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Women and Gender Studies

Anne M. Semlak Memorial Scholarship

This fund is established in loving memroy of Anne Marie Semlak.  Anne grew up and lived her young life in Bloomington-Normal where she attended Normal Community High School and Illinois State University. At ISU, Anne was very active in the Woman’s Studies Program and graduated with a degree in political science with minors in both Women’s Studies and Peace Studies. Anne did her summer internship with the Minneapolis Domestic Abuse Project in 2000, which provided aid to victims of domestic violence.  In 2001, the year of her graduation, she won the Women’s Studies Achievement Award.  After graduation Anne and her future husband Mark Laken, traveled extensively throughout Europe and moved to Colorado where they lived the remainder of their lives together.  Anne worked as a restorative justice coordinator for Partners of Weld County, which provided juvenile offenders with an alternative to the court system through mediation.  The project was very successful and was eventually moved to the District Attorney’s Office of Weld County.  Anne moved on to oversee the Foothills Unitarian Church middle school and high school youth programs for several years.  Anne's work helping others truly defined her life and her spirit will live on in all those who had the good fortune to know her. 

In remembrance of Anne, her family has established this scholarship to assist undergraduate and graduate students active in Women’s and Gender Studies at Illinois State University.

Candidate Qualifications

Each candidate for an award must be or have:

  • Be enrolled and in good standing at Illinois State University as either and undergraduate or graduate student.

  • Have completed an average of 45 semester hours and be active in the Women's and Gender Studies program.

  • Demonstrate financial need .

Application Procedure

Donations: Please help us to endow this new scholarship and to honor Anne’s memory. Checks should be made out to Illinois State University Foundation. Donors should put “Anne M. Semlak Memorial Scholarship” in the memo line of the check. Checks should be mailed to the Illinois State University Foundation, Campus Box 8000, Normal, IL 61790-8000. Online gifts can also be made through the Web.

Please direct any questions or concerns to
Women's and Gender Studies Program
Illinois State University
Campus Box 4260
Normal, IL 61790-4260
Phone: (309) 438-2947
Fax: (309) 438-5104
E-mail: