Marymount University alumna Courtney Stephens is among the nation’s top scholars to receive a 2021 Fellowship from the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, awarded to students pursuing their first year of graduate or professional study. Stephens joins only four other students across the country to earn the Society’s competitive Walter and Adelheid Hohenstein Fellowship of $8,500.
“I would like to thank all the Marymount faculty members who have helped me along the way, as well as the individuals who I have worked closely with in the medical field that have helped me find a passion in anesthesia,” Stephens expressed.
As an undergraduate student at Marymount, Stephens completed a major in Biochemistry and two minors in Mathematics and Quantitative Science. Looking for the best way to enrich her professional network, Stephens was proud to accept an invitation to the University’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi in April 2020. She balanced the prestige of being a member of the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline honor society with her academics, and as a member of the Saints Women’s Soccer team.
Since its founding in 2019, Marymount’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi has inducted over 200 outstanding students, faculty and staff. This marks the first time a Marymount graduate has won a Society award.
“At Marymount, Courtney’s leadership in the classroom, on the soccer field and in the community exemplified the University’s ideal of education through service to others,” explained Dr. Sarah Fischer, Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice at Marymount and President of the University’s chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. “We were proud to nominate Courtney for the Hohenstein Fellowship and are excited to see her continue on a path of excellence.”
After graduating from Marymount in 2020, Stephens enrolled at South University in Savannah, Ga., to pursue a master’s degree in Anesthesia Science as part of an Anesthesiologist Assistant Program.
“I was elated when I found out I was the recipient of the Hohenstein Fellowship,” Stephens said. “This fellowship will allow me to focus on my studies and be able to have the necessary funds to be as successful as I possibly can be in this program.”
The Hohenstein Fellowship is awarded to the top-ranking nominees and is named in honor of former national Phi Kappa Phi president Walter Hohenstein and his wife Adelheid.
This year’s Phi Kappa Phi awards total $649,000, and were given to 62 students at institutions with an active chapter. The 2021 class of fellows represents students from more than 60 colleges and universities across the nation. The recipients, drawn from all academic disciplines, are pursuing post-baccalaureate programs of study ranging from science and engineering to arts and humanities.
“Phi Kappa Phi Fellows represent the most promising graduate students in the nation,” said acting Society Executive Director, Traci Navarre. “We’re proud to partner with our local chapters to recognize these impressive emerging scholars and help support their academic journey.”
