Math Major, Dance Team Member Credits Scholarships for Bringing Her to St. Thomas

St. Thomas was a dream college for Jade Whaley; her family couldn’t afford the expense. Still, Whaley didn’t let go of her dream. “My dad was not going to let me come here, but I thought, ‘If this is for me, he’ll let me go.’” When she received the Madden Family Chicago Endowed Scholarship, she said she knew, “God had my back.”

Jade Waley '22

Whaley challenges herself mentally, physically and spiritually at St. Thomas. Having attended a small Catholic high school in a Chicago suburb, Whaley finds St. Thomas just the right size to expand her world but get close attention from faculty when learning pushes her comfort zone. “We had to write essays in math!” Whaley said, her eyes widening. A math major and statistics minor, Whaley aspires to teach her favorite subject in middle school – algebra.

At St. Thomas, she’s found a rich community for exploring her faith as a member of the Supper Club, a Christian student club. But the icing on the cake for Whaley has been joining St. Thomas’ 11-time national champion dance team. A competitive dancer in high school, she hopes to open her own dance studio someday.

Whether it’s through teaching kids equations or dance combinations, or contributing to her community, she says she believes in paying it forward.

Whaley received the Madden Family Chicago Endowed Scholarship and the Rebecca A. Delahanty Endowed Scholarship. Applications deadlines for 2019-2020 scholarships is Jan. 3, 2019. For more information, go to  stthomas.edu/financialaid/undergraduate/typesofaid/scholarships/stthomasscholarships.