Southridge senior first to receive Southwest Dubois Education Foundation scholarships
Southridge senior Makenna Hiter became the first Southwest Dubois Education Foundation scholarship recipient, winning two awards that could help carry her into a teaching career.
Southridge High School senior Makenna Hiter became the first student to receive the Southwest Dubois Education Foundation Scholarships, taking home both the Verla Flick Scholarship and the Thomas and Virginia Schnellenberger Scholarship. For a new foundation built to support students and staff in Southwest Dubois County schools, Hiter’s selection gave the group its first clear proof point.
The awards recognized a record that stretched beyond grades. Hiter’s high school career included golf, cheerleading and track and field, along with leadership roles as president of Educators Rising and secretary of the National Honor Society. She also took part in Raider Ambassadors, Spirit Club, Kindness Club, Key Club, Business Professionals of America and the Mayor’s Youth Council.
Her academic record matched that involvement. Hiter graduated with Academic Honors and Technical Honors, completed the Indiana College Core program, and earned both an Elementary Education Certificate and an associate degree from Ivy Tech. She plans to attend Indiana University to major in Elementary Education and Special Education, with a goal of returning to the community as a teacher and mentor.
The scholarships themselves were built to reward that kind of commitment. The Verla Flick Scholarship is a renewable $5,000 award for up to four years, and applicants must maintain at least a 3.5 GPA while pursuing an education degree at an Indiana university. The Thomas and Virginia Schnellenberger Scholarship honors a graduating senior for academic excellence, strength of character and service to school and community. Hiter fit that profile with a mix of school involvement, service and a clear path into education.
The Southwest Dubois County Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit formed in December 2024 to support educational opportunities in Southwest Dubois County schools through scholarships, classroom grants and partnerships. The first scholarship awards came as the foundation continued to build its presence in local schools. In May 2026, it awarded grants to Rachel Hopf of Holland Elementary and Hannah Doersam of Huntingburg Elementary. Hopf’s grant supported a new phonics resource for preschool classrooms, while Doersam’s grant helped fund bilingual literacy kits for students and families.
The foundation also accepts memorial gifts, planned giving, retirement account donations and direct contributions, a sign that the work is meant to grow beyond a single scholarship cycle. For families in Jasper, Huntingburg, Ferdinand and Holland, Hiter’s award showed what that investment can look like when it stays close to home: one student helped toward college, and one local foundation beginning to turn donor support into classroom impact and a stronger pipeline of future teachers.
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