Girls Republic alumna Lisa Donovan recently earned the prestigious Literary Arts Fellowship at Brown University. The much sought-after Fellowship is a two year masters degree program; all expenses are paid by the University.

Her journey to Brown University was not without the kind of epic struggle worthy of Odysseus. She endured distressing circumstances as a child, resulting in foster care placement. While at Girls Republic, Lisa graduated from high school and attended a community college, maintaining a highly disciplined work and school schedule. Undergraduate studies brought her to the University of New Orleans. She escaped Hurricane Katrina’s flood water's with a 40-mile, 8-day hike inland. By necessity, Lisa transferred her work to Iowa University and completed the requirements for a degree in English.

Lisa Donovan

Interestingly, Ms. Donovan's acceptance into the Brown University Literary Arts Fellowship was not based on her stellar undergraduate grades (4.07 on a 4.0 GPA scale at Iowa U.), but rather solely upon her equally luminous portfolio of writings. She plans to go on for a doctoral degree and hopes to teach literature in an arts college.

For her life and career accomplishments, Ms. Donovan was recently inducted into our own pantheon of heros, earning the 2008 Alumna-of-the-Year Award.