Chi Omega honors Lillian Pagenstecher by establishing memorial scholarship

Originally Posted on Emerald Media via UWIRE

How do you remember a spirit? A person? Someone who meant so much to not only her friends, but her entire community?

May 11 marked two-years since the passing of Lillian Pagenstecher, a student at the UO and Chi Omega sorority sister who died due to bacterial meningitis.

“She was a light,” senior and long-time friend Clare Stager said. “She was a person who enjoyed every moment of every day and was always smiling and laughing.”

After Pagenstecher’s passing, Chi Omega’s executive board wanted to create something that would preserve Lill’s memory for pledge classes to come. In 2013, they tossed around ideas and finally came up with the idea to create a scholarship to fund a portion of a member’s university tuition, something that could be renewed every year.

The Lillian Pagenstecher Memorial Scholarship is Chi Omega’s way of making Pagenstecher’s light continue to shine, a way that Pagenstecher could forever make a mark on her sorority, as well as the UO.

Miranda Matthews, the chapter’s president in 2011-2012, played a large role in making the scholarship happen.

“Helping coordinate the scholarship, which will continue giving back to my sisters, is one of my proudest accomplishments,” Matthews said. “Along with some of Lill’s closest friends, we met with her parents and brothers to come up with the scholarship questions and criteria. We loved collaborating with the Pagenstechers on this project.”

This is not your average scholarship. Every question on its application was created to expose special qualities within each applicant, in hopes that her values are similar to Pagenstecher’s. The applicants are asked what involvement they have on campus and how they would best describe their personality.

After members submit their applications, their names are stripped from the document to ensure anonymity. The Pagenstacher family reads over each application and narrows it down to three finalists and Chi Omega’s executive board decides the winner.

Ironically, Stager, one of Pagenstecher’s closest friends, was the scholarship’s first winner in 2013.

“Being in this house was a really big part of her life,” Stager said. “I would hope moving forward this isn’t just about money. I want everyone to know who she was.”

The final recipient wins $650 toward her college tuition, but the amount is subject to change in the near future. The scholarship constantly receives donations from family, friends and Chi Omega alum.

When Vice President of Scholarship Olivia Gehrs decided this year’s final recipient, she kept in mind Pagenstecher’s personality and values.

“We are always looking for someone who is selfless, free spirited and ambitious,” Gehrs said. “It’s more about the person, rather than them having any executive position within the house.”

This year’s winner was sophomore and human physiology major Kayla Murphy. Murphy’s application stood out due to her positive outlook and lofty goals for her personal development.

“Now that I’ve earned this scholarship, I want to give back,” Murphy said. She hopes to travel to South Africa through the UO to complete a 10 week medical internship before she graduates.

May 11 has not become a sad day for those who were close to Pagenstecher, but rather a day to remember her infectious laugh, charisma and spirit.

 

Read more here: http://dailyemerald.com/2014/05/18/chi-omega-honors-lillian-pagenstecher-by-establishing-memorial-scholarship/
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