Putnam County seniors honored at IU Scholars Reception

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Putnam County seniors honored at IU Scholars Reception

Several Putnam County seniors were honored at a reception held by Indiana University for incoming freshmen receiving academic honors scholarships to the school Wednesday evening.

Greencastle seniors Renee Payne, Bo Walker, Morgan Terry and Graham Shuee have all received academic honor scholarships to Indiana University next year. Payne and Walker attended a Scholarship Reception at the Arts Garden in Indianapolis celebrating their academic success. Shuee and Terry were attending the Academic Honors banquet held at the high school that same evening.

To receive these scholarships, students had to have a SAT score of 1160 or above or ACT score of 26 or above, and a minimum GPA of 3.60. This is an $8,000 scholarship spread out over four years. This honor was only open to students with early admission to the university.

IU Director of Scholarships Sarah Booher told the group of over 500 that this year was the most competitive year at the school and obtaining honors academic scholarship was a great achievement.

"Over $5 million will be distributed to the more than 500 students in this room tonight," said Booher. "But, this scholarship means a lot more than just money."

"You are the best and brightest students in the state of Indiana. You are IU's future and you will help define the school for the next four years," she added.

Sarah Robinson, a Cox Research Scholar talked to the group about the student experience at IU. She explained about some of the changes ahead for these scholars.

"Anything you want to achieve, you can and will achieve at IU," she said. "There are endless opportunities and unforgettable experiences ahead."

Vice Provost for Enrollment Management Roger Thompson told students they are the most academically talented freshman class since the university began accepting freshmen in 1820.

"If you think we'll do anything to get you to come to IU, we plead guilty," he joked.

On a more serious note, Thompson discussed the challenges ahead of students and the job of the university to help them meet those hurdles. He also spoke about the big changes ahead for the seniors and the opportunities they will have in front of them.

All four of the GHS seniors participate in the DePauw Alpha program. Payne is the daughter of Margot and Jim Payne. She will be majoring in international studies. Walker is the son of Maribeth and Faril Ward and will major in environmental management in the School of Public Affairs and Environmental Sciences. Terry is the daughter of Mace and Kathy Terry. She plans to major in biology and eventually enter medical school. Shuee is the son of Bill and Polly Shuee and plans to study business and enter the Kelley School of Business.

North Putnam High School principal Alan Zerkle told the Banner Graphic that his school has had recipients in the past but was not aware of any this year.

South Putnam High School counselors Becky Brothers and Mark Wildman were not aware of any students receiving these scholarships. Jayne Asher with Cloverdale High School also had not received any notification of students at CHS receiving the academic honors scholarships.

Wildman added, "If the parents were notified and the school wasn't, we probably would not know about it."