Kristy Campbell Honored Posthumously

Posted: Wednesday, November 22, 2017 11:00 pm | Updated: 7:52 am, Thu Nov 23, 2017.

BRUSHY PRAIRIE — When Kristy Campbell was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Hoosier Award from Gov. Eric Holcomb in October it came as a big surprise to her family.

She was nominated for the award by a former student and Prairie Heights theater alumni Andrew Criswell.

The award is one of the highest awards given, at the discretion of the governor, to Hoosiers that bring honor to the state through character and accomplishments. The family was told she is the first recipient of the award posthumously.

Campbell passed away in August 2004 after battling leukemia that was diagnosed in 2002.

Campbell was a 31-year educator, teaching English and speech at Prairie Heights. She also was involved with many school activities, including the theater and drama department.

Her husband, Jerry, said she was instrumental in the design and construction of the Brice G. Diehl Performing Arts Center.

“The only place for performances (prior) was the stage in the gym, and she had to fight to get it,” he said. “They were only able to do one show a year.”

The performing arts center opened in 1991 with a floor and layout designed by Campbell. She also took the drama department from one show a year to three, doing three shows annually on a budget of just $3,000.

Her husband built a lot of the early sets until she got the approval for a theater trades class to build them, although Jerry still helped a lot, as did other parents involved with the drama program.

“It was a community concept, for sure,” he said.

Her students were so important to her, and in turn she was important to each of them. Many have gone from Prairie Heights onto larger stages across the country either as performers or directors.

Campbell was the first high school director in the country to obtain the rights from Disney to perform “Beauty and the Beast” on a high school stage. It was one of her favorite shows, ever, along with “Curious Savage” and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

The 2017-2018 school year drama season has already seen “Joseph” return to the Prairie Heights stage, and will see “Curious Savage” and “Beauty and the Beast” return as well, as director Corrine Reed is dedicating this season’s shows all to Campbell.

The redone stage in the Brice G. Diehl Performing Arts Center has also been renamed to the Kristy Campbell Memorial Stage in her honor.

Russ Helper, a colleague of Campbell’s, was the one that started the campaign to have the stage dedicated to Campbell. He proposed the idea to the school board two years ago, said Jerry, and kept after the board until it was finally approved.

During her tenure, Campbell directed over 50 shows at Prairie Heights.

At the award ceremony in October, Jerry said a number of students spoke about how much she meant to them over the years.

Shortly after her death, Jerry and the family established a scholarship fund in her name.

Scholarship Applications Online – Update for 2017-2018 Application Period

Dear Scholarship Applicants,
 
I’d like to share an update on the Community Foundation of Noble County’s online scholarship platform.
 
After taking a thorough look at our current software, we decided to transition to a new scholarship platform. For several weeks we have worked diligently to build and prepare this new system. In order to offer your students a high-quality scholarship experience, we need some additional time to fully prepare the system.
 
As a result, our system will be available for your students sometime in December, and we’ve extended the application deadline to January 31, 2018 to accommodate the delay.
 
We will keep you updated on our progress, as well as provide you with information on navigating the new system. In the mean time, you can check our Facebook page and/or our website, www.cfnoble.org for updates.
 
As always, you can call or email with questions.
 
Thank you for your patience, and for sharing this information.
 
Jennifer Shultz
Director of Communications and Scholarships
w: www.cfnoble.org e: jennifer@cfnoble.org

Students Interview for Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship

Ten Top Honor students were recently interviewed for Noble County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship at the Community Foundation of Noble County.

Selection of the students was based on their applications submitted in September to the community foundation which were reviewed by a panel of judges representing the central, east and west part of Noble County.

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides four years of full-tuition and required fees awarded to one well-rounded high school senior who resides in Noble County, that will receive a diploma from an accredited Indiana high school by the end of June 2018, and will pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an accredited public or private college or university in Indiana. Community Foundation of Noble County also requires community service, volunteerism, extra-curricular activities, leadership roles and honors and awards and at least a 3.80 high school grade point average.

