When Ed Koval created the Anna Mae Koval Scholarship at GSLIS in honor of his late wife, he knew that the financial support for students would help them achieve their educational and career goals. The gift, however, is providing more than just financial support. It is proving inspirational as well.
Anna Mae Koval inspired countless young readers as a librarian and storyteller during her career. Her legacy continues to inspire others through scholarships for future librarians like master’s student Hailley Fargo. “The Koval Scholarship really motivates me,” said Fargo, one of four students who is currently receiving this support. “Being a recipient fuels me to keep pushing myself to do as best as I can.”
In her first year at GSLIS, Fargo was able to pursue her interests in community informatics and working with youth. As a member of the Digital Literacy for ALL Learners project, she taught elementary students important digital literacy skills at the Urbana Neighborhood Connections Center.
“I really appreciate the financial support—to be able to pursue something that I’m really interested in and be able to focus more on school, the experience, and the professional side of things as opposed to worrying about how many loans I have to take out,” she said.
Fargo plans to graduate in May 2016 and hopes to work with youth in a public library. She and her fellow 2014-2015 Koval Scholarship recipients were the first students to receive funding from this generous gift.
Visit our Giving page to learn more about student scholarships.