The Women's Sports Foundation honors Dr. Dorothy Harris, a leader and pioneer in women's sports, by offering scholarship funding for women who continue their education in the areas of physical education, sport management, sport psychology or sport sociology.
By Victoria E. Laemmel
The Dorothy Harris Endowed Scholarship was established in September 1990 by the Women's Sports Foundation, to honor Dr. Dorothy Harris, a leader and pioneer in women's sports for more than 40 years. As athlete, coach, official, author, professor and researcher, Dr. Harris devoted much of her long career to dispelling myths about promoting the positive benefits of girls' and women's participation in sports. She firmly believed that sports participation was as important and beneficial for females as males, and spent her lifetime fighting for the rights of young girls and women to play sports.
The scholarship supports the college education of a female master's and doctoral student focusing on one of the following areas: physical education, sport management, sport psychology or sport sociology. Each applicant is evaluated based upon her career goals, grade point average, financial need, research studies and sport participation and/or influence.
This year's recipients of the Dorothy Harris Endowed Scholarship, who will each receive $1,500 towards continuing their education, are Kristina Meissen and Hana Askren.
Meissen is pursuing a master's degree in exercise and sport science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her goal is to study sports administration at the collegiate level to become a future director of student-athlete development. Participating in athletics has enabled Meissen to be involved in many leadership committees such as the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and student-athlete mentoring programs. Meissen feels that the opportunities for women become endless when they are given the tools at the collegiate level to become successful leaders.
Askren is pursuing a doctorate in humanities at Concordia University, Quebec, focusing on sociology of women athletes. Her thesis is based on four central debates focusing on Arab female athletes. The four issues are: the debate over public vs. private, a point of departure for feminist thought as well as religious ideology; women's dress and modesty; health issues for women and girls; and women's sport participation as a challenge to male hegemony. During her undergraduate career Askren wrestled at McGill University. Wrestling has given Askren confidence and assertiveness to pursue her goals. Askren wants to educate people about the issues facing women athletes.
Thanks to all the applicants who applied for the Dorothy Harris Endowed Scholarship. The deadline for the 2007-2008 academic year applications is December 31, 2007, and can be accessed through the grants and scholarships link of our Web site.