Warwick senior surprised with $250,000 scholarship

By Laura Knowles

It was the moment Emily Stauffer had been hoping for.

When the Warwick High School senior was called to the office March 20, she was confused. Surely the honor student wasn’t in trouble.

Then she opened the door to a small conference room, where a fuzzy green and gold creature known as a Green Terror awaited.

The Green Terror is the mascot for McDaniel College. He was joined by college admissions representatives who traveled to Lititz to present Stauffer with a full scholarship.

It was the Dorsey Scholarship, the highest academic honor at McDaniel. The award includes full tuition, room, and board for four years, valued at more than $250,000.

“This is awesome. It feels like a dream. It feels so surreal,” said Stauffer, who held her hands to her face in shock.

She then realized her parents, Joe and Theresa Stauffer, were there. Both were beaming.

The senior is set to graduate in June. She plans to major in biochemistry and eventually become a doctor. She wants to be a gastroenterologist, a career path inspired by her own struggles with digestive illness as a child.

Photos by Laura Knowles

(Left to right) Joe Stauffer, father; Emily Stauffer; Theresa Stauffer, mother; and the McDaniel College Green Terror mascot after being awarded the Dorsey Scholarship on March 20. The prestigious award, valued at more than $250,000, covers full tuition, room and board for four years.

Emily Stauffer reacts with shock as she is surprised by McDaniel College representatives at Warwick High School. The senior plans to major in biochemistry and eventually attend medical school to become a gastroenterologist.

“With my four years covered by this scholarship, that will be a huge help in being able to manage medical school later,” Stauffer said. “I know my parents are relieved, too.”

Stauffer was surprised that representatives traveled from Westminster, Maryland, to the high school to share the news in person.

“The purpose of the scholarship is to honor and celebrate outstanding and high-achieving students who will become future academic leaders and role models on McDaniel’s campus,” said Sydney Lipsman, a McDaniel College admissions counselor.

As Lipsman noted, students do not apply for the award but are chosen from the applicant pool. Stauffer is one of five incoming freshmen for the class of 2030 awarded a Dorsey Scholarship.

Stauffer was chosen for her academic success, extracurriculars, and community involvement. She is a member of the golf team and student council, is involved in various honors societies and the library committee, and participates in the Interact and UNITE clubs to support the fight against pediatric cancer. She also competes in and teaches Irish dance.

Recently, Stauffer was named Senior Division Reserve Champion at the 73rd North Museum Science and Engineering Fair at Millersville University. She also received the Regeneron Biomedical Science Award for her study on the effects of roughage in the diet, using rats for her experiment.

The Dorsey Scholars Program is supported by a $6.7 million estate gift from 1891 alumnus Philip Henry Dorsey, the largest bequest for scholarships in the college’s history.

McDaniel College was founded in 1867. It is a fouryear, independent college of the liberal arts and sciences offering more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs.

Represented by the Green Terror, McDaniel has more than 20 athletic teams that compete in the NCAA Division III Centennial Conference. The community of 1,600 undergraduates and 1,400 graduate students has access to Baltimore; Washington, D.C.; and a European campus in Budapest, Hungary.

“I’m very excited about being able to travel to Europe with the campus in Budapest,” Stauffer said. “I am so honored to be chosen for this scholarship. It means so much to me.”

Laura Knowles is a freelance feature writer and regular contributor to the pages of the Lititz Record Express. She welcomes feedback and story tips at lknowleslrc@gmail.com.

Warwick High School senior Emily Stauffer high-fives the McDaniel College Green Terror mascot during a surprise presentation. Stauffer is one of only five students in the class of 2030 to be named a Dorsey Scholar.

Photos by Laura Knowles

(From left) Katie Ridgeway, Emily Stauffer (posing with her scholarship certificate), McDaniel College admissions counselor Sydney Lipsman and Green Terror. The Dorsey Scholarship Program is supported by a $6.7 million estate gift, the largest in the college’s history.