Seventeen students from Lake and Porter counties are among more than 300 state-backed scholarship winners aimed at encouraging them to teach in Indiana.
Selected through a competitive process based on academic achievement and additional factors, the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship provides a renewable scholarship of up to $10,000 per year, up to $40,000 total.
In exchange, students agree to teach for five years at an eligible Indiana school or repay the corresponding, prorated amount of the scholarship.
“Teachers play a vital role in inspiring hope and preparing students for postsecondary and career success,” said Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery.
“Thanks to the Indiana General Assembly for supporting this initiative, the Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship is key to ensuring future Hoosier educators have access to training and resources needed to build the next generation of the Indiana teacher workforce.”
A release said a record-breaking 945 students applied for the 2024-25 Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship, a 58% increase over the previous year.
Additionally, 71% of applicants were Indiana high school seniors with the remainder comprised of current college students.
To qualify, students had to either graduate in the top 20% of their high school class, earn a score in the 20th percentile on the SAT or ACT, or have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA. To continue earning the scholarship in college, students must earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA and complete at least 30 credit hours per year.
Here’s a list of the local winners and the schools they’re attending:
Lake County: Zoe Cockrum, Munster High School, Ball State University; Ava Graper, Crown Point High School, Valparaiso University; Ryan Grellman, River Forest High School, Indiana University-Bloomington; Brandi Johnson, West Side Leadership Academy, Purdue University Northwest; Arianna Knoll, Lake Central High School, Purdue University-West Lafayette; Madysan Luczak, Crown Point High School, Indiana State University.
Also: Taylor Patton, Whiting High School, Indiana University-Bloomington; Athena Reyna, Hammond Morton High School, Purdue University-West Lafayette; Ashlyn Reynolds-Huntwork, Hobart High School, Purdue University-West Lafayette; Kaitlyn Roscoe, Hobart High School, Valparaiso University; Natalie Sergeant, Lake Central High School, Ivy Tech Community College; Kylena Torres, Munster High School, Indiana University-Bloomington; Gianna Witte, Crown Point High School, Indiana University Northwest.
Porter County: Natalie Gill, Valparaiso High School, Ball State University; Violet Heer, Valparaiso High School, Ball State University; Aubrey Torres, Chesterton Senior High School, Ball State University; Emma Click, Wheeler High School, St. Mary-Of-The-Woods College.
