Indiana Students and Their Heroes Honored in USA Funds-Sponsored Program

Over the past three years, more than 1,500 students have nominated former or current Indiana citizens to be Hoosier Heroes. Each student nominates for the honor someone who made a difference in the student’s life. A May 10 event in Indianapolis honored 10 Hoosier Heroes and the students who nominated them.

USA Funds^® provided $20,000 toward scholarships awarded by the 2007 Hoosier Heroes program. In total, more than $40,000 in postsecondary scholarships were awarded at the third-annual Hoosier Heroes celebration.

Hoosier Heroes is an Indiana Dollars for Scholars program launched in 2005. The program invites high-school juniors and seniors across the state to participate. Response to the program has been outstanding, with nominations received for role models such as teachers, parents, church-group leaders, sports figures, politicians, authors, scientists, doctors, nurses and business leaders.

“The nominations were very inspiring,” says Don Setterlof, executive director of Indiana Dollars for Scholars. “Each nominee is a real person who had a meaningful impact, sometimes without even knowing it, on the life of one of these students.”

One student nomination from each of 10 categories received recognition for its writing quality, persuasiveness, research completed, inspirational value and thoughtfulness. Each of the 10 selected students will receive a $2,000 scholarship to be used toward postsecondary education. In addition, each Hoosier Hero will receive a $2,000 scholarship to designate to the Indiana high school or Dollars for Scholars chapter of the Hero’s choice, with the scholarship to be presented in the Hoosier Hero’s name to a graduating senior.

In addition to honoring students and their Hoosier Heroes, the event was an opportunity to recognize outstanding Dollars for Scholars chapters throughout the state for their work to raise scholarship money for students in their community.

“The mission of Indiana Dollars for Scholars is to expand access to higher education in the state of Indiana, and that parallels USA Funds’ own mission of enhancing postsecondary-education preparation, access and success,” says Carl Dalstrom, USA Funds president and CEO and Indiana Dollars for Scholars board chair. “In order to reach their dreams, students need to feel supported by individuals and organizations in their communities, and that is what Indiana Dollars for Scholars does through its support and establishment of Dollars for Scholars chapters throughout the state. USA Funds is pleased to be a part of the Hoosier Heroes program and to award scholarships to these deserving students and their heroes.”

The following lists the winning student nominators and Hoosier Heroes who were honored at the event:

Student	High School/City	Category	Hero
Andrew Clark	Bluffton High School, Bluffton	Agriculture	Joe Plumer, farmer.
Rachel Eldert	Munster High School, Munster	Arts/ Entertainment	Jason Eldert, manager, EB Games
Meghan Wiles	Northwestern High School, Kokomo	Banking/ Finance	Jennifer Wiles, financial business analyst, Electronic Data Systems
Eloise Weir	Mitchell High School, Mitchell	Business/ Entrepreneur	William Cook, entrepreneur, Cook Group
Kayla Kepner	Benton Central Jr.–Sr. High School, Fowler	Education	Richard Atha, retired educator, Benton Community School Corp.
Katie Hands	Benton Central Jr.–Sr. High School, Otterbein	Medicine/ Health	Shaun Mattson, first-grade student
Robert Steiner III	Our Lady of Providence, Floyds Knobs	Philanthropy/ Volunteerism	Ann Elizabeth Steiner, retired medical technologist.
Jennifer Scope	Clay High School, South Bend	Public Service/ Military	Mary Kowalski, social worker, Family & Children’s Center.
Jaclyn Frakes	New Albany High School, New Albany	Science/ Technology	Jeff Falcone, associate professor, University of Louisville.
Elizabeth Kerkhoff	Benton Central Jr.–Sr. High School, Oxford	Sports	Mike Kerkhoff, owner, Kerkhoff Associates.