SMWC sophomore Rian Jones (right) received the ICI Realizing the Dream scholarship and selected Mrs. Tricia Kujawa, high school art teacher at Morton Senior High School in Hammond, Ind., to be recognized along with her.
The Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) recently awarded the Realizing the Dream scholarship to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) sophomore Rian Jones. The scholarship is awarded each year to first generation college students who graduated from an Indiana high school, achieved a superior grade point average as a freshmen in college and demonstrated leadership in activities on campus and in the community.
“Being chosen to receive this scholarship makes me feel very confident that I am going in the right direction,” states Jones, of Hammond, Ind. “I am very eager to push forward and pursue my dreams.”
Jones, a graphic design major and treasurer of the Sustainability Club at The Woods, received a $2,500 grant and was recently recognized at the annual banquet in Indianapolis.
As part of the Realizing the Dream award, student recipients also selected an elementary or secondary teacher that impacted their decision to go to college. Jones chose her high school art teacher, Mrs. Tricia Kujawa, who teaches at Morton Senior High School in Hammond, Ind. Kujawa also attended the award banquet where she received a $1,000 professional development grant.
“Mrs. Kujawa challenged my abilities and increased my knowledge of the world of art,” states Jones. “Her classes reinforced my decision to major in art.”
After graduation, Jones plans to pursue her master’s degree in graphic design and dig deeper into the world of art and media.