Date: November 23, 2004
Contact: Michael Hopkins
Phone: (708) 534-7090
Fax: (708) 534-8399
Email: m-hopkins@govst.edu
For Immediate Release
University Park, November 23, 2004 – The Board of Governors Bachelor of Arts degree program at Governors State University has selected Dwayne Williams as its 2004
Robert A. Pringle Memorial Scholarship award recipient.
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Dr. Diane Balin presents Pringle Scholarship Award to Dwayne Williams
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The scholarship is administered through an endowment by the Pringle family. Robert Pringle, in whose name the scholarship is awarded, helped create the Board of Governors degree program in Illinois thirty years ago.
“Dwayne was the perfect choice for us,” said Dr. Diane Balin, director of the program at GSU. “Dr. Pringle was the driving force behind the creation of the Board of Governors program. He knew that adults, working adults of all ages and occupations, need flexibility when they return to college to complete their degrees.”
Balin said Williams embodies the kind of student Pringle designed the program for. “Dwayne is an outstanding scholar, but before coming to us, he faced obstacles to completing his education. Family responsibilities, career commitments, and an absence of choice stood in his way.”
Balin said Williams is a gifted student. “He’s wonderfully creative and intelligent. He doesn’t just value education, he thrives on it. He’s been looking for a way to finish college for a long time, and when he found our program, he realized that it was the perfect solution.”
So much so, Balin said, that Williams – a single father – moved to Hazel Crest from Wisconsin, just to enroll in the program. “We have plenty of distance learning options,” she said, “but Dwayne values the interpersonal part of education, too, and he wanted to interact with faculty and students.”
Williams said, “It is an honor to be the recipient of the 2004-2005 Robert A. Pringle Memorial Scholarship. Just being eligible for this prestigious award has made me reflect on how far I have come in my life.”
Williams will be the first in his family to graduate from college. He added, “I want to thank the selection committee for recognizing my potential to make a positive impact on society.”
Williams’s accomplishments since coming to GSU have been impressive. He recently made the 2004-2005 Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities, and he was selected for a 2004 Student Lincoln Laureate, making him one of 50 college seniors in the state to earn the honor.
He is also in the McNair Scholars Program, which is designed to guide students with strong academic potential toward doctorate-level studies.
Williams’s emphasis in the Board of Governors program is in business. He has earned Dean’s List distinction at the university, and he was elected president of the university’s Black Student Union in October.
He has also maintained his commitments as a Big Brother and as founder and president of the Elizabeth Williams Foundation, a non-profit organization established to assist needy families.
“Dwayne exemplifies the type of student Dr. Pringle knew could excel with the right opportunity,” Balin said. “We’re proud that he’s chosen the Board of Governors degree program, and we’re doubly proud of his accomplishments. Dr. Pringle would certainly approve of Dwayne as our choice for the Pringle Scholarship award.”
Williams graduates in June of 2005.
For information about Governors State University's Board of Governors Bachelor of Arts degree program, call 708.534.4092.
