4 Indianapolis-area students receive full-ride scholarships to Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Four incoming students from the Indianapolis area will receive Purdue University's top two scholarships to cover their educational expenses.

Two students received Purdue Stamps Scholarships and two students received Beering Scholarships. The Indianapolis area recipients for the Purdue Stamps Scholarships are:

* Marly Beck, Indianapolis, studying sustainable food and farm systems. Attended Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School.

* Erica Colarusso, Brownsburg, Indiana, studying theatre acting. Attended Brownsburg High School.

The Indianapolis area recipients for the Beering Scholarship are:

* Nisreen Islaih, Fishers, Indiana, studying biochemistry. Attended Fishers High School.

* Noah Smith, Westfield, Indiana, studying first-year engineering. Attended Westfield High School.

The Purdue Stamps full-ride scholarship is made possible by Purdue scholarship funds and the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation Inc., said Catharine Patrone, student services director in Purdue's Honors College. In addition to the monetary award, these scholars will each have access to a $10,000 enrichment fund to help cover expenses for study opportunities, such as conferences, seminars, study abroad programs, leadership training and research internships. Students receiving the scholarship are selected based on a pool of the highest achieving high school seniors who were admitted by mid-December. These students are identified by the Office of Admissions and are then invited to apply. Applications are reviewed by a committee, which decides who will be nominated for the scholarship. A representative from the Stamps Foundation interviews each nominee to select recipients.

The Beering Scholarship covers full educational expenses for a bachelor's degree and the opportunity to pursue two other graduate degrees at Purdue. Students were selected based on high school academic credentials and leadership skills, Patrone said. The recipients can pursue one bachelor's degree, one master's degree or an MBA, and one doctoral degree at Purdue or medical school through Indiana University. The program also covers related educational expenses and a one-semester study abroad opportunity.

The Beering Scholarship program was created by Purdue's ninth president, Dr. Steven C. Beering, who raised private funds for the endowment. An invitation to apply for the program is sent to the highest achieving high school seniors who are admitted by mid-December by the Office of Admissions. A committee reviews applications and determines the scholarship recipients.  

News Service contact: Greg McClure, 765-496-9711, gmcclure@purdue.edu 

Source: Catharine Patrone, 765-494-2906, cpatrone@purdue.edu