“Receiving this prestigious and competitive grant is an honor and speaks to the strength of the college’s science programs and faculty, and in working with diverse students through our Center for Intercultural and International Education,” said Goshen College Academic Dean Anita Stalter. “We are pleased to have this assistance in seeking to recruit and retain more students in the sciences from groups which are traditionally underrepresented, and to help prepare them to make significant contributions to the world.”

In addition to receiving a four-year scholarship of up to $40,000 total, the recipients will participate in group activities to ensure their academic and professional success. African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Native American students are especially encouraged to apply. The first cohort of awardees will be first-year students in fall 2013.

The Goshen College Leaf Scholars project team includes Dr. David Housman, professor of mathematics; as well as Dr. Kent Palmer, associate professor of informatics; Dr. Ryan Sensenig, associate professor of biology and environmental science; Dr. Dan Smith, professor of chemistry; and Dr. John R. Buschert, professor of physics.

There are seven other colleges in Indiana which are also current recipients of this grant funding: Butler University, DePauw University, Indiana State University, Indiana University, Purdue University, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and St. Mary’s College. The NSF provides more information about this program on their website.

“Goshen College STEM students have opportunities to participate in a rich variety of integrative learning opportunities on our campus,” said Housman, who is leading this project. These include: a weekly Science Speaker series, the Maple Scholars summer research program, an annual Undergraduate Research Symposium, annual grade 7-12 Science Olympiad regional tournament and an annual Religion and Science conference.

“The contributions our science alumni are making in the world demonstrate how well our programs prepare students,” said Housman.

Goshen College’s strong science programs prepare graduates for success:

• Goshen College is ranked number 1 in the percentage of graduates who received Ph.D.s in the life sciences among the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities’ 70 undergraduate institutions.
• In a recent study by Franklin and Marshall College of over 500 undergraduate institutions, Goshen College ranked in the top 5 percent for its percentage of graduates who earned Ph.D.s in life sciences.
• 100 percent of Goshen College students who applied to medical school in 2012 were accepted, and the 5-year average medical school acceptance rate for Goshen College graduates is 92 percent.
• 90 percent of Goshen College chemistry graduates who applied to graduate school were accepted.
• 70 percent of Goshen College physics majors enter graduate school.

Notable Goshen College science alumni include: cancer researcher Dr. Douglas Schwartzendruber ’78, who was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people; biologist Roger Beachy ’66, who was the first director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture; and biologist Orie Eigsti ’31, who developed the seedless watermelon.

The criteria for qualifying for the scholarships are available here. Persons interested in this scholarship should contact the Goshen College Admission Office by calling (574) 535-7535 or emailing admission@goshen.edu.

Six college-bound students are being offered the President’s Leadership Award (PLA), which is the college’s top merit scholarship. The PLA is given in recognition of outstanding academic performance and promise in potential leadership. The award, worth $19,000 per year and $76,000 over four years, includes participation in a leadership program. The award is renewable if recipients maintain a 3.5 grade point average during college and contribute 15 hours per semester in the leadership program.

The 2013 PLA selections, who will receive the scholarship upon enrollment at Goshen College, are:

• Elaine Anderson of Watertown, Wis., daughter of Eric and Trena Anderson, who is graduating from Watertown Senior High School. She plans to major in biology.
• Cecilia Lapp Stoltzfus of Mount Ranier, Md., daughter of Eric Stoltzfus and Cynthia Lapp, who is graduating from Eleanor Roosevelt High School. She plans to major in environmental science.
• Philip Longenecker of Grayslake, Ill., son of Kenton Longenecker and Shelly Mann, who is graduating from Grayslake Central High School. He plans to major in biology.
• Do Won Park of Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada, daughter of Joon Hyoung Park and Kyoung Shim Beack, who is graduating from Mennonite Educational Institute. She plans to be an interdisciplinary major.
• Jacob Roth of Archbold, Ohio, son of Stan and Susan Roth, who is graduating from Pettisville High School. He plans to major in molecular biology/biochemistry.
• Maia Stack of Wauwatosa, Wis., daughter of David Stack and Pamela Downing, who is graduating from Wauwatosa West High School. She plans to major in elementary education.

Ten students are being offered Center for International Teaching & Learning (CITL) Leadership Program awards. The CITL Leadership Program is for a group of Latino/a students who are selected to participate in a learning community as part of the college’s Center for Intercultural and International Education (CIIE). The award is reserved for first-generation college students. The students receive up to full tuition and leadership opportunities on campus for four years.

To qualify for the CITL Leadership Program, students must be of Hispanic/Latino heritage, be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a high school grade point average of 3.0 or above and be entering Goshen College directly from high school. Priority is given to in-state students, though out-of-state students are encouraged to apply as well.

The students who will receive the CITL Leadership Program awards are:

• Paola Andrade of Fort Myers, Fla., daughter of Patricia Andrade, who is graduating from Fort Myers High School. She plans to major in psychology.
• Emily Castro of South Bend, Ind., daughter of Raul and Maria Castro, who is graduating from George Washington High School. She plans to major in molecular biology/biochemistry.
• Julio Contreras of East Chicago, Ind., son of Eliseo Contreras and JoAnn Ramirez, who is graduating from East Chicago Central High School. He plans to major in chemistry.
• Crystopher Echavarria of South Ozone Park, N.Y., son of Yunior Echavarria and Cruz Concepcion, who is graduating from Villas del Mar International School. He plans to major in nursing.
• Francis Fonseca of Pembroke Pines, Fla., daughter of Enrique and Elizabeth Fonseca, who is graduating from Mater Academy Charter Middle/High School. She plans to major in public relations.
• James Garcia of Grayslake Ill., son of Sergio and Mako Garcia, who is graduating from Grayslake Central High School. He plans to major in biology.
• Katya Lopez of Goshen, Ind., daughter of Jesus and Alma Lopez, who is graduating from Goshen High School. She plans to major in biology.
• Fabian Lopez of Osceola, Ind., son of Antonio and Terry Lopez, who is graduating from Penn High School. He plans to major in chemistry.
• Alaide Medellin of Goshen, Ind., daughter of Rafael and Joside Medellin, who is graduating from Goshen High School. She plans to major in psychology.
• Illiana Rivera of Chicago, Ill., daughter of Edward and Maribel Rivera, who is graduating from Noble Street Charter High School. She plans to major in biology.

