Honors College senior Caitlin Quirk was awarded the Linda H. and Thomas H. Talbott Honors Scholarship for 2021. The scholarship was established by the late Dr. Linda Talbott, who was a scholarship student in the Honors Program at UMKC and wanted to support outstanding students.

“Caitlin is truly an outstanding honors student,” said Jim McKusick, dean of the Honors College. “She has demonstrated academic excellence and has helped to build a community of learning among her fellow honors students.”

Caitlin is an English major with an emphasis on American literature and cultural studies. After she earns her bachelor’s degree in December 2021, she will begin the Masters of Arts in Teaching program at UMKC in Spring 2022. Caitlin wants to teach English in high school and eventually earn a doctorate in Education Administration with the goal of becoming an elementary school principal.

At UMKC, Caitlin loves being part of Sigma Tau Delta and the Spring Interdisciplinary Symposium Committee. She also enjoys spending time with family, reading (she is currently reading Jazz by Toni Morrison), painting, exploring Kansas City, and taking care of her many plants. Some of her favorite Kansas City spots include the River Market, Blue Koi on 39th Street, and Mills Record Company in Westport. She is from Ozark, Missouri, and moved to Kansas City in 2018 to begin her undergraduate studies.