Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Wilmington, N.C. - Sister Isaac Koenig, S.U. will be recognized as an Albert Schweitzer Honors Scholar on Thursday, Nov. 9. This award is given annually by the UNCW Honors Scholars Program and Randall Library to a person from the Cape Fear area who exemplifies the attributes or interests of Albert Schweitzer. Each scholar delivers a lecture to the freshman honors seminar and is recognized for his or her contributions to the region at the annual program and reception.

The Albert Schweitzer International Prizes were awarded annually from 1973 to 1993 at UNCW to recognize individuals who had contributed significantly in music, medicine, or humanities - areas that exemplify the interests and contributions of Schweitzer. Each scholar is chosen by students and faculty in the Honors Program based on his or her contributions in one of these areas.

Sister Isaac began what is now called the St. Mary's Social Outreach Program serving the needy of the Wilmington area. In 1991, inspired by St. Mary parishioners and at the urging of doctors within the parish, Sister Isaac began the St. Mary Outreach Clinic, now the Tileston Clinic, one of the area's largest, self supporting, non-profit health clinics serving the working poor.

Sister Isaac was also instrumental in the development and construction of the Hadden Hall Apartments, HUD sponsored housing for low income senior citizens as well as Mother Hubbard's Cupboard, a facility now housed in Grace Methodist Church that provides food for thousands of individuals and families.

Isaac has served the community on the Board of Good Shepherd soup kitchen in the early years of its development and has been recognized for her work with many awards including the North Carolina Human Relations Award.

Today, the St. Mary Social Outreach has 150 volunteers who are actively involved in serving the poor by handing out food or cleaning and folding donated clothes. Within the past 2 years, Issac developed a program for diabetics that provides with assistance with dietary needs, and she organizes volunteers who make sandwiches for patients at the Tileston clinic while they are waiting for appointments.

Past recipients of the Albert Schweitzer Honors Scholar Award include Susan Dankel, Margaret Weller-Stargell, Kenneth White and Gerald Shinn.

More information on the Albert Schweitzer Honors Scholars can be found at www.uncw.edu/honors/schweitzer.htm

Note: Media are invited to attend the award ceremony at 12:30 p.m. in King Hall Auditorium. Public is not invited because of space issues.

Media Contact: Bo Dean
Program Coordinator, The Honors Scholars Program
910.962.4181
deanb@uncw.edu