More than $37,000 in scholarship funds -- administered by the foundation or set up in endowment funds -- are being awarded this year to graduating students from the Linton-Stockton, Bloomfield, Eastern Greene, White River Valley and the MSD of Shakamak school districts, according to Foundation Executive Director Kerry Conway.

The foundation's scholarship committee, chaired by Brad Crites, reviewed 92 applications before making their final selections.

The educational quality and achievements of all of the applicants impressed Conway.

"We had more ties this year and they were all up at the top than we ever had had before. It was an agonizing process for the committee," she said. "Every year it seems like these kids really respond a little bit better. It really seems like the educational system in Greene County -- these kids are coming out of high school really prepared for college. This really showed in the SAT scores and the grades and also in these (scholarship) essays that the kids are turning in."

Conway said she feels the next generation is in good hands -- based on this year's group of applicants.

"This really is the next generation of leadership for Greene County. From reading through the applications and reading through the essays and reading through the thoughtfulness and the pattern of thought of these kids who were applying for scholarships, I'm absolutely optimistic about the future of our county," she commented in making the announcement to the Greene County Daily World on Friday. "It's our job -- this generation of leaders -- to make certain they understand that they need to home (after college). We need them back. If Greene County is going to move forward to the nest level we need to support these kids with their education and that goes beyond college. That goes into life experiences. They need to be mentored and they need supported and they need to be allowed to make a few mistakes. We need to encourage them to come home because we really do need them."

Conway's only regret is there isn't enough scholarship money to go around to every student who applies.

"My wish or my fantasy is I would love to be in the position of Kalamazoo, Mich. There is a foundation there that basically has enough scholarship endowment that anyone who graduates from high school in Kalamazoo and goes on to college receives a scholarship. I would absolutely love to be able to build our endowment large enough that we could do the same thing in Greene County," Conway said.

Currently, the foundation has a scholarship endowment fund of approximately $1.3 million.

To fully fund the estimated number of Greene County High School graduates who go on to secondary education each year the endowment fund would need to total about $12.5 million with about $250,000 paid out each year, Conway pointed out.

"We could easily set that as a goal for 10 or 20 years. What a strong message that would send to our kids about how much this community values education," she concluded.

Greene County Foundation Scholarships 2008

* The Dale and Tillie Jessup Memorial Scholarship pays entire expected family contribution plus stipend for books and supplies for four years. The pool of funds available for this year's scholarship winners is about $17,000.

The money is distributed based on the College Cost Estimator calculation of expenses from each college that the students will be attending. The winners -- Reuven Davis, White River Valley Junior Senior High School; Daniel Stevens, Shakamak High School; Tina Carroll, Linton-Stockton High School; Ashley Faulk, White River Valley High School graduate (renewal); Leigh Davis, Shakamak High School graduate (renewal).

Stevens is the son of Timothy and Cheryl Stevens of Jasonville. He will attend Purdue University and major in agriculture.

Davis, is the son of Jim and Debby Davis, Route 1, Newberry. He will attend Purdue University and major in agri-business.

Carroll will attend Purdue University in the fall and major in plant biology. She is the daughter of Timothy and Helen Carroll, Route 1, Linton.

* Earnest Benjamin and Ruth V. Holtsclaw Memorial Scholarship, $3,500 each, goes to Jodi Byers, Eastern Greene High School, and Nikkole Thombleson, Bloomfield Junior-Senior High School. (See related story)

* Tonda Lawrence Memorial Scholarship, $1,500 -- Lauren Karazsia, Linton-Stockton High School. Karazsia is the daughter of Nick and Nancy Karazsia of Linton.

She will attend Butler University in the fall and major in pharmacy.

* Angell Family Scholarship, $600 each -- Donna Hollen, White River Valley Junior-Senior High School, Cara Sparks, White River Valley Junior-Senior High School and Olivia Miller, Linton-Stockton High School.

Hollen is the daughter of William and Debra Hollen of Worthington. She will attend Ivy Tech State College or Indiana University and major in nursing.

Miller is the daughter of Kriss and Rebecca Miller, Route 4, Linton. She will attend Indiana University and major in international sales and marketing.

Sparks, Route 1, Lyons is the daughter of Tom and Kim Sparks. She will attend Indiana University at Bloomington and major in business.

* Shakamak Special Achievement Scholarship, $500 -- Abby Sweet, Shakamak High School.

Sweet is the daughter of Chip and Pam Sweet of Jasonville. She will attend Purdue University in the fall and major in animal science.

* Bloomfield Special Achievement Scholarship, $500 -- Amy Helms, Bloomfield Junior-Senior High School.

Helms is the daughter of Thomas and Kristina Helms of Bloomfield. She will attend Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and major in nursing.

* Bart Burris Eastern Greene Football Scholarship, $500 -- Joshua Strange, Eastern Greene High School.

Strange plans to attend Ivy Tech State College. He is the son of Dennis and Lisa Strange, Route 4, Bloomfield. He is undecided on a major.

* Eastern Greene Special Achievement Scholarship, $500 -- Skylar Shell, Eastern Greene High School.

Shell, the son of Daemon and Kimberly Shell, Route 3, Bloomfield, and will attend Indiana University and major in mathematics education.

* Steve Hastings Memorial Scholarship, $500 -- Lauren Jones, Linton-Stockton High School.

Jones, the daughter of Tommy L. and Patty Jones, will attend Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) in the fall and major in occupational therapy.

* Bloomfield State Bank Ivy Tech Scholarship, $500 -- Emily Taylor, Eastern Greene High School.

Taylor, the daughter of Thomas and Connie Jean Taylor, Route 1, Solsberry will attend Ivy Tech State College at Bloomington and major in nursing.

* Linton-Stockton Special Achievement Scholarship, $500 -- George Fritch and Lauren Karazsia.

Fitch is the son of George R. and Billie Jo Fitch, Route 2 Linton. He will attend Indiana State University at Terre Haute and major in biology and chemistry.

Karazsia is the daughter of Nick and Nancy Karazsia of Linton. She will attend Butler University in the fall and major in pharmacy.

* Linton Sporting Goods Scholarship, $250 -- Kayla Held, White River Valley Junior-Senior High School.

Held is the daughter of Wade and Denise Held, Route 2, Linton.

She is undecided on a college choice. She has been accepted at Purdue, Rose-Hulman, Western Kentucky University, Indiana State University, Adrian College, Ball State University and Vincennes University. Kayla will major in either food process engineering, chemical engineering, food science or chemistry.

* Linton Mayor's Scholarship, $250 -- Jessica Markle and Kegan Inman, Linton-Stockton High School.

Inman will attend Indiana University and major in business administration. He is the son of Kenneth Inman of Linton and Teresa Fulford, Route 4, Linton.

Markle, the daughter of Roger and Shellayne Markle, Route 3, Linton, will attend Indiana State University of Indiana University and major in mathematics education of dentistry

* Rachel Hauser Memorial Scholarship, $200 -- Jaret May, Shakamak High School.

May is the son of Mark and Teresa May of Jasonville He will attend Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and major in chemical engineering.

* JoEtta Turpin Scholarship, $200 -- Kegan Inman, Linton-Stockton High School.

* White River Valley High School Special Achievement Scholarship, $500 -- Tyler Zimmerley

Zimmerly, is the son of Brad and Kelly Zimmerly, Route 1, Switz City.

He plans to attend Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and study chemistry.

* Jordan Lyday Memorial Scholarship, $1,000 ---- still pending. Will be awarded to a Shakamak High School graduate.