Two UNLV students have been selected to receive 1997 Nevada Regent's Scholar awards from the Board of Regents of the University and Community College System of Nevada.
Michelle Wright was chosen as the Nevada Regents' Scholar for undergraduate students at UNLV, while Sandra Phillips Johnson was selected as the Nevada Regents' Scholar for UNLV graduate students.
Formal presentation of the awards, which are given in recognition of academic achievement, will be made at commencement exercises on May 10. Each woman will receive a medal and $5,000.
Wright, an undergraduate majoring in social work with a grade point average of 3.8, has overcome enormous physical and medical problems.
In 1993, she was studying for a degree in biochemistry at UNLV. She left school after becoming legally blind as a result of diabetic retinopathy. After several operations, Wright enrolled at the Community College of Southern Nevada where she subsequently graduated with a 4.0 GPA and high honors.
In 1995, she returned to UNLV to study social work. "I had to learn just how resourceful I could be in finding ways to read books, do research, and absorb the knowledge presented in class without my vision," she said.
Wright stayed on the honor roll at UNLV despite a second major medical setback.
Wright will graduate in May with many accomplishments and awards. She received the Jean Nidetch scholarship for overcoming adversity and for academic excellence and also received the American Association of University Women scholarship for overcoming adversity. She is co-founder and member of Second Sight, a support group for vision-impaired students, and is a member of the Active Blind group and the University Association of Social Workers.
Johnson is in her final semester completing her master's degree in economics. She has a GPA of 3.96. In 1995, she graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a summa cum laude distinction.
Johnson is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma, the Phi Kappa Phi, the Omicron Delta Epsilon, and Golden Key societies. She has been active in the Graduate Student Association and has been a graduate assistant, tutor, and adjunct professor. She also is active with the Clark County Women's Democratic Club.
