Portland State Magazine Winter 2008

Her mother would be proud ON THE SURFACE , sophomore Molly Conroy seems a rypical pre-med student: smart, self-possessed, focused. If you didn't ask her, you might never know she's also exceptionally resilient. She's had to be. Her mother, a PSU alumna, died unexpectedly when Conroy was five years old-a turn of events that tested her emotionally, socially, and finan– cially throughout her life. Conroy was undaunted, yet each time she reached a milestone in her childhood, she won– dered what it would have been like to share the experience with her mother. Now she has something to keep that connection alive as the recipient of the 2007 Jane Wiener Memorial Alumni Scholarship. Given by the PSU Alumni Association to children of alumni who lack the financial resources to attend Portland State, the scholarship covers tuition and fees for up to 15 terms. This milestone was, in a way, shared by Conroy and her mother. Conroy earned 20 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE WINTER 2008 the scholarship, awarded once every four years, but her mother's 1990 graduation from PSU made it possible for her to apply. To cover other expenses and gain experience in health care, Conroy works three jobs: resident assistant at The Broadway building, certified nursing assistant at OHSU, and PSU Student Ambassador. Student Ambassadors give campus tours and serve as representa– tives of the student population at official functions . Conroy was one of 13 chosen from a pool of almost 90 applicants. Conroy is motivated by what she thinks her mother would have liked to do, such as travel. That drew her to become the youngest person in the Insti– tute on Aging's Nicaragua Service Learn– ing Program in August. The two-week project took PSU students to Central America, where they held a health fair for the elderly. Alan DeLaTorre, Ph.D. candidate and student leader for the program, says Conroy, who had worked in a retirement communiry her freshman year, helped the project planning team-researchers to the core-understand the practical needs of the elderly. "As we were developing the day-to– day program," DelaTorre says, "Molly pointed out how important touch is for older people." As a result, the health fair included foot and hand massages for older Nicaraguans, with Conroy rolling up her sleeves to help. Conroy can't really explain what motivates her, but she thinks she may have inherited one of her mom's person– aliry traits, illustrated by a story her aunt told her about their elementary school days. As her aunt remembers the story, Conroy's mother once tackled the "cool" kid in school because the kid had dared make fun of the aunt. "My mom had spunk," says Conroy, proudly. So, too, does her daughter.