Students interviewed were: Delaney Andrews – Central Noble Jr./Sr. High School, Zachery Brazel  – Central Noble Jr./Sr. High School, Adam Dills – East Noble High School, Madelyn Fortman – East Noble High School, Erika Maneke – Central Noble Jr./Sr. High School, Reginald Parker – Central Noble Jr./Sr. High School, Sahil Patel – East Noble High School, Paige Skinner – Central Noble High School, Nathan Walz – Concordia Lutheran High School and Kyra Warren – East Noble High School

Names of the top candidate and two alternates will be submitted for final selection approval to Independent Colleges of Indiana Inc. ICI is a nonprofit organization that represents 31 regionally accredited, degree-granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships are the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education, according to the community foundation. Indiana ranks among the lowest states in the percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree. A total of 143 Lilly scholarships are awarded statewide.

The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.

The Noble County recipient of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship will be announced in early December 2017.

Other finalists for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Community Foundation of Noble County.Pictured seated from left are: Madelyn Fortman, Kyra Warren, Paige Skinner, Erika Maneke, Delaney Andrews. Standing from left: Sahil Patel, Adam Dills, Reginald Parker, Nathan Walz, Zachery Brazel.

Drug Free Noble County Awarded Grant

For Immediate Release

In 2016, former Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller seeded the creation of a statewide network of Indiana foundations with a $500,000 matching grant from Indiana’s Consumer Protection Education Fund. These foundations collectively matched $500,000 by December 31, 2016. This network was named the Indiana Network for the Prevention and Treatment of Opioid Addiction (INPTOA). The INPTOA’s purpose is to provide single county and multi-county collaborative grants to assess, prevent, and treat opioid addiction, and provide community financial support for housing, employment, monitoring, and counseling. Their priority is placed on awarding grants to underserved areas of Indiana and for innovative approaches to addiction. This network was found necessary because opioid abuse and addiction is a nationwide epidemic and Indiana is one of the most affected states.

On July 28, 2017, the INPTOA awarded sub-grants to the following foundations:

  • Community Foundation of Elkhart County
  • Community Foundation of Noble County
  • Community Health Network Foundation
  • Healthcare Foundation of La Porte
  • K21 Health Foundation
  • The Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne
  • The Lutheran Foundation

After the Lutheran Foundation secured funding for the region, the Community Foundation of Noble County made a proactive matching grant that will bring a $50,000 investment back to Drug Free Noble County.

Drug Free Noble County will use the funding to design and implement programming that will assess, prevent, and treat OPIOD addiction.  In addition, support for housing, employment, monitoring and counseling for those in recovery will be available.

According to the Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health, drug overdoses overtook the number of motor vehicle deaths in 2008.  In addition, opioid use disorder resulted in $31.9 million for nonfatal ER visits, and drug overdose fatalities cost $1.4 billion (including medical costs and lost lifetime earnings for victims).  The Community Foundation of Noble County is pleased to support this important work in our community.

 

Jenna Ott Named as New Executive Director

Ligonier – The board of directors of the Community Foundation of Noble County have announced a new executive director.  Jenna Ott of Albion will take over the daily oversight of the organization.

Ott is a graduate of Churubusco High School and a long-time resident of Noble County.  She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from Manchester University, and she completed her MBA at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne.

For nearly nine years, Ott has worked as a Program Officer at the Dekko Foundation where she manages a portfolio of grants and mentors a youth philanthropy leadership team.  Before coming to the Dekko Foundation, Ott worked in development for the Community Foundation of Whitley County, and she spent time in fund development at LEAP of Noble County.

Ott will replace interim executive director, Mark Demske.  Demske was appointed in March 2017 after the unexpected passing of Linda Speakman-Yerick, who served as the executive director since late 2008.  Demkse will resume his duties as a member of the community foundation’s board of directors and its committees.

In announcing the news, Rebecca Schroeder, Vice President of the board of directors stated “We are very grateful Mark stepped up to take on the role to serve the community foundation and help with the transition during the difficult time of Linda’s passing. Through Demske’s efforts, the community foundation has been able to thrive during the transition, allowing the organization’s good work to continue to impact Noble County for the better.”

Ott and husband Mike live in Albion with their three children, Warner, Weston and Delaney. Outside of work, Ott prefers to spend her time with family and friends, and is active in her home parish of Immaculate Conception Ege.  She is a busy 4-H mom and loves attending various sporting events as her children’s biggest fan.  Ott stated “I am honored to have been chosen for this important role in our community.  Community foundations are uniquely positioned to help ensure the success of our county for the future, and I am excited to be part of an organization that will impact Noble County residents for generations to come.”

