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When she begins working towards a master’s in library science this fall, Lucile Smith ’03 (Neptune, N.J.) won’t to worry about the high price of education.
Smith, who graduated magna cum laude with honors in art and French last month, will be a graduate assistant at the College of Library and Information Science at University of Maryland. By serving an assistantship with the university’s art and architecture libraries, she will receive free tuition and a $15,000 stipend.
“I love working in libraries with books and rare materials,” says Smith, a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Pi Delta Phi (French) academic honor societies and recipient of Lafayette’s James Alexander Petrie Prize in French. “I worked in special collections at Lafayette with Diane Shaw [special collections librarian]. This positive experience really helped me determine the field I wanted to pursue.”
Smith was introduced to the intricacies of special collections through Lafayette’s EXCEL Scholars program. By helping catalog student scrapbooks circa 1878-1918, she learned a great deal about the college culture of the era and the archival process. In EXCEL, students work closely with faculty on research while earning a stipend. Many of the more than 160 students who participate each year go on to publish papers in scholarly journals and/or present their research at conferences.
Smith also collaborated with Robert Weiner, Thomas Roy and Lura Forrest Jones Professor of History, to translate newsletter articles published by and for the Jewish community of Dijon, France. She wrote an honors thesis in French as part of a year-long exploration of the historical, social, and political events that sparked the use of caricature during the French Revolutionary period. She worked under the guidance of Robert Mattison, Marshall R. Metzgar Professor of Art, and George Rosa, associate professor of foreign languages and literatures, earning honors in both subjects.
“What struck me about the Lafayette professors is their enthusiasm,” says Smith. “It really shines through in whatever they are teaching. They were always very supportive and encouraged me to do my best.”
A Marquis Scholar, Smith was a member of French Club, Riding Club, and Pep Band at Lafayette. Chosen from among Lafayette’s most promising applicants, Marquis Scholars receive special financial aid and distinctive educational experiences and benefits, including a three-week study-abroad course during January’s interim session between regular semesters. Marquis Scholars also participate in cultural activities in major cities and on campus, and mentoring programs with faculty.