Goshen College’s top scholarship recipients named for 2020-21

March 10, 2020

Goshen College has announced recipients and finalists of the school’s 2020-21 top scholarships for incoming first-year students.

Two college-bound students were awarded the President’s Leadership Award (PLA), which is the college’s top merit scholarship. The President’s Leadership Award is a competitive scholarship for high-achieving academic students who demonstrate exceptional leadership qualities. Recipients will receive a full tuition scholarship renewable for a total of 8 semesters.

To be eligible to apply for the PLA, students must meet ONE of the following criteria: Have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.85 (on a 4.0 scale); score at least 1340 on the SAT OR at least 29 on the ACT; or be a National Merit Semifinalist.

The 2020 President’s Leadership Award recipients are:

Simon Hertzler Gascho, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School, and is the son of Darrell Gascho and Julie Hertzler. He plans to study elementary education. Hertzler Gascho currently serves on the city of Goshen’s Community Relations Commission as the youth advisor, helped lead Goshen High School’s Youth Caucus to present an environmental resolution to the Goshen City Council, and participated in Goshen College’s Study-Service Theology Term to Guatemala.
Claudia Mobley-Oorthuys, of Salem, Oregon, will graduate from Salem-Keizer Public School, and is the daughter of Brent and Marj Mobley-Oorthuys. She plans to study art. Mobley-Oorthuys is a National Honor Thespian, a member of her high school’s theater council and a Link Leader, where she advises freshman, and has volunteered with her church’s community center for the last four years.

Finalists for the PLA scholarship include:

Sarah Bailey, of Joliet, Illinois, will graduate from Plainfield High School. She plans to study theatre and sign language interpreting.
Heidi Bentrup, of Middlebury, Indiana, will graduate from Achieve Virtual Education Academy. She plans to study communication and Spanish.
Savannah Brown, of Charlotte, Michigan, will graduate from Charlotte High School. She plans to study psychology.
Audrey Chapman, of Mishawaka, Indiana, will graduate from Penn High School. She plans to study sign language interpreting, elementary education, with a minor in ASL.
Elliana Davis, of Leo, Indiana, will graduate from Leo Junior-Senior High School. She plans to study environmental & marine science, biology, with a minor in Spanish.
Jasmine Diaz, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. She plans to study biology.
Olivia Doll, of Cincinnati, Ohio, will graduate from Mount Notre Dame High School. She plans to study molecular biology/biochemistry.
Sasha Dyck, of Goshen, will graduate from Bethany Christian High School. She plans to study social work.
Daniel Eash-Scott, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will graduate from Wauwatosa East High School. He plans to study physics.
Annika Fisher, of Staunton, Virginia, will graduate from Buffalo Gap High School. She is undecided.
Wyatt Fisher, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. He plans to study engineering physics.
Rhiley Funk, of Monticello, Indiana, will graduate from Twin Lakes High School. She plans to study American Sign Language.
Abigail Furness, of Grinnell, Iowa, will graduate from Grinnell Community Senior High School. She plans to study environmental & marine science.
Daniel Garrison, of Peace Valley, Missouri, will graduate from Ozark Christian School. He plans to study sustainable food systems.
Griffin Garwood, of Fishers, Indiana, will graduate from Mount Vernon High School. He plans to study chemistry.
Ashley Glazer, of San Marcos, California, will graduate from San Marcos High School. She plans to study nursing.
Jonathan Graber Orjala, of Downers Grove, Illinois, will graduate from Downers Grove North High School. He plans to study chemistry.
Ryan Harmelink, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. He plans to study molecular biology/biochemistry.
Enrique Hernandez, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. He plans to study computer science.
Frances Hurst Brubaker, of East Waterford, Pennsylvania, will graduate from Lancaster Mennonite High School. She plans to study sustainability management.
Riley Hurst Brubaker, of East Waterford, Pennsylvania, will graduate from Lancaster Mennonite High School. She plans to study secondary education.
Nicholai Jost-Epp, of Lawrence, Kansas, will graduate from Lawrence High School. He plans to study environmental & marine science.
Joshua Kennell, of Newton, Kansas, will graduate from Newton High School. He plans to study biology.
Casayda Kipp, of Elkhart, Indiana, will graduate from Concord High School. She plans to study nursing.
Elizabeth Kirkton, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. She plans to study exercise science.
James Knight, of Niles, Michigan, will graduate from Niles High School. He plans to study molecular biology/biochemistry.
Joel Kornhaus, of Fredericksburg, Ohio, will graduate from Hiland High School. He plans to study computer science.
Kara Kornhaus, of Fredericksburg, Ohio, will graduate from Hiland High School. She plans to study nursing.
Hannah Lehman, of Huntington, Indiana, will graduate from Huntington North High School. She plans to study music and elementary education.
Gladys Leon Diaz, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. She plans to study peace, justice and conflict studies.
Nathan Longenecker, of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will graduate from Lancaster Mennonite School. He plans to study mathematics.
Ana Neufeld Weaver, of Bluffton, Ohio, will graduate from Bluffton High School. She plans to study secondary music education.
Lydia Oakleaf, of Madison, Wisconsin, will graduate from J Madison Memorial High School. She plans to study elementary education.
Hannah Penrod, of Indianapolis, will graduate from Shortridge Magnet High School. She plans to study molecular biology/biochemistry.
Emily Perez, of Salem, Oregon, will graduate from West Salem High School. She plans to study nursing.
Sofia Sanchez, of Elkhart, Indiana, will graduate from Elkhart Central High School. She plans to study public health.
Emma Schroeder, of Kendallville, Indiana, will graduate from Central Noble High School. She plans to study ASL, elementary education/special education and psychology, with a minor in art.
Aaron Seay, of Georgetown, Indiana, will graduate from Floyd Central High School. He plans to study biology, environmental & marine science and music.
Justin Self, of North Manchester, Indiana, will graduate from Manchester High School. He plans to study Mathematics with a minor in computer science.
Caleb Shenk, of Goshen, will graduate from Bethany Christian High School. He plans to study engineering physics.
Drew Smoker, of Burnsville, North Carolina, will graduate from Mountain Heritage High School. She plans to study sustainable food systems and engineering physics/pre-engineering.
Sophia Smucker, of Ottawa, Ohio, will graduate from Bluffton High School. She plans to study social work.
Anastasia Stevens, of Rushville, Indiana, will graduate from Rushville Consolidated High School and Triton Central High School. She plans to study sustainability studies, secondary education or TESOL, with a minor in Spanish.
Daniel Stoltzfus, of Kijabe, Kenya, will graduate from Rift Valley Academy. He plans to study theatre.
David Troyer, of Huntington, Indiana, will graduate from Huntington North High School. He plans to study biology with a minor in theater.
Ashley Valencia, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. She plans to study psychology.
Mira Yoder, of Harrisonburg, Virginia, will graduate from Harrisonburg High School. She plans to study computer science or environmental & marine science.
Angélica Zayas Colon, of Bayamon, Puerto Rico, will graduate from Academia Menonita. She plans to study film production.

