TRAFALGAR, Ind. (Daily Journal) — Two Johnson County seniors were surprised with Presidential Scholarships to their respective schools last week.
Indian Creek High School Senior Lydia Ringer was surprised with a scholarship to Grace College while Whiteland High School Senior Jackson Cope was surprised with a Presidential Scholarship to Indiana State University.
Friends, family and representatives from ISU presented Jackson Cope with the scholarship on Thursday. The President’s Scholarship will cover tuition, food and housing at ISU.
Grace College and Indian Creek welcomed the Daily Journal to see Ringer’s surprise when she was presented at full-tuition scholarship to Grace College by her friends, family and admissions team on Friday.
Lydia Ringer had no idea why her parents, grandparents and close friends were walking into an Indian Creek Intermediate School classroom on Friday afternoon with balloons and a giant check.
All she could think was “what’s going on,” as more people she knew walked through the door, she said.
Grace College’s admissions team traveled to Indian Creek High School to surprise Ringer with the full-tuition scholarship. Ringer’s scholarship will cover up to four years of tuition, a $126,048 value. The scholarship was awarded due to Ringer’s performance at one of Grace’s Presidential Scholarship Days.
She wasn’t expecting to be surprised with a full tuition scholarship to the college of her choice, but it felt great, Ringer said.
Ringer’s friends, family and teachers would describe her as caring, compassionate, driven and hard working. Ringer is not only an “exceptional athlete,” but is also a standout student, Luke Skobel, principal said.
”Her ability to balance academic excellence with her commitment to dance is truly impressive,” Skobel said. “Lydia is a leader in our school community and I have no doubt she will continue to make a positive impact at Grace College and beyond.”
Grace College Presidential Scholarship Days are an opportunity for qualifying high school seniors to visit campus, learn about academics and compete for scholarships. After each event, scholarships are awarded and every student scholar that competes receives a minimum $1,000 per year scholarship. Scholars spend the day touring campus, learning about academics and interviewing with faculty members.
Ringer had to meet criteria to be eligible, which included a 3.75 GPA, top 20% class rank and 1230 SAT or 26 ACT Score.
Receiving the scholarship is a big deal for Ringer and her parents, they said.
Ringer’s parents, Tricia and Chad helped coordinate the surprise on Friday. They had asked her about five friends that she would like in her life after school. Ringer named seven and all seven of those people were there to surprise her, Ringer said.
They, too, were surprised and excited by their daughter’s opportunity, they said.
“It was something that we were praying for, but didn’t expect and so it was just absolutely such a blessing,” Tricia Ringer said.
Having her tuition paid for will help Ringer move forward with life after school and take some stress of her shoulders, she said. Ringer wants to help kids with behavioral issues by studying child psychology and a Master’s in Business Administration.
This story was originally published by Daily Journal on Mar. 3, 2025.
