The recipients – Alison Matlock from Southport, Taylor Hooton and Paige Soughhan from Perry Meridian and Whitney King from Manual – will receive $7,500 per year for up to four years to earn a teaching license. Matlock plans to attend Marian University; Hooton, Indiana State; Soughan, Indiana Wesleyan; and King, Indiana University Bloomington.
State Reps. Bob Behning, Dave Frizzell, Cindy Kirchhofer and Mike Speedy supported legislation creating the scholarship program. The scholarships are awarded to top-performing students who commit to teaching in Indiana for five consecutive years.
“Educators are the driving force behind student success,” said Behning. “This scholarship encourages the best and the brightest to enter the teaching profession and make a difference in students’ lives. It is great to see so many young Hoosiers entering college to earn their degree in education, and I wish these future teachers the best.”
Kirchhofer said teachers spend their entire professional career giving back to the community. “This scholarship will alleviate some of the financial burden often felt by college students. Helping out with the cost of tuition is just a small step to encourage high-achieving students to enter the teaching profession.”
Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA and complete at least 30 credit hours per year to continue to receive the scholarship.