WINONA LAKE - Abbey Silliman, a Grace College sophomore from New Paris, was recently one of 30 Hoosier students to receive the “Realizing the Dream” scholarship from Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI).
Each of the honorees is a sophomore student who has “realized the dream” to be the first in his or her family to attend college, according to a news release from Grace College.
The event is made possible by the support of Lilly Endowment Inc. Each honoree received a $4,000 scholarship to help with college costs.
One out of every three students on ICI campuses is first-generation. Financial aid provided by ICI institutions, combined with state and federal grants, makes a private college education a possibility for all Hoosier students, including Silliman.
Silliman was inspired to pursue higher education to further her entrepreneurship.
“I am a double major in marketing and management,” said Silliman. “I hope to open up my own coffee shop where I serve home-roasted coffee beans and good coffee. I also hope to make homemade pop tarts."
As a sophomore, Silliman serves as a student mentor, pouring her time and energy into helping first-year students. On campus, she assists students through their first-year courses, coordinates breakout groups and helps professors with grading. During this process, Silliman has grown as a leader and developed skills that will help her as an entrepreneur.
“I chose to pursue this because my student mentor had a big impact on my life last year,” Silliman said. “I wanted to come alongside freshmen and help mentor them through their first year of school.”
When she found out she had been awarded the Realizing the Dream Scholarship, Silliman was shocked. “When it sunk in that it was real, I was so grateful and honored that I was chosen for this award,” she said.
Silliman is also thankful for the mentors who helped lead her to where she is now. She invited one of these mentors, Dan Bauer, a former culinary teacher in high school, to join her at the ICI reception.
“Dan was my culinary teacher in high school, and he was my inspiration to further my education,” said Silliman. “He also taught me a lot of what I know about baking.”
Dr. Norris, another mentor in Silliman’s life, has carried on this role in her college journey. Her first year at Grace, he helped ensure Silliman’s success, checking up on her and making sure she fit within the community. Furthermore, Norris encouraged Silliman to take on the position as a student mentor.
“Dr. Norris has also had a big impact on my life,” said Silliman. “He was my faculty mentor last year, as a freshman, and now I get the honor of working beside him as the current faculty mentor for my students.”
Grace College provides significant financial aid for students. Nearly 25% of its incoming students attend Grace tuition-free through a combination of federal, state and institutional aid.
For more information about Grace College, including financial aid and scholarship information, visit http://www.grace.edu/admission or call 866-974-7223.