Science student Shefaa Allan has received the Talbott Honors College Scholarship for 2020-2021. The scholarship is named for distinguished alumna and civic leader Linda Hood Talbott and is presented annually to a full-time Honors College student who has achieved academic excellence.

Shefaa is a rising junior majoring in biology with minors in chemistry and philosophy who plans to attend medical school and become a pathologist. She led an Honors Discussion Group in Spring 2020, started a UMKC student organization advocating for justice through education, and represented Palestinians in Culture Night 2019 at UMKC.

“Shefaa truly deserves this honor!,” said Dr. Gayle Levy, Honors College Director. “She has been the Honors Discussion Group leader for Cell Biology (Bio 202) since January and it is clear how much she cares about the participants and the Honors College as a whole. She has worked hard to migrate the Cell Bio HDG online during this challenging period and to support the honors students in her group as they face all of these sudden changes together.”

Shefaa describes herself as “a girl of Palestinian origin born and raised in the Midwest” and admits that she has struggled to merge her ethnic identity with her identity as a U.S. citizen. She chose to attend UMKC, which has a large international student population, so that she could embrace both parts of her background. As she completes her second year at UMKC, Shefaa says that the university has exceeded her expectations.

Congratulations, Shefaa!