b'ELLIE WHITE Marshall University donors magnanimity, as reflected in their kindness and foresight, is very important in securing the futures of students especially in these financially uncertain times, said Ellie White, a junior physics major and the recipient of the Alva and Dixon Callahan Scholarship, John Marshall Scholarship, Honors College Scholarship and the PROMISE Scholarship.Scholarships mean a lot to me. The donors kindness in making these opportunities available ensures that I will be better able to pursue my dreams and continue my research and outreach efforts without the burden of college debt. Having the recognition of earning scholarships is personally meaningful and motivates me to do as much as I can to pay it forward. A native of Barboursville, West Virginia, Ellie chose to attend Marshall University so that she could stay with her family, whom she is close to, during her undergraduate studies. She was attracted to the Huntington campus for its size, the opportunities offered and the creativity students have to make a difference.The faculty in the Department of Physics and College of Science is her favorite thing about Marshall. Describing them as thoughtful and encouraging, Ellie believes they have been supportive of her goals and provided valuable resources to assist her with research and education projects she is working on while obtaining her degree. Upon graduation, she intends to pursue a doctorate in an astrophysics-related field with the goal of working as a staff scientist for a radio astronomy observatory where she would research areas related to radio astronomy instrumentation, astrobiology, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), and ways to apply astronomy technology and techniques to issues of conservation and environmental protection. At Marshall, Ellie looks forward to learning how science can explain the universe around us from her physics and mathematics professors. When on the Huntington campus, she enjoys studying outdoors with the trees and squirrels. In previous semesters, Ellies greatest challenge as a college student has been overcoming her tendencies toward excessive perfectionism. I tend to be pretty hard on myself when I do not do as well as I hoped on tests, and it has been a struggle at times to accept less than perfect from myself in challenging situations. This is something I am still trying to learn how to deal with, but I think that attending Marshall and working with the understanding and talented'