By Rhonda Ward and Susan Fisher—
MUNCIE, IN—Muncie Central Bearcat Seniors Shekinah McNeil and Makaiya Lowe are the recipients of this year’s “I Have a Dream” 2022 Community Collaboration Scholarship, sponsored by the Muncie Chapter of Indiana Black Expo, the MLK Dream Team, and the Muncie NAACP. There were a total of seven applicants from Muncie Community schools and three county schools. The selection committee felt that all were highly qualified and worthy of the scholarship. The two winners will each receive a gift of $2,000.00 towards their college education.
Shekinah McNeil’s future plans are to attend an HBCU, Tennessee State University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. She plans to major in Architectural Engineering. Her career goal is to become an Engineer.
Makaiya Lowe is headed to Ball State University where she plans to study psychology and pre-med. Her career goal is to become a Pediatric Surgeon.
Rhonda Ward with scholarship recipient Makaiya Lowe.
The other five applicants are as follows:
Ashlynn Keith- Cowan Jr. Sr. High School
Wyatt Bilby- Delta High School
Alton Jackson Jr.- Muncie Central High School
Lexis Mardis- Yorktown High School
Jasiah Scaife- Muncie Central High School
For the first time ever, the scholarship committee decided to award each of the remaining applicants with $100.00 as a small token of appreciation to acknowledge their achievements as well as their time and effort put into applying for the scholarship. Keith Doudt, a member of the MLK Dream Team, serves as the chairperson of the scholarship committee. “We were thrilled with not only the number of applicants this year, but also with the outstanding qualities and activities represented by these students,” he said. “It was such a hard decision and we wanted to award every applicant with a small stipend to help them achieve their dreams of higher education.”
Funding for the scholarships comes from each of the three participating organizations and through fundraising efforts, such as the MLK Dream Team silent auction held at the annual Black History Month Kick Off, donations from individuals, and support from other community organizations, such as Future Choices. The amounts awarded each year will vary based on the amount of available funds.
The 2023 scholarship application will be made available early next year and area schools and guidance counselors are encouraged to make the information known to interested students. For more information about the scholarship or the partnering organizations, visit their websites or visit the MLK Dream Team Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MLKDT.
