Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation Announces Charlie & Chris Senseney Scholarship

At Convention 2022, Phi Sigma Sigma announced the creation of the Charlie and Chris Senseney Scholarship, established in honor of Charlie and Chris Senseney. This scholarship will be awarded to sisters who are aiming towards a career in public service including law, government service or criminal justice – fields that were close to both Chris and Charlie’s hearts. This award will be available to both undergraduate and graduate students.

“Chris and Charlie have been long-time supporters of Phi Sigma Sigma and the Foundation. We are honored to commemorate their legacy through the establishment of this new scholarship,” said Vanessa Freeman Zerhusen, Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation President. “We hope this award will provide the needed financial support to sisters in need who serve their community and live our values on a daily basis. There is no greater gift we can give our sisters than the support of our sisterhood.”

“Phi Sigma Sigma has been an important part of my life for over 50 years and my late husband, Charlie, was a great supporter of Phi Sigma Sigma. He would be honored to receive this recognition and continue to support the next generation of Phi Sigma Sigma sisters,” said Chris Senseney. “I hope the recipients of this award share the same passion for criminal justice that Charlie and I both shared and recognize the many ways Phi Sigma Sigma has impacted their life.”

Chris Senseney was a founder of the Gamma Delta Chapter of Phi Sigma Sigma at Rutgers University – Camden in 1971, and a 1978 graduate of Rutgers Law School. Over the years, Chris has given back to Phi Sigma Sigma in numerous roles including serving as Grand Archon from 1996-1998. She continues to serve as a past Grand Archon and a member of the 2022 Bylaws Committee.

Charles (Charlie) Clinton Senseney, late husband of Past Grand Archon Chris Senseney, was a graduate of Westminster (MD) High School and served four years in the United States Navy from 1951 to 1954. In 1955, he entered the Maryland State Police Academy and spent four years as a state trooper. Charlie later studied photography for two years at San Diego State College, then worked as a photographer before becoming sheriff of Howard County, Maryland, from 1970 to 1974. Eventually, Charlie became the Rangemaster and Principal Firearms Instructor at the Burlington County (NJ) Police Academy, where he served for ten years before retiring. During that time, Charlie met Chris, and in 1984, he began a new career as a “house husband” after marrying Chris, who had become an FBI agent. Together they moved around the country, with assignments in Buffalo, NY; Monterey, CA; New York City and finally Las Vegas, Nevada. When Chris retired in 2003, they remained in Las Vegas. Charlie passed away peacefully at home in Las Vegas, Nevada, on January 28, 2021, at the age of 89.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation is able to give thousands of dollars’ worth of scholarship and grant money to collegians and alumnae each year. In support of our Founders' mission "the advancement of womanhood," these funds enable sisters to achieve excellence, impact their communities and change the world.

ABOUT THE PHI SIGMA SIGMA FOUNDATION

The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation is proud to fund leadership programming, offer scholarships and educational grants, and provide resources for philanthropic and service-oriented events directly benefitting our collegiate and alumnae sisters, as well as the world around us. The Phi Sigma Sigma Foundation’s philanthropic cause is School and College Readiness. Our members support their local Title I school partners through a variety of initiatives designed to meet the specific needs of each community. From equipping students with the necessary tools to succeed through school supply drives and backpack and pencil builds, to supporting enriching extracurricular activities as volunteers and planning innovative leader programming, our members continue to foster the next generation of leaders. Learn more at onephisigmasigma.org/foundation.