Senior Anastasia Pennington has had a special interest in women's issues for most of her life. She credits her membership in the Girl Scouts for 13 years for giving her opportunities to work with and learn from many different kinds of women. It is Pennington's interest in women's issues that led to her selection for a special award given by Brockport High School graduate Shawn Ruger. Ruger graduated in 1995 and is currently a Corporate Information Technology Consultant in Richmond, Virginia. The $1,000 Dorothy J. Ruger Memorial Scholarship award, set up last year in honor of Ruger's grandmother, is given annually to a graduating senior who, throughout his/her academic career has contributed to the promotion of women's issues and/or participated in the study of a topic focusing on women's issues. "Anastasia distinguished herself from the other candidates through her long-established involvement with organizations bringing focus to women's issues and issues related to gender equity," said Ruger. "Her genuine interest in the philosophies and principles supported by the Ruger Foundation set her clearly apart from the other candidates." Pennington is mostly influenced by her 86-year-old grandmother who lived on military bases around the world when her father was in the army. Her grandmother also joined the army and was in the WAC during World War II, stationed in the Philippines. Through stories of her grandmother's travels, she learned about women's roles and what life was like for women around the world at that time. "From her I have learned to be determined, to go after my dreams, and also about having an active lifestyle and being involved in the community," said Anastasia. "I think it's important for women of all generations to come together and teach one another about what it was like to be a woman in the past, what it's like now, and also discuss their hopes for women in the future." Pennington hopes to follow in her grandmother's footsteps by traveling to other countries. In the fall, she will attend the Delta College program at SUNY Brockport. The program offers internships where she will have a chance to travel the country and focus on women's history. She will also continue to be a part of a Girl Scout program for college-age students. She hopes to someday have her own troop. |
