Ashley Juavinett ’11 and Meredith Castor ’10 Named Finalists for Marshall Scholarships

Ashley Juavinett ’11

Ashley Juavinett ’11 (Blackwood, N.J.) and Meredith Castor ’10 have been selected as finalists in the 2011 Marshall Scholarship competition.

Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom. Up to 40 scholars are selected each year to study at the graduate level at a U.K. institution in any field of study. Each scholarship lasts for two years. Castor and Juavinett are scheduled to be interviewed by a regional Marshall selection panel this month.

Meredith Castor '10

Juavinett is a neuroscience major and former Student Government president. She and Amanda Pisetzner ’10 received a $10,000 Projects for Peace grant for their project to reduce recidivism among female inmates at Santa Cruz County Jail in California. They spent two months in the summer of 2009 providing educational programs and other resources to help the inmates transition from incarceration to life outside prison.

Juavinett, a Marquis Scholar, spent the spring 2010 semester studying in Italy. She is a resident adviser, a volunteer through the Landis Community Outreach Center, a member of the Society of Women Engineers, and plays club soccer. She has served as musical director for Cadence, the College’s all-female a cappella group, co-chair of the Working Group on Greek Life and Campus Community, music chair for Newman Association (Catholic organization), and is a member of the Lafayette Leadership Education Committee.

Castor, who graduated with an A.B. in history, served as an honors fellow through the Intercollegiate Studies Institute, a non-profit organization that conducts a yearlong mentoring program for 50 select students from across the country. She conducted research, edited, and proofread for Donald L. Miller, John Henry MacCracken Professor of History, on his book project on New York City in the 1920’s. She also worked as an assistant to the producer of The Bombing of Germany World War II documentary, which ran on PBS’ American Experience.

Castor spent her spring 2009 semester studying in Scotland, and worked on an independent study with Curlee Holton, Roth Professor of Art, on a series of prints by artist Faith Ringgold to benefit the children of Haiti. She was a physics tutor, was a member of the History Club, played violin in the Marquis Consort early music ensemble, and performed in College Theater productions of The Rivals, As You Like It, and The Jungle Book.