West Virginia University senior Chelsea Clagg aspires to become a writer of young adult fiction novels, but before that she wants to teach.

The Ona native, majoring in English, now has the money to complete her master’s degree in secondary education. She is the recipient of a $5,000 graduate fellowship from the Alpha Lambda Delta national honor society.

The honor society awards 23 graduate fellowships annually to members around the United States.

“Being awarded the ALD Graduate Fellowship is a great honor to me,” said Clagg, who is currently serving as the WVU chapter’s social coordinator.

Clagg joined the society, designed for first-year students, when she was a freshman.

“Four years and more than 100 credit hours later, as a soon-to-be graduate student, ALD is continuing to honor and reward me. For this reason, it is truly amazing to not only receive such an honor, but to be part of such a great campus organization,” she said.

The society is designed for students who have maintained a 3.5 or higher GPA and are in the top 20 percent of their class during their first year or term of higher education.

ALD was founded in 1924 by the Dean of Women at the University of Illinois, Maria Leonard, in an effort to recognize academic excellence among freshmen women. The organization was combined with Phi Eta Sigma, an organization for male students, in the mid-’70s.

The society offers members a variety of scholarships, including those that cover study abroad, books and undergraduate education.

For more information, visit http://www.nationalald.org/ .

-WVU-
cd/04/08/11

CONTACT: University Relations/News
304-293-6997