As the highest award for academic excellence, service and faith, the Saint Mother Theodore Guerin (SMTG) Scholarship at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) is presented to exceptional applicants.
One student is awarded up to full tuition and $4,000 toward the cost of a room in Le Fer Hall. Three students may receive up to full tuition, and up to 10 may receive $22,000 in tuition coverage. Last year, approximately 70 students applied.
Audrey Lee, a nursing major from Brazil, Indiana, received a full tuition scholarship. As a legacy student, Lee knew that the SMTG scholarship was prestigious, so she was honored to have been selected as a recipient. “When I received the news that I had gotten the scholarship, I couldn’t believe it. It was such a weight lifted off my shoulders, knowing that I can strictly just focus on my academics without financial stress,” Lee said. Additionally, Lee shared that receiving this scholarship has made her feel closer to Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. “When I first started reading about the scholarship, I liked how it was rooted in the College’s history and Saint Mother Theodore Guerin’s faith, which I feel most connected to. I’ve been diving deeper into my faith recently, and I think The Woods is helping me grow that way,” Lee said.
Hugo Pradillo, a business administration major and SMTG scholarship recipient from Madrid, Spain, shared that his college journey has been good so far. “I was an exchange student last year at Riverton Park High School. I had a friend who played sprint football here. He told me to talk with the coaches and so I did, and here I am,” Pradillo explained.
Although Pradillo couldn’t play this season due to a hip injury, he continues to enjoy his college experience and connection to Saint Mother Theodore Guerin. “I can relate to her [Saint Mother Theodore Guerin] in many ways. I feel connected to her through religion – that’s always been an important value from my family,” Pradillo said. “I left my country when I was 16 years old. Like Saint Mother Theodore, I didn’t have my family with me. It was my first time flying alone, so I also feel connected to her as she left her home in France and came here,” Pradillo added.
Eligible applicants must be admitted or enrolled as a full-time campus-based student in a degree seeking program. They must also demonstrate unique experiences, a desire to make a difference in their communities and prove academic excellence by holding a 3.2 high school GPA.
In addition to being held to a high standard on campus, each cohort member must complete a number of service hours, which is required in the cohort honors class.
“Our class is going really well so far. We are doing service projects together, so that’s been a lot of fun. We’re all under the same benchmarks of being held to a high standard, so it’s nice that we consistently see each other, and it’s just reassuring that we’re all navigating college together,” Lee said.
Applications for the SMTG scholarship are now open for the 2024-2025 academic school year. The deadline to apply is January 10, 2025.