By Steven Krolak
(NEW ALBANY, Ind.)–IU Southeast is proud to welcome three recipients of Next Generation Hoosier Educators scholarships from the class of 2024.
Abby Colson of Scottsburg, Rachel Wood of Versailles and Abigail Vogel of North Vernon, Indiana were among 200 students receiving the scholarships across the State of Indiana, awarded by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE).
Selected through a competitive process based on academic achievement and other factors, recipients will receive $7,500 annually (up to $30,000 total) for committing to teach in Indiana for at least five years after graduating college.
To qualify for the scholarship, students had to either graduate in the highest 20 percent of their high school class or earn a score in the top 20th percentile on the SAT or ACT. To continue earning the scholarship in college, students must earn a 3.0 cumulative GPA and complete at least 30 credit hours per year.
Colson wants to teach mathematics at the middle school she attended. She is also interested in improving her Spanish language skills, so she intends to join the Spanish Club to maintain and further her skills. A make-up artist in high school, Colson would like to develop her talent further through the theater program.
Vogel aims to pursue a degree in elementary education, then return to Jennings County to teach and coach the youth of her community.
A student-athlete who will be representing the Grenadiers in volleyball, she long aspired to attending IU Southeast.
“When I was little, my older brother’s travel baseball team played in a tournament at IU Southeast, and I remember falling in love with the campus and telling myself that I was going to go there some day,” Vogel said. “When I started looking for a school that would best fit me–a small campus close to home–I fell in love with IU Southeast all over again.”
Wood intents to major in secondary education and minor in journalism, and to teach both in a high school setting, while keeping an eye on possible graduate school and a possible career in higher education. She has been accepted into the Honors Program, where she hopes to excel in leadership and academic programs. She looks forward to pursuing her interests in human rights, politics and theater through campus organizations.
“I chose IU Southeast because I wanted a college that would suffice my academic and personal interests while also offering a small and diverse campus that I would feel comfortable staying at,” Wood said. “I believe IU Southeast perfectly fits these requirements, and I can’t wait for the bright future I have ahead of me there.”