This week the Scholar Spotlight is on Makenzie Francis, a junior from Martinsburg, WV. Makenzie is majoring in communications in new media with a focus on digital filmmaking, and is the recipient of the Vera Malton Scholarship. Designated for English and communications students, the scholarship was created by Shepherd’s departments of communications and English to honor Dr. Vera Malton, who was chair of the English department for nearly 40 years. She later served as an emeritus professor of speech and English.

“Receiving the Vera Malton Scholarship installed a sense of honor in my educational accomplishments,” says Makenzie. “I felt recognized for my hard work and inspired to take on more challenging classes and to declare a minor in studio art. I feel incredibly blessed to have received this award.”