Intercultural Leadership Award

Twelve students have been awarded the Intercultural Leadership Award. The Intercultural Leadership Award is for incoming first-generation students of color who have demonstrated a distinguished academic record, leadership potential and commitment to giving back to their community. The scholarship is for $20,000 a year and is renewable for a total of eight consecutive semesters based on academic performance and program participation.

In order to qualify to apply, students must meet the following criteria: Be of African-, Hispanic/Latino-, Asian- or Native-American heritage; be a first-generation college applicant; be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a valid permanent resident card; have a cumulative high school grade point average of 3.0 or above (on a 4.0 scale); and score at least 970 on the SAT OR at least 18 on the ACT.

The 2020 Intercultural Leadership Award recipients are:

Maritza Cruz, of Lilburn, Georgia, will graduate from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. She plans to study elementary education/special education.
Joshua Garcia, of Elkhart, Indiana, will graduate from Concord High School. He plans to study film production.
Karen Guerrero, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. She plans to study social work.
Kimberly Guijosa-Torres, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. Her major is undecided.
Enrique Hernandez, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. He plans to study computer science.
Gage Howell, of Syracuse, Indiana, will graduate from Wawasee High School. He plans to study nursing.
Gabriel Martinez, of Lagrange, Georgia, will graduate from Lagrange High School. He plans to study nursing.
Lupita Martinez-Alonzo, of Elkhart, Indiana, will graduate from Elkhart Central High School. She plans to study nursing.
Andrea Murillo, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. She plans to study exercise science.
Leslie Ortega, of Ligonier, Indiana, will graduate from West Noble High School. She plans to study nursing.
Valeria Rosales Hernandez, of Elkhart, Indiana, will graduate from Elkhart Central High School. She plans to study social work.
Ashley Valencia, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. She plans to study Psychology.

Finalists include:

Jacquelyn Cordova Alba, of Goshen, will graduate from Goshen High School. She plans to study psychology.
Leslie Moreno, of Elkhart, Indiana, will graduate from Elkhart Central High School. She plans to study nursing.
Gabriella Roman, of San Juan, Puerto Rico, will graduate from Robinson School. She plans to study biology
Sofia Sanchez, of Elkhart, Indiana, will graduate from Elkhart Central High School. She plans to study public health.