Unity Foundation of La Porte County is supporting the goal of promoting educational attainment by awarding scholarships to more than 140 area students in the amount of $184,135.
This amount is a record $29,500 higher than the 2015 total.
Recipients were honored - along with donors of the scholarship funds - during a celebration event at Heston Hills. Sponsorship assistance was provided by NIPSCO, The La Porte Savings Bank and Community Dynamics.
The above total includes $15,135 awarded earlier to 18 students through four additional scholarships held by Unity. These students are selected by La Porte High School and were recognized at their honors night. The total also encompasses the Kelly-Prentiss Scholarship, which supports a third year medical student from La Porte County.
In addition, two recipients of the Agricultural Scholarship will be announced at the La Porte County Row Crop Ag Tour & Barbeque in August.
Two full-tuition Lilly Community Endowment Scholarship winners were celebrated at the Unity reception: Rodrigo Serrano, a graduate of Michigan City High School, and Madeline Watterson, a graduate of La Porte High School. They further receive $900 book stipends each year.
“Through the generosity of our many scholarship donors - including a large legacy gift to our County-Wide Scholarship - Unity Foundation was pleased to provide even more students with tuition support this year,” Vice President Sandy Gleim said.
“But while our selection committee strives to spread the money as far as possible, unfortunately we still aren’t able to support every deserving student who applies,” she added. “Donations made to funds such as Unity’s County-Wide Scholarship can help us reach even more deserving students next year.”
Persons who would like to contribute to any of the scholarship funds - or create their own legacy - may contact Unity Foundation at 219-879-0327 or 1-888-898-6489. Checks may be mailed to PO Box 527, Michigan City, 46361. Or donations may be made by credit card at uflc.net/funds/contribute-online/.
The full list of 2016 Unity Foundation scholarship winners includes:
Judith A. Amor Nursing Scholarship - Gabrielle Sexton
Diane K. Bamberth Memorial Award - Taylor Jump, Matthew Wilmsen
Gustav J. & Elma A. Banzhaf Memorial Scholarship - Ashley Campos, Moriah Carmel, Lisa Fischer, Alayna Holifield, Zach Rehlander, Maura Romstadt, Kenzie Williams, Rileigh Yettaw
Bensz Family Scholarship - Courtney Fitts, Jewel Meer, Abigail Schoonaert, Sierra Urback
Lloyd G. & Betty Jane Clayton Scholarship - Gabriela Mazur, Megan Noe
William Vernon Compton Scholarship - Brogan Briggs
Cunningham Scholarship - Lucas Daurer, Dayna Pedzinski
Anne H. Daley Youth Service Bureau Scholarship - Sierra Urback
Ernest & Mildred Delco Scholarship - Brandon Ames, Parker Buell
Carley Dickard Memorial Scholarship - Kristen Gushrowski, Bailey Severs
La Porte County E-Z Riders Horse & Pony Scholarship - Sarah Koontz
Dr. & Mrs. Carl N. Fischer Scholarship - Addison Boardman, Olivia Cannon
Galena Township Scholarship - Hannah Eikelberg, Lexis Williams
James A. and Phyllis A. Garwood Memorial Music Scholarship - Matthew Steck
Robert J. Hiler Memorial Scholarship - Dayna Bounprasay, Ana Garcia Huerta, Taylor Kincaid, Katie Marquardt, Lauren McQuarters, Emma Patterson, Paige Pope, Alyssa Schoof, Marisa Schutz, Leanna Smith, Jessica Wallen
Ruth M. Howe Nursing Scholarship - Elizabeth Gesse
Ingersoll Trust Scholarship - Alyson Love, Alexandria Moran, Megan Riley, Savannah Vaughn
Dr. King S. Jones Memorial Scholarship - Haley Gesse, Stephanie Lee
Arthur & Alice Kabelin Scholarship - Emily Barsic, Jessica Dove, Olivia Jongkind, Jessica Parker, Stephanie Peo, Erin Sims
Kabelin Family Scholarship - Callan Heidkamp, Kate Ulmer
K.A.T. Volunteer Scholarship - Brooke Baima
Robert E. LeRoy Scholarship - Caroline Boger, Emily Osborn, Michael Varda
Marilouise Lundgren Lossing Memorial Scholarship - Erin Clark, Alyssa DeWitt, Jenna Kalsow, Jackson Kubaszyk, Jaclyn Lewis, Bree Morgan, Meaghan Murphy
Jack Lubeznik Scholarship - Patrick McDonnell
Terence Metcalf Memorial Scholarship - Blake Werner
Dr. Edwin C. & Alice J. Mueller Scholarship - Melissa Coffeen
La Porte County Nursing Scholarship - Paige Cuma, Rebecca Ehrick, Elizabeth Gesse, Deneza Jadol, Annabelle Papai, Shaina Perry, Kaitlin Thomas, Kyleigh Werner
Pioneer Scholarship - Madison Barber, Stephen Garner, Mitchell Newport, Sierra Urback, Raven Wood, Amber Yussum
Robert A. & Dorothy W. Rocke Scholarship - Caitlin Anderson, Matthew Bartels, Nicholas Blank, Ashley DeWitt, Marie Didion, Hannah Jongkind, Hailey Parr, Nicholas Tobar, Adam Tschida, Michael Varda
Donald F. Scott Motivational Scholarship - Zachary Biggs, Dante Cardenas, Kieri Everett, Megan Methner, Araya Stahoviak, Kristen Thomas, Amanda Yadavia, Emily Yussum
Floyd O. & Betty L. Shunk Scholarship - Taylor Baima, Matthew Bartels, Kayla Dunbar, Amber Haack, Whitney Hart, Carter Huber, Joseph MacLennan, Gabriela Mazur, Izabela Mazur, Joseph Tomal
Edward B. Siperek & Grace A. Steele Siperek Scholarship - Natalie Riley, Liam Roder, Payton Stevens
Irvin E. Swanson Scholarship - Christine Ake, Amie Decker, Julia Jongkind, Joseph MacLennan
Tanber-Blair Golf Scholarship - Zoe Bales, Zachary Brown, Wyatt Dittmar, Allyson Gary
John R. & Florene A. Troyer Scholarship - Jessica Reason
Unity Foundation County-Wide Scholarship - Camille Allison, Emily Ames, Abigail Bildhauser, Abigail Gibbs, Megan Gillen, Brianna Hill, Savannah Jackson, Kylie Kaiser, Emily Murray, Heather Neely, Sage Santana, Erik Stevenson, Aaron Vaughn, Cortney Watson
D.I. Walker Scholarship - Nicholas Willoughby
Arlo & Jayne Westphal Memorial Scholarship - Sara McMahon
Kelly-Prentiss Scholarship - Yana Alekseeva
Harold and Rowena Hargrave Scholarship - Jessica Osowski
Harry L. Kelling Memorial Scholarship - Alyssa DeWitt, Ashley DeWitt, Emily Osborn, Charles Salary, Kayla Wurster
Redington & Rootes Scholarship - Whitney Hart, Marinda Landry, Morgan Livinghouse, Bree Morgan, Jessica Osowski, Nicholas Tobar, Adam Tschida, Aaron Vaughn, Brielle Warnock, Marie Werner, Emily Wykoff
Ida M. Reffett Debate Scholarship - Madeline Watterson