Alumnae thank supporters for making college experiences memorable
University of Toledo students are grateful. Their gratitude extends to UToledo for the opportunities it offers to create strong bonds, to give back to the community, and to learn and discover new passions.
They also are thankful for the students who came before them, the alumni who support University of Toledo Alumni Association scholarships, among many others.
Three Class of 2020 alumnae are riding the waves of their college experiences and preparing to go the extra distance to earn advanced degrees. Graduating debt-free, having time to study for the LSAT and eliminating the worry of how to pay for tuition: That’s how Jacqueline Shook, Alyson Waite and Diala Abou-Dahech used the Alumni Association scholarships they received.
In this June issue, we feature Jaqueline Shook, who received the UToledo Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship. Waite and Abou-Dahech will be featured in the upcoming July and August issues, respectively.
Jacqueline Shook (NSM ’20), a lifelong Toledoan, says her UToledo experience is “indescribable.” She frequently punctuates her enthusiasm with shout-outs, including one to Old Orchard, where she grew up.
Jacqueline Shook currently works at VCA Holly Farms as a veterinarian assistant.
She credits many she has met with influencing her life as she knows it. “I wouldn’t be the person I know and love today,” says Shook. “I am so thankful for everyone who has impacted my journey through college, whether it was my advisors, professors, colleagues, friends or anyone I have met along the way.”
Shook studied biology with an organismal and ecology focus for pre-veterinarian medicine, with minors in chemistry and sustainability. One of her faculty collaborators is Dr. Todd Crail, with whom she did research on carbon removal treatments in the Southview Oak Savanna in Sylvania. “Dr. Crail has done amazing restoration work, and he is one of my favorite professors,” says Shook.
Shook also worked in Dr. Henry Streby’s ornithology lab. “I fell in love with birds during his avian ecology lab; every student should take this course. It is so much fun,” says Shook.
Shook, who will head to veterinarian school this fall, currently lives in Dundee, Mich. Among the many organizations that have benefited from her volunteerism are Feed My Starving Children, Relay for Life, the Make a Wish Foundation and the Toledo Area Humane Society. “I have participated in every BIG Event on campus — one of my favorite days of the year,” she adds.
Many of Shook’s friendships developed in her Chi Omega Xi Delta sorority house, where she was able to live with the help of her scholarship funds. “Without the scholarship, I would have had to move back home,” she says. “It allowed me to create so many memories with the people I cherish the most. I was able to further grow as a woman and understand the richness of our sorority’s rituals more deeply by living in our chapter house,” she adds.
Shook understands the importance of Rockets pulling for other Rockets. Her father, David Shook (Law ’87,’90), has been her cheerleader throughout her undergraduate education. “I would like to specifically thank my dad and John and Mary Adams who have always lent an ear, shown me unconditional support and have helped me through my journey,” she says.
She also sees that same Rocket generosity in the alumni who financially support UToledo students. “I am so excited to be an alumna of one of the most diverse, supportive networks there is,” says Shook. “Thank you to all of the donors who supported me and gave me a chance at one of the best college experiences I could have ever had.”