Kristi Yazvac
Kristi Cosette Yazvac of Boardman, Ohio, has been awarded the prestigious $5,000 Walter and Adelheid Hohenstein Phi Kappa Phi Fellowship to pursue a master’s degree in Economics at Youngstown State University.
Yazvac, who earned a bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics from YSU in May, was awarded the fellowship as the top candidate from the 10-state North Central Region.
A Leslie H. Cochran University Scholar at YSU, Yazvac served as president of the Ballroom Dance Club at YSU, a member of the Dana Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, a tutor for Chemistry, Mathematics, Piano, Music Literature and Economics classes, a student administrative assistant for the YSU Center for Student Progress, a member of the Scholar Advisory Board and the College in High School Advisory Board and a STEM Student Government representative. She earned induction into several national honorary societies and volunteered as a musician for a number of local groups.
This summer, Yazvac is participating in the Forum-Nexus Program, which involves extensive travel in Europe. She also was selected for a prestigious Department of Homeland Security Summer Internship. She is a 2011 graduate of Boardman High School.
Yazvac, who is Student Vice President for Chapter 143 of Phi Kappa Phi at YSU, is the 11th Chapter 143 Phi Kappa Phi fellowship awardee, but the first to receive a named fellowship.
Founded in 1897, Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Phi Kappa Phi inducts approximately 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni annually. The Society has chapters on more than 300 select colleges and universities in North America and the Philippines. Membership is by invitation only to the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students and 7.5 percent of juniors. Faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction also qualify.