NEWS RELEASE

Contact: David West (west@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466

9/27/2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NATCHITOCHES - Three Northwestern State University students have been selected as recipients of the Marion Loftin Scholarship in Sociology.

Those receiving the scholarship this year are Heather Grant of Shreveport, Danna Thomas of Natchitoches and Amy Vandersypen of Alexandria. Each are sociology majors.

"I plan on heading straight to graduate school, so this scholarship is a great help to me," said Grant, a junior, who is formerly from Many. "But the greatest benefit of this reward has been the boost in encouragement and esteem. I am sure that I am in the field best suited for my talents. I am very grateful."

Each of the students has found the field of sociology to be right for them.

"I think I have always been an observer of group behavior," said Grant. "I was disappointed that my friends at slumber parties found my theories on group status boring. All my coffee shop chats have been about why society is what it is. I'm fascinated by this huge topic, and I'm motivated to see change in my lifetime."

Thomas began as a pre-med major, but switched to sociology.

"I stumbled on sociology as a major, but once I took a class, I liked it," she said. "It's not a field where you get a great deal of financial rewards, but you get the opportunity to help other people."

Vandersypen also found sociology appealing once she took her initial course.

"I never knew about the subject, but once I began taking a class I knew this was right for me," said Vandersypen, who is a senior. "This allows you to make a difference and I hope I can develop social programs to help people."

Thomas and Vandersypen are also thankful for Loftin's generosity.

"I have a TOPS scholarship, but there are also many other expenses," said Thomas. "This eases some of the financial burdens. I hope I can do something like this for others some day."

"I work part-time to pay for school," said Vandersypen. "This scholarship allowed me to reduce what I need in student loans and that will help me in the future."

Loftin was a 1935 graduate of Louisiana State Normal College (now Northwestern State) and went on to earn a master's degree at Louisiana State University and a doctorate at Vanderbilt University.

He joined the faculty of Mississippi State University in 1949 as an assistant professor. Loftin was named vice president of graduate studies and research in 1979, serving in that position until his retirement in 1985. He was a Thomas L. Bailey Professor of Sociology and Rural Life, head of the sociology department and dean of the graduate school.

Loftin passed away in 1997. His fond memories of Natchitoches and Northwestern resulted in a gift of $245,000 to the NSU Foundation to assist sociology majors.

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