College Awards Prestigious Ben Franklin Scholar Awards
Campus News

Franklin College hosted its time-honored Ben Franklin Scholars Program of Excellence earlier this year, welcoming students from Indiana and numerous states to campus to compete for the college’s top scholarships.

The awards available included two full tuition Ben Franklin scholarships and 14 Presidential Scholarships, worth $10,000 per academic year. The competition drew 87 high-achieving and academically resilient participants. Those competing for the awards were required to have been previously admitted into the college and to have a 3.7 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of admission.

Throughout the day, each student participated in an interview with a Franklin College faculty or staff member, wrote a short-answer essay, and worked collaboratively with their peers to accomplish a group challenge initiative, with the goal to resolve a dire problem or need in their respective communities. Each participant was scored based on these elements and the winners were determined based on the overall scores.   

“The student scholars demonstrated the highest level of academic prowess,” said Franklin College Vice President of Strategic Enrollment Management and Marketing Thanda Maceo. “They are representative of the academic quality of our overall student body and reflective of the rich learning environment offered at Franklin College.”

Students receiving scholarships include:

Madison Cary, a senior at Chesterton High School in Chesterton, received a Ben Franklin Scholarship.

Nicholas Whitecotten, a senior at Greenwood Community High School in Greenwood, received a Ben Franklin Scholarship.

Hannah Coomer, a senior at Fairfield Community High School in Fairfield, Ill, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Audra Barclay, a senior at Southport High School in Indianapolis, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Isabella Neiling, a senior at Hamilton Heights High School in Arcadia, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Trevor Newby, a senior at South Decatur High School in Greensburg, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Gabriella Sherry, a senior at Franklin Community High School in Franklin, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Laura Sickmeier, a senior at Five Oaks Academy Home School in Greenwood, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Isabelle Squier, a senior at Greenwood Community High School in Greenwood, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Haleigh Wetzel, a senior at Greenwood Community High School in Greenwood, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Emily Campbell, a senior at South Ripley Junior-Senior High School in Versailles, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Jordan Coon, a senior at Castle High School in Evansville, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Shay Kyser, a senior at Bremen Senior High School in Bremen, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Abigail Bryant, a senior at Mooresville High School in Mooresville, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Austin Francis, a senior at Rensselaer Central High School in Rensselaer, received a Presidential Scholarship.

Emma Williams, a senior at Western Boone Junior-Senior High School in Jamestown, received a Presidential Scholarship.

For more information on the Ben Franklin Scholars Program of Excellence, or other questions regarding admission into Franklin College, please visit www.FranklinCollege.edu/admissions/ or call (888) 853-6471 or locally at (317) 738-8075.

POSTED May 10, 2022