By Giavonni Nickson
This year, Horizon Bancorp, Inc. celebrates 146 years and over $5 billion in assets at NASDAQ. This marks a new milestone for the company reflected in a double digit compounded annual growth rate and double financial rewards for The Minority Scholarship Program.
Through Horizon Bank’s partnership with the Urban League of Northwest Indiana, Inc. scholarship recipients will now receive $1,000 to help support their higher education pursuits. Horizon’s Diversity Business Council developed the Minority Scholarship Program to recognize academic achievement, demonstrated leadership and future potential.
Since 2000, the bank has completed 14 acquisitions and expanded into 11 new markets by hiring local. Today there are 76 offices throughout the states of Indiana and Michigan.
“This success is based on a simple philosophy of people first and treating everyone with respect, dignity and fairness,” said Craig Dwight, Horizon’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.
In June the following 11 students were awarded scholarships during the Urban League of Northwest Indiana, Inc’s. Annual Scholastic Achievement Awards:
Christopher French, Matthew Ol- chawa, Amanda Sparks, Antonio Mistretta, Dimetrious Poston, Sydney Starks, Yatziri Moreno, Faith Spencer, Jairo Cazares, Jamon Cavanaugh and Sylvia Williams.
Horizon is now accepting applications for the next round of awards.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants for the Horizon Bank Minority Scholarship must have documented proof of the following:
- Must be a current-year graduate of a high school in Lake, Porter or LaPorte Counties
- Must have a letter of acceptance for the next school year from an accredited college or university
- Must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 grading scale for the applicant’s entire high school career
- Must have participated in extra-curricular, community and volunteer activities while in high school
- Must be able to prove financial need
The scholarship must be applied to the university and cannot be combined with any full tuition scholarship. The application process is administered through a partnership with the Urban League of NWI Inc., along with select community leaders.
How to Apply:
To apply for the Horizon Bank Minority Scholarship, the applicant must complete and submit the following documentation:
- The Urban League General Scholarship Application form
- An official transcript of grades from Lake County, Porter County or LaPorte County high school(s)
- A one-page resumé that details skills, experiences and interests with highlights for affiliations, honors, awards and civic involvement.
- Two brief letters of recommendation: a) one from an adult on personal character, leadership and volunteerism and; b) one from a high school faculty member
- An essay not to exceed 500 words detailing character, leadership and community service and plans to utilize education and experiences to help improve society.
Based on the content of the essay and personal interview, five (5) non-renewable scholarships will be awarded in the amount of $1,000 each. A committee comprised of representatives of the Urban League and community leaders will select the recipients based on scoring of set criteria. The application deadline is December 16, 2019 at 3:00 p.m.
Giavonni is a passionate freelance writer native of Gary IN. She covers business, politics, and community schools for the Chicago/Gary Crusader.
