DeKalb | Freshmen biology major Daphne Voorhis has been selected as the Supportive Professional Staff Council scholarship recipient for the 2016-17 academic year.

The scholarship awards $1,000 to a full-time, degree-seeking NIU student who is a child or grandchild of a current or deceased NIU supportive professional staff member, according to the Supportive Professional Staff Council website.

Daphne Voorhis’ parents both work at NIU. Her father, Phil Voorhis, is the head athletic trainer and has worked at NIU for 27 years. Her mother, Jana Voorhis, works in intercollegiate athletics as a massage therapist for student athletes.

“When I was younger, and whenever I was on campus, I was in the athletic room a lot and would play around with my little sister and all of my dad’s graduated students would hang out with us,” Daphne Voorhis said.

She said she believes she was a good pick for the scholarship because she embodies what NIU stands for as a community. Also, she is proud to attend NIU because it opened up different opportunities for her.

“I was very surprised to have received the scholarship because I didn’t think it was actually going to happen so I will use the money towards housing for the next school year,” Daphne Voorhis said.

The Supportive Professional Staff Council recognized the freshman for her achievements, which include being apart of the University Honors Program, Honors House, Research Rookies and minoring in math and chemistry.

Daphne Voorhis said she chose biology as her major because she wants to go into cancer research.

“I saw a family struggle with cancer and losing loved ones to it and I thought if I could help anyone not feel the way I had or they had, then it would mean something,” she said.

Daphne Voorhis also works in a campus lab with Linda Yasui, associate professor of biological sciences, to focus on measuring autophagy flux in glioblastoma by using autophagy as a potential cell death mechanism.

She said she has been using confocal laser scanning microscopy and imaging two different cell lines to see if they react and die or not.

“One goal of mine is to graduate from NIU and to be accepted into a Ph.D program,” Daphne Voorhis said.

The Supportive Professional Staff Council is launching a call for donations so they are able to award the scholarship each year. To donate, go to bit.ly/1WsBXYl.