MIDDLEBURY — Vermont Women in Higher Education (VWHE) on Dec. 21, 2015, awarded its annual scholarship to Associate Chaplain Naila Baloch at Middlebury College’s Scott Center for Spiritual and Religious Life.
The scholarship, named after Lyndon State College’s former president Carol A. Moore, recognizes women working in Vermont higher education who aspire to advance their careers. In its 11th year of supporting women in their professional endeavors, this scholarship awards up to $1,000.
In support of Baloch’s application, Middlebury College Chaplain Laurel Jordan said, “We want our students to thrive and grow, and Naila helps us create the kind of community where that can happen. She keeps up with world affairs so that she can relate to the concerns that students experience while they are studying, sometimes far from home. She is compassionate and thoughtful in her responses to crises both on and off campus.”
Upon receiving notification of the award, Baloch said, “I am honored and delighted to be offered the Carol A. Moore scholarship, and through it to be connected to a community of Vermont women who come together to support each other and dream up possibilities for a brighter, more beautiful world, where each of us has an opportunity to be our best self and offer our gifts in service to others.”
Baloch’s scholarship will be applied towards her education and training in mental health counseling through an M.S. degree at the University of Massachusetts in Boston. Baloch already holds a B.A. in astrophysics and comparative religion from Williams College, where her undergraduate research focused on quantum information theory. She also holds a master in theological studies specializing in Islamic ministry from Harvard, as well as a graduate certificate from the University of Spiritual Healing and Sufism in Pope Valley, Calif., where her focus was on counseling from a spiritual perspective.
VWHE is sponsored by the American Council on Education’s Office of Women in Higher Education, based in Washington, D.C., and has been active in the state of Vermont for over 20 years. Visit www.vwhe.org for more information.