Kirsten Callaway of Germantown Hills awarded a University of Illinois Springfield scholarship

Kirsten Callaway, a resident of Germantown Hills, and medical laboratory science major at the University of Illinois Springfield, has been awarded the Central Illinois Community Blood Center Scholarship for the 2019-2020 academic year.

Callaway said she chose a degree in laboratory science because it combines her interest of learning the complexities of the human body, the biology of bacteria and the chemistry behind life.

“I believe I can research solutions to the many issues in the field of medicine that cost people their lives,” she said.

After graduation, Callaway said she plans to pursue a graduate degree and eventually a Ph.D. “Ultimately I would like to perform medical research,” said Callaway. “I believe there is a major lack of quality diagnostic testing for many diseases and cancers, as evidenced by the many diseases which can only be detected in the late stages.”

The Central Illinois Blood Center Scholarship is awarded to a deserving junior or senior student enrolled full time in the medical laboratory science program at UIS. The scholarship is designed to encourage qualified students to pursue careers as blood banking and transfusion medicine technologists.

For more information on scholarships, contact the UIS Office of Financial Assistance at 217/206-6724 or finaid@uis.edu. For a full list of scholarship opportunities visit uis.edu/financialaid/scholarships.