The Elliot Society, a community service-based UA honor society, is accepting applications for membership until Feb. 15.
The organization is named in honor of the late Carl Elliott, a former UA SGA president who later became an Alabama congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives. The government official focused greatly on bettering educational opportunities.
The group recognizes “students, faculty and alumni who have made significant leadership contributions to the campus, community, state and nation in areas of social and cultural progress and who portray a spirit of the ideals held by Congressman Elliott,” according to the UA Honor Society website.
Bianca Taylor, the president of the Elliot Society, said the group accepts students regardless of major or grade point average.
“Our mission is to promote education within and around the community, so we want to give everyone a fair chance to volunteer and make an impact,” Taylor said. “We know in order to be a well-rounded person you have to balance community service, extracurricular activities and academics.”
Taylor said the group has big plans for the semester. The Elliot Society is participating in a statewide volunteer program called the College Goal Sunday on Feb. 24. The program provides free information and assistance to students and families who are applying for financial aid for secondary education.
“Financial advisors from Tuscaloosa, Stillman, Shelton and UA will help high school seniors in the community of Tuscaloosa, Birmingham and other areas complete their FAFSA,” Taylor said.
The advisors can complete it in about 20 minutes for free, Taylor said.
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Undre Philips, a sophomore majoring in secondary education and social sciences, joined the honor society in spring 2012.
“I decided to become a member because I wanted to find my niche with both community service and educational initiative,” Philips said.
He said the Elliot Society is the only honor society that participates in College Goal Sunday.
“We are really trying to make an impact in the Tuscaloosa city schools,” Philips. “We can be the initiators future academic excelling students.”
Dana Green, a senior majoring in human development and family studies, joined the group her sophomore year. She said she looks forward to College Goal Sunday every year.
“I love College Goal Sunday. It’s nice to know that I am helping someone else go to school like I am going to school,” Green said.
She encourages more people to join and contribute to the program.
“If we had more people in the group, we could make College Goal Sunday more known and help more people,” she said.
Anyone interested in applying for the Elliot Society can email Taylor at [email protected] for more information. Online applications for the Elliot Society are also available online at prehealth.ua.edu.
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