Also, six high school seniors are being offered the Stoltzfus Leadership Scholarship, which is awarded to African American, Latino/a American, Asian American and Native American (ALANA) students who have demonstrated a distinguished academic record and significant leadership involvement in activities which promote multicultural awareness and understanding in their local communities during high school. The Stoltzfus Leadership Scholarship is worth $5,000 per year and $20,000 over four years.

To qualify for the Stoltzfus Leadership Scholarship, a student must be a permanent resident or citizen of the United States with a 3.0 or greater grade point average in high school. Students entering college directly after high school are given priority

The students who will receive the Stoltzfus Leadership Scholarship are: 

• Lucas Al-Zoughbi of South Bend, Ind., son of Zoughbi Zoughbi and Sandra Lindower, who is graduating from Clay High School. He plans to major in peace, justice and conflict studies.
• Karina Flores of Goshen, Ind., daughter of Jose and Simona Flores, who is graduating from Goshen High School. She plans to major in biology.
• Lawrence Mead Jr. of Chicago, Ill., who is graduating from Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men. He plans to major in communication.
• Rachel Miller-Haughton of San Diego, Calif., daughter of Kevin Haughton and Jill Miller, who is graduating from Patrick Henry High School. She plans to major in English.
• Antianna Terrell of Indianapolis, Ind., daughter of Anthony and Tonikka Terrell, who is graduating from Pike High School. She plans to major in art.
• Marwin Williams of Chicago, Ill., son of Marwin Williams Jr. and Theresa Chamders who is graduating from Urban Prep Charter Academy for Young Men. He plans to major in business.

Chair of the Goshen College Music Department Beverly Lapp said, “Music scholarships are an important way that Goshen College makes music study and participation possible at the college level. This new award recognizes the significant achievement level and dedication to music and other academics that we are observing among prospective music students.”

To be eligible for the Goshen College’s Department of Music Excellence Awards, new first-year or transfer students must apply for admission by March 15 for Fall 2013. They must also audition with department faculty by March 31 and declare a major within the Music Department.

Scholarship recipients will be chosen based upon their audition performance, a scholarship application essay and references. The Music Department will announce award recipients by April 15 and they must be accepted by May 1.

To renew the award, recipients must remain full-time, degree-seeking students in the Music Department and agree to participate in student recruitment and outreach activities as a Music Department ambassador.

Persons interested in this opportunity should contact the Goshen College Music Department by calling (574) 535-7361, emailing dustingm@goshen.edu or visiting the music scholarships web page.

Goshen College’s Music Department offers a bachelor of arts degree with concentrations in music education, performance, music technology, piano pedagogy and music in worship. Seventy-five students major or minor in music and enjoy participation in five choirs, staged musicals and operas, orchestra, wind ensemble and jazz band. The Music Department is housed in the Goshen College Music Center, built in 2001. The Music Center features the 1,000-seat Sauder Concert Hall, the 300-seat Rieth Recital Hall, rehearsal and practice rooms, classrooms, teaching studios, a recording studio and an art gallery. The Community School of the Arts, located in the Music Center, provides teaching experience and leadership training for Goshen College students. The Performing Arts Series regularly brings prominent national and international musicians to the Music Center.

To better meet the needs of incoming students, Goshen College has recently made some changes to available scholarships and financial aid processes, giving students a reason to take another look at the college.

The recent changes include:

• The Financial Aid Office has increased all academic scholarships to better recognize achievement. For example, the top academic scholarship has been increased by $3,000 per year.
• The office is giving scholarship dollars to students earlier in the recruitment process so that they have a better sense of what they qualify for; they can make better informed decisions; and they can know how affordable a Goshen College education actually is.

To estimate what scholarships a student qualifies to receive, visit the college’s easy online Scholarship Estimator tool.

“Scholarships are just the beginning of the financial aid package and the Goshen College Financial Aid team is ready to work with all prospective students through the full process so that they can get the best possible package available to them,” said Judy Moore, director of financial aid.

The best way for a student to find out all that they are eligible for in terms of financial aid is to include Goshen College when selecting schools on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This can be submitted after Jan. 1, 2013.

“And prospective students shouldn’t let the sticker price for a quality private liberal arts college education like Goshen’s keep them from taking another look,” Moore added. For example, for a family with an income of up to $59,000, the average aid with loans is $28,600 and the average net cost is only $7,300.

Some more facts about the affordability of Goshen College education:

• Goshen College costs 10% less than the national average for private colleges.
• The average student debt for Goshen College graduates in 2011 was $21,953, which is almost $4,650 less than the national average for all college graduates and $5,550 less than the average for all college graduates in Indiana.
• 99% of full-time students receive some form of financial aid.
• The average aid package of scholarships, grants and loans total $19,470.
• In 2012, Kiplinger’s ranked Goshen 75^th among all liberal arts colleges for being a “best value college,” which places it 2^nd among Indiana liberal arts colleges.