empowerment of Women and Girls was inspired by Love’s board service to Planned Parenthood in Chicago and as a founding member of the Chicago Foundation for Women. She also traveled extensively with her husband of 54 years, Norris “Mike” Love. Before Mr. Love died in 2014, they visited all 50 states and more than 130 countries together.
“The highlights of our travels were when we visited with people who were working to assist and empower women. The problems that women face are universal: domestic violence, lack of respect for women, lack of family planning. I firmly believe that women are moral, ethical, intelligent beings who should be empowered to make decisions about their own lives,” said Mrs. Love.
Socially engaged international travel is the experience she wants to make available to Ellis students. Her vision is that juniors will apply for the opportunity to design an independent project where she will work to empower women and girls in a developing country. The student will then, through a well-established study-abroad program, travel to this country to work make her project a reality. Ellis Coordinator of Global Initiatives Susan Corbesero, Ph.D., will lead the review of all applications. Mrs. Love will serve on the selection committee that will also include Ellis faculty and administrators. In her senior year, the Love Empowerment Travel Award grantee will then present highlights of her study abroad experience to Ellis faculty and students.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for our students to develop hands-on, global leadership skills, and to then share their findings with the Ellis community,” said Dr. Corbesero, who oversees global initiatives at Ellis and teaches the popular Gender & Power elective, and co-teaches the Global Leadership x Design course for Ellis juniors.
For Mrs. Love, establishing this fund at Ellis is in line with her personal values and those that she developed at Ellis. “The Head of School Marion Hamilton joked that I graduated with a degree in extracurricular activities! At Ellis you could be anything you wanted to be. You do not have to hide your interests or intelligence. That’s an experience every girl should have.”
Back
The Marcie WATERMAN Love '56 International Travel Grant for the Global Empowerment of Women and Girls was inspired by Love’s board service to Planned Parenthood in Chicago and as a founding member of the Chicago Foundation for Women. She also traveled extensively with her husband of 54 years, Norris “Mike” Love. Before Mr. Love died in 2014, they visited all 50 states and more than 130 countries together.
“The highlights of our travels were when we visited with people who were working to assist and empower women. The problems that women face are universal: domestic violence, lack of respect for women, lack of family planning. I firmly believe that women are moral, ethical, intelligent beings who should be empowered to make decisions about their own lives,” said Mrs. Love.
Socially engaged international travel is the experience she wants to make available to Ellis students. Her vision is that juniors will apply for the opportunity to design an independent project where she will work to empower women and girls in a developing country. The student will then, through a well-established study-abroad program, travel to this country to work make her project a reality. Ellis Coordinator of Global Initiatives Susan Corbesero, Ph.D., will lead the review of all applications. Mrs. Love will serve on the selection committee that will also include Ellis faculty and administrators. In her senior year, the Love Empowerment Travel Award grantee will then present highlights of her study abroad experience to Ellis faculty and students.
“This is an extraordinary opportunity for our students to develop hands-on, global leadership skills, and to then share their findings with the Ellis community,” said Dr. Corbesero, who oversees global initiatives at Ellis and teaches the popular Gender & Power elective, and co-teaches the Global Leadership x Design course for Ellis juniors.
For Mrs. Love, establishing this fund at Ellis is in line with her personal values and those that she developed at Ellis. “The Head of School Marion Hamilton joked that I graduated with a degree in extracurricular activities! At Ellis you could be anything you wanted to be. You do not have to hide your interests or intelligence. That’s an experience every girl should have.”
Envision Her at Ellis
If you're interested in exploring Ellis for your daughter, let's connect! Request information about enrollment, attend one of our upcoming events, or hear about Ellis from those who know it best: our students.
