Boise State alumna Ally Orr is known for her contributions to the Women in STEM, Medicine and Law scholarship — her way of taking action after Boise State professor Scott Yenor stated that women did not have a place in the fields of science, law, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Since then, Orr has raised over half a million dollars for the scholarship and has recently been inducted into the Chaffee Guild, which honors donors who have given $100,000 or more to Boise State University. Orr is also the youngest person to ever be inducted into the Chaffee Guild.
After making the most of her time at Boise State, Orr discussed what the journey has been like to get here and her plans for the future.
“When I got this invite to be part of the Chaffee Guild and to be inducted — I had no idea that the Chaffee Guild existed,” Orr said. “When I saw the invite it took me back to creating the scholarship, most of the funds were raised in December of 2021 and then through May of 2022 and I thought about how difficult that was to do. Especially with legislation now and different opinions now that exist — [it] helps me remember why I did the things I did and why I would do it again at the same time.”
Orr shared that she is disappointed with the lack of support there still is for women in STEM, law and medicine. However, she believes that women are resilient.
“I feel surprised based on where we’re currently at, and it’s disappointing,” Orr said. “But I also know that women don’t give up and that women have not stopped following their dreams, pursuing their passions and that’s what gets me really excited, that every single year 4-8 students receive this scholarship, plus all the other scholarships that exist for women at Boise State.”
Orr said that just last week while thrift shopping she stumbled upon a Boise State yearbook from 1947, featuring an all-male engineering club.
“I thought, wow, we have not shifted as much as I thought we would. Because my girlfriends, who are in the School of Engineering, they also say that they’re still the only women in those classes,” Orr said. “I hope that the scholarship can continue to encourage women to be there — both financially and emotionally.”
One of Orr’s main goals with the scholarship was to make it attainable for students.
“When I wrote the scholarship, I just wanted women in places where they weren’t well represented or didn’t feel comfortable or safe or wanted, and so the stipulations that I wrote with the scholarship are not that extreme,” Orr said. “I want to be very accessible to students. I didn’t put a crazy GPA on it. It’s very open to different degrees, and I think that is one of the most beautiful parts of the scholarship.”
Thinking back to the night of the Chaffee Guild event, Orr admitted she was nervous and concerned about “proving herself”. While freshening up her lipstick, Orr met a woman who asked her if Orr’s parents were being inducted that night..
“She wasn’t trying to be rude by any means, but it was the fact that I was like: this is what women feel like in spaces [like] in STEM, in medicine, in law … You have to advocate for yourself — nothing’s been said, but the assumption is already there.”
Orr received a series of high fives from fellow attendees after her biography was read and she joined Tromp to receive her medal.
“Everyone was so respectful and thankful at the end of it, but yeah, walking in was terrifying, because I knew I was going to be misunderstood, and that’s just like the definition of women in places where we are not represented completely,” Orr said.
In the future, Orr hopes to meet with donors to create more intimate relationships and truly thank them for their contributions. She also shared that she would like to speak with recipients of the scholarship and hear their stories.
