Local high school seniors who received Legion scholarships included Martha Chrisman, left to right, Tatum Werntz, Ainsley Wiford, Carter Wooddell, Andrew Thorne and Owen Hershberger.
Photo submitted by Tatum Werntz
SIDNEY — The Sidney American Legion Post 217 awarded six area high school seniors with scholarships at a luncheon on April 24.
Recipients of $2,500 scholarships included Sidney High School seniors Andrew Thorne, Carter Wooddell, Ainsley Wiford and Tatum Werntz, and $1,000 scholarship winners included Fairlawn High School seniors Martha Chrisman and Owen Hershberger.
Thorne will be attending the University of Cincinnati to study medicine and plans on becoming a perfusionist. Werntz will be attending Kent State University to study journalism. Wiford plans to study pediatric nursing at the University of Kentucky. Wooddell will be attending Anderson University to study mechanical engineering. Chrisman plans to study music education and law at Brigham Young University. Hershberger plans to study physical therapy at Edison State University and Wright State University.
The $1,000 scholarships were in memory of Kent Knight. He was an SHS graduate who earned two Bronze Stars after serving in Vietnam.
The scholarship applications were open to all eligible high school seniors from Sidney High School, Lehman Catholic High School, Christian Academy Schools, Hardin-Houston High School and Fairlawn High School. To be eligible, all of the candidates must have been accepted to an accredited university, college or trade school within the United States. Students were selected as finalists to have an interview with the scholarship committee, where they would be evaluated based on their academic performance, community involvement and career plans. Special consideration was also given for students’ involvement with the American Legion programs such as the Americanism and Government Test, Buckeye Boys and Girls State, Legion Baseball and Oratorical Contest.
During the luncheon, members of the post addressed the seniors and gave them valuable advice to help in their transition into higher education. Members of the committee include the following veterans: Chairman Dale Peterson (U.S. Army intelligence), Post Commander Judy Johnson (U.S. Army nurse and drill sergeant), Jerry Muhlenkamp (U.S. Army White House communications center), Jim Moorman (U.S. Air Force intelligence), Theresa Manteuffel (U.S. Air Force radar operator of unidentified planes/satellites) and Robert Shoffner (U.S. Army anti-missile operator).
