McCormack Scholars, Class of 2010
Anneka Preston
Elizabeth J. McCormack Scholar, Class of 2010
Hometown: Hailey, ID
High School: Wood River High School
Major: International Environmental and Cultural Affairs
Minor: Political Science
Possible Career: International Law
Anneka attended high school in the beautiful Wood River Valley of Idaho. In addition to a challenging academic program including AP history and government, she was a member of the National Honor Society, Amnesty International, the swim team and the Venture Scout Troop. She was also active in the Blaine County Teen Advisory Council, volunteered for the American Red Cross, and worked at the Adaptive Sports Training Summer Camp for youth with physical and mental disabilities. These efforts were recognized when she was nominated Blaine County Youth Citizen of the Year. She pursued her love of music as a vocalist in the Wood River Jazz Choir, the Concert Choir, and the Summer Symphony Music Conservatory. She was a speaker at the Governor's Roundtable, addressing the drug abuse problems facing resort communities. She also represented the State of Idaho at forums on female health issues.
At Manhattanville, Anneka has continued to pursue her interest in government and environmental and women's issues. Anneka was vice-president of Manhattanville's environmental club, ACT(Achieving Conservation Together), where she worked with students, staff, and faculty to implement a recycling program in conjunction with the local government and non-profit groups. She also worked on other initiatives that promoted positive environmental ethics and policy. She was an active member of the Duchesne Center's Global Citizenship Program, volunteering as a English educator for Women for Afghan Women, and a mentor for middle school aged girls with GIOLAI. She was Manhattanville’s student representative at the weekly forums of the United Nations Department of Information Non-Governmental Organization (UN DPI/NGO). Anneka was also a founding member of Coalition Against Violence of Women (COVAW), a Manhattanville student-led organization through she presented portions of her thesis on campus and at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women.
Anneka wrote her thesis on The Globalization of Women’s Empowerment Development Models. Anneka was also a staff writer for Manhattanville's first official newspaper, The Touchstone and was voted Damman Hall’s Resident of the Year for 2007-2008 and 2009-2010. Anneka was also on the Dean’s list for the all her semester’s while at Manhattanville and won Senior Portfolio Award. Anneka was in the Castle Scholar’s Honors Program at Manhattanville as well as the recipient of the Duchesne Center Living the Mission Award for her involvement with the Duchesne Center. She also received distinction and honors for her self-designed major International Environmental and Cultural Affairs.
During the summer of 2008, Anneka used her McCormack fund to participate in the Village Education Project (VEP) in Ecuador teaching indigenous students in small villages outside of Otavalo. (www.villageeducationproject.org). She spent her junior year traveling the world with the International Honors Program, "Rethinking Globalization" spending two months each studying and traveling in Tanzania, India, New Zealand and Mexico (http://www.ihp.edu/page/rethinking_globalization/). During her senior year Anneke traveled to Florence, Italy with Manhattanville’s Art History Department, studying Etruscan and High Renaissance Art.
After graduation Anneka joined the staff of the American University of Cairo in their North American New York City Office as an Admissions Counselor. She was sent to Cairo to attend the American University in Cairo’s Arabic Language Institute where she studied Egyptian Colloquial and Modern Standard Arabic. As an admissions counselor and recruiter she had a great time traveling throughout the United States meeting with universities and high schools, teachers, professors, students, parents, and staff. After one year she was offered the position of Investment Analyst which she has found to be both interesting and challenging. She is excited to be learning so much about an entirely new field which will give her a strong background in finance in a non-profit organization.
Lindley Hickox
Elizabeth J. McCormack Scholar, Class of 2010
Hometown: Islands in the Pacific
High School: Sacred Heart Academy, Honolulu, HI
Intended Major: Sociology/International Studies
Possible Career: Environmental, Non-Profit Management
Lindley was born in Loma Linda, CA and lived in Japan for eight years while her father served in the U.S. Military. Every summer, she visited her mother’s hometown in the Republic of Palau, an island located Southwest of Guam. Her family moved to Hawaii in the middle of her freshman year of high school. She became Chair of the Student/Faculty Assembly, a committee that made policy decisions at her school and was also an officer in several clubs. She was also a member of the Volleyball and the Sailing Teams. She worked as a tour guide at the Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park, volunteered at the Kijimuna Children's Theater Festival, and served as a Translator and Receptionist at Waikiki Beach Services.
Lindley has always been interested in other cultures and the interconnection that exists between all societies and worlds of people and places: also how the change in such fragile connection’s impacts a community in all its forms. During the summer following her freshman year, Lindley used her McCormack fund to return to Japan and Palau. The changes since her last visit helped her understand issues that exist in both countries that she had never grasped before. While in Okinawa she helped one of her former Japanese tutors teach English to elementary students and helped another former tutor manage a third grade Japanese class. She also spent time in mainland Japan touring Tokyo and Kyoto, recognizing the ability of Japan to preserve historic places near some marvelous modern buildings. In Palau, she visited her relatives and worked with marine wildlife conservation programs on turtle and Dungong conservation.
Lindley took part in Manhattanville’s City Semester during her sophomore year and spent her junior year on the International Honors Program, Rethinking Globalization, traveling and studying in Tanzania, India, New Zealand and Mexico. When she returned to Manhattanville for her senior year she was involved in many college community activities. She graduated with a concentration in Globalization Studies within the International Studies major. After graduation, Lindley moved to Queens, NY, working first as a server before joining Triumvirate Environment as an Environmental Specialist working with clients to implement innovative and sustainable environmental programs.
