Dreams funded in full

Shocked and grateful were words that two Wayne County high school seniors used as they described their reactions to winning full-tuition scholarships.

Wayne County Foundation staff surprised Hagerstown Jr.-Sr. High School’s Abby Lumpkin and Richmond High School’s Priya Hodges on Friday, Dec. 12.

They were selected as Wayne County’s two Lilly Endowment Community Scholars, an award worth tens of thousands of dollars and many networking connections.

Each scholar receives full tuition, required fees, and up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years of full-time undergraduate study at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Winners also join the Lilly Scholars Network, which connects them with resources and opportunities to lead on campus and in their communities.

During an anonymous review process, Wayne County’s 62 applicants were evaluated on academic performance, a personal insight and statement of plans essay, extracurricular involvement and work experience.

This year, six finalists, who also included Josiah Berry of Lincoln High School and Celina Cheng, Rosalinda Colaj and Yuvraj Prajapati of RHS, were interviewed.

Scores were combined into rankings. Independent Colleges of Indiana, the program’s statewide administrator, reviewed and approved the winners.

Hagerstown

Lumpkin said she felt her face go red as she was surprised to see her family and several HHS leaders after being asked to go to the school office. She thought the request was related to her college plans because she’d met with a college adviser a couple days earlier.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to interview and be among all the people selected for the interviews,” Lumpkin said. “I’m honestly very shocked.”

Lumpkin plans to attend Indiana University East to become a registered nurse. The scholarship could lead to a master’s degree to become a nurse practitioner or an administrator.

“I have a deep passion to care for others, both animals and people, and I want to continue that into adulthood as a career,” Lumpkin said.

She had a caring cheering section at the announcement, including her dad Kyle, mom Mandi and sister Katie, an HHS sophomore. Lumpkin’s family roots run deep at her high school, where her grandfather, Roger Lumpkin, taught welding and other industrial arts for about 30 years.

Katie said her older sister is very successful and a good role model.

“I hope to be half the success she’s been,” Katie said.

Abby calls her mom, a nurse for Reid Health, a great role model, and Mandi said she’s excited and proud of Abby.

“She’s done a lot of hard work to get to this point,” Mandi said. “A lot of other kids are well deserving too, and it’s hard when they can just pick a couple.”

Jamie Claywell, HHS assistant principal, said Lumpkin is very humble and quiet, but she shows quiet strength.

While serving as HHS’ National Honor Society adviser last year, Claywell recalls Lumpkin applied to be an officer, but didn’t seek the presidency.

However, last year’s officers believed Lumpkin had such drive, character and resilience that she would make the best president, and they helped her reach that office.

Lumpkin later told Claywell that leading NHS meetings greatly helped her during her interviews for the Lilly scholarship.

“I can’t wait to tell the officers their decision was a right one,” Claywell said.

Counselor Julie Arnold described Lumpkin as “genuine” and “well-rounded.”

Lumpkin’s activities also include FFA, 4-H, HOSA for future health professionals, Tiger Ambassadors and volunteering for Economy United Methodist Church.

“She’s a helper and she’s selected a great career that’s appropriate for her,” Arnold said.

Richmond

Hodges’ mind was still on the calculus exam she had just completed when her guidance counselor asked to chat about her college plans, but said they needed to stop in the school library first.

Seeing her grandparents, Ashton and Norma Veramallay, was her first clue that something was afoot. Then she saw a larger delegation of family, including her parents Stasia Veramallay and Will Hodges, and their partners, Bill Harmon and Kylie Sherry, school district leaders and several classmates who began cheering.

RHS Principal Rae Ferriell-Woolpy eagerly hugged Hodges.

“Priya is just the prime example of what we want every RHS graduate to be,” Ferriell-Woolpy said. “Her dedication to academics and athletics and all the other activities she’s involved in demonstrates what a well-rounded, amazing young lady she is.”

Hodges’ activities include Girl Scouts, National Honor Society, student council, golf and volunteering with multiple community organizations. She’s also a deacon at First Presbyterian Church.

“You never know how your child will turn out, but when something like this happens, all of our collective hard work in raising her has now borne the rewards,” Stasia said. “I couldn’t be prouder.”

Hodges plans to attend Purdue University to major in environmental and ecological engineering.

The RHS Green Club president’s career goal was initially shaped by taking the Project Lead the Way engineering course and then Advanced Placement Environmental Science.

“That gave me more awareness about what’s happening in the world, and combining those two boosted my interest in pursuing that,” Hodges said.

Ashton recalls his granddaughter staying up until 4 a.m. to complete homework after many activities, and Will Hodges said his daughter has great discipline in immediately completing her assignments when returning home.

“She gives up so much time where she could be out having fun,” Hodges said.

Superintendent Curtis Wright said student awards don’t get better than the Lilly scholarship.

“She exemplifies the well-rounded opportunities afforded her while at Richmond Community Schools,” Wright said. “It speaks volumes to the type of talent this school continues to produce despite the perception our community has had about Richmond High School and Richmond Community Schools.”