Gratz is the recipient of the William R. Kenan Honors Scholarship, Elon’s highest academic award, which provides a four-year, full-tuition grant for the top Honors Fellow entering Elon each fall.
Anna Gratz ’30 was at a Girl Scout meeting when she got an unexpected text message: Elon University President Connie Ledoux Book wanted Gratz to call her.
“I had no idea what this was going to be about,” Gratz said. “So I stepped out, and I called her, and she told me the news. I was in shock. I was speechless.”
Book told Gratz she would receive the William R. Kenan Honors Scholarship, Elon’s highest academic award, which provides a four-year, full-tuition grant for the top Honors Fellow entering Elon each fall. Recipients will have extensive enrichment opportunities, including leadership development, service-learning experiences, study abroad, research stipends and internships. The scholarship was established in 2003 through a grant from the William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust.
“I went right back into the meeting and told all my Girl Scout sisters,” she said. “They were so excited for me. It was a really great moment.”
A Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, Gratz said the organization was a critical part of her Honors Fellow interview. The Sugar Land, Texas native plans to major in public health and is considering a double major in human service studies as she explores potential careers ranging from physical and occupational therapy to public health administration and policy.
“I focused my Gold Award on helping children with disabilities advocate for themselves in the classroom,” she said. “This project stemmed from my passion for helping people break past social and personal barriers, and I want to continue to use this passion at Elon and in my future career.”
The scholarship will give Gratz greater freedom to explore her interests at Elon and eventually pursue graduate education. She entered college knowing she wanted to work in a health-related field, particularly one involving children, but is intentionally keeping an open mind about where that interest might lead.
In high school, she volunteered with Texas Children’s Hospital and participated in a museum camp connected with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She also has an interest in working with children and adults with disabilities, primarily at GiGi’s Playhouse Sugar Land, where she has spent the past six years volunteering and teaching American Sign Language to individuals with Down Syndrome. The financial support provided by the scholarship will play an important role in that journey, she said, allowing her to think about graduate school without the financial burden of paying for her undergraduate education.
Not only did Gratz receive a personal call from Book about the honor, but she was also acknowledged during New Student Convocation on Aug. 22.
“It’s truly just the best honor,” Gratz said. “The amount of support Elon has given me is insanely incredible. I feel so supported in every which way.”
That sense of connection was among the reasons Gratz initially chose Elon. She was drawn to the university’s small class sizes, the opportunity to develop relationships with professors and the university’s Jewish community.
“I am a chronic front-row sitter and questioner,” she said. “I can get that individual relationship with the professors; I love that they know our names and want to get to know us and the perspectives that we bring. It’s just very welcoming and really values each student.”
As her Elon experience begins, Gratz is eager to embrace both the academic and community opportunities ahead.
“I really love learning, and not just for the grade, but to learn in an intellectual way and question the world around me,” she said. “I’m also just very excited to make new friends, join new student organizations and immerse myself in a new environment.”