ThuyMi Phung ’23National nonprofit Marketing EDGE has announced that business and sociology double major ThuyMi Phung ’23 has been awarded a Lee Epstein Scholarship for her leadership skills and accomplishments. Phung, who is a historian for the Asian Students Association, is the first Southwestern University student to earn the prize.

“I am extremely grateful and honored to have been awarded this scholarship,” Phung says. “This scholarship means a lot, especially during this weird, difficult situation we have been in this past year. I feel that it shows how much I have grown from my studies and experiences since I came to Southwestern.”

Like its other funding programs, Marketing EDGE’s Lee Epstein Scholarship is intended to ease the financial burden of college tuition, textbook fees, test fees, and other expenses so that students can focus their energies on their academic studies. “I will be using this scholarship specifically to lessen the tuition fees that my family has been covering for me,” Phung shares. “With less financial stress, I plan to dedicate my time to my studies at Southwestern as I pursue a possible career in health administration and participate more in Marketing EDGE’s programs in the future.”

Marketing EDGE is a national nonprofit dedicated to the professional development of future marketing leaders by connecting students, scholars, and industry professionals to networking contacts and career resources through conferences, events, and publications. Lee Epstein, for which Phung’s scholarship was named, was the president and founder of MAILMEN Inc. and founder of the nonprofit Direct Marketers Gateway, Inc. In 2005, the latter organization aligned with Marketing EDGE, and the Lee Epstein Fund was created to continue Epstein’s commitment to students and their educational needs.

Phung was first introduced to Marketing EDGE’s summer programs, including their 2020 online series, by Associate Professor of Business Debika Sihi. “I am grateful to all my professors as they helped me a lot in my studies at Southwestern, but I would like to give a shout-out to Dr. Sihi,” she says. “I would not have learned of the opportunities and experiences provided by Marketing EDGE if it were not for her care and consideration towards students.”