HSPA Foundation annual awards aim to assist newspaper employee families
The Hoosier State Press Association Foundation has awarded two Legacy Scholarships to children of families tied to Indiana newspapers.
Kadence (Kadie) O’Bannon of Floyds Knobs is the daughter of Jon and Soni O’Bannon and the granddaughter of Judy O’Bannon. Jon is the president/publisher of The Corydon Democrat. Soni is the chief operating officer and Judy is chairman of the board. The O’Bannon family has operated the newspaper for 115 years.
Ella Peterson of Attica is the granddaughter of Phyllis Bowerstock who has served as a graphic artist at the Tribun-Star (Terre Haute) for 36 years.
Each scholarship is worth $1,000, which will go to pay for costs of the students to attend college. Both students are attending colleges in the state.
O’Bannon is a freshman at Indiana University in Bloomington. She is majoring in entreprenuership and management at the Kelly School of Business.
O’Bannon said she also has an interest in fashion and is thinking of starting her own vintage and streetwear clothing company in the future.
“The neat thing about HSPA’s Legacy Scholarships is that it is geared toward assisting the children and grandchildren of the rank-and-file employees of Indiana’s newspapers.”
— Mark Miller, HSPA Foundation board member
“Awarding me this scholarship means that you are investing in my future and the future of a Hoosier business,” O’Bannon wrote in her application. “I will work extremely hard to make sure that your investment will pay off.”
Peterson is a sophomore at Purdue University in West Lafayette and is studying animal sciences. In her application, Peterson said she is aiming to earn a master’s degree in animal sciences with a concentration in biosciences and then attend medical school to become a doctor of medicine.
“Your scholarship has an amazing meaning behind it and I would love to represent it to the best of my ability,” Peterson said.
Legacy Scholarship applications are accepted each spring for the two awards.
“The neat thing about HSPA’s Legacy Scholarships is that it is geared toward assisting the children and grandchildren of the rank-and-file employees of Indiana’s newspapers,” said Mark Miller, chairman of the Foundation Board’s Scholarship Committee. Miller is vice president and opinion page editor of The News-Banner in Bluffton.
Initially, the scholarships were awarded to students with plans to enter the field of journalism. But the focused changed to families who were already contributing to the profession.
The scholarships are a thank you to families that have contributed to the newspaper industry in the state, Miller said.
“As this year’s winners are announced, we hope that publishers, general managers and editors who read this will make a mental note to more widely promote the availability of these scholarships next year,” Miller said.