Ott will begin her duties at the community foundation on July 19.  A welcome reception will be held at a later date.

“Donor Stories” Part 4 is Out

Our new “Donor Stories” Video is out!

“Have people come together as a community, like a community should be, like a family, and have that one love and that one passion to make everyone’s life better.”

Part 4 of 4 from our brand-new video series, “Donor Stories.”

Featuring Kellie Waring, former president of PULSE.

“Donor Stories” Part 3 is Out

Our new “Donor Stories” Video is out!

“Make the community and county a better place to live and raise your family. Bottom line, that is what it is all about.”

Part 3 of 4 from our brand-new video series, “Donor Stories.”

Featuring John Riemke, former board member and Mayor of Kendallville.

“Donor Stories” Part 2 is Out

Our new “Donor Stories” Video is out!

“In big and small ways we can help small groups and small ideas that are in our community – we can help make big things happen.”

Part 2 of 4 from our brand-new video series, “Donor Stories.”

Featuring Nancy Shambaugh, former board member.

“Donor Stories” Part 1 is Out!

Our new “Donor Stories” Video is out!

“I think as we recognize young people as the future of this country, it’s very encouraging to be connected with that type of scholarship fund that’s going to help them grow into the type of people that they really hope to be.”

Part 1 of 4 from our brand-new video series, “Donor Stories.”

Featuring George Bennett, former board president.

2017 College Scholarship Winners Announced

The Community Foundation of Noble County recently awarded a total of $126,000 in scholarships during the 2016-2017 scholarship season to area high school and college students including college student Christina Coats of Ligonier, who received the Oliver and Eleanor Ellenbecker Previous Award Winner scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to students who previously received a one-year or two-year scholarship administered by the Community Foundation of Noble County.  Coats was also the recipient of the Noble County Retired Teachers’ Association Scholarship awarded to a resident of the West Noble School District who will have a high school diploma or equivalent by the end of June 2017 and will be enrolled in a certified 1-, 2-, 3-, or 4-year Indiana post -high-school program (the award is given in alphabetical rotational distribution among the three school corporations of Noble County.) Coats a, 2015 West Noble High School graduate, is Secondary Mathematics Education/Dance at Anderson University.

Lynsee Devers a 2016 graduate of East Noble High School was also a recipient of the 2017 Oliver and Eleanor Ellenbecker Previous Award and the Nathan Shumaker Memorial Scholarship awarded to students in the second or subsequent year of college who received some or all of K-12 schooling through home school or a Christian School. Shumaker was an East Noble High School sophomore and member of the East Noble Car Team at the time of his death in 2005. Nathanial Scott Shumaker was 16 when he died in an automobile accident on U.S. 6 in Wawaka Friday, Sept. 30, 2005. Devers is studying Music Therapy at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Alyssa Yoquelet a 2016 graduate of East Noble High School was also the recipient of the Oliver and Eleanor Ellenbecker Previous Award Winner scholarship and the Paul Pelikan Memorial Scholarship awarded to a student who has demonstrated great effort to achieve and overcome adversity with preference given to educationally challenged students.  Yoquelet is studying Christian Education/Biblical Literature at Indiana Wesleyan University.

Maggie Kitt received the Tony and Gertrude Kichler Scholarship.  This scholarship is awarded to a high school senior or college student who resides in Green or Noble Townships who is pursuing a college education in music, medicine or religion. Kitt, a 2014 Churubusco High School graduate,  is studying biochemistry at the University of Evansville.
Daniel Kane a 2016 East Noble High School graduate is the recipient of the 2017 Talia Joy Smith Performing Arts Scholarship.  This scholarship is for an East Noble High School senior, or previous East Noble High School graduate or new or current student at New York University in the Musical Theatre Program who is pursuing a four-year performing arts degree majoring in either vocal performance or musical theater in the fall of 2017.  All applicants must have a cumulative GPA in high school (or college) of at least 3.00 on a 4.00 scale.  Preference is given to persons graduating in 2017 from East Noble High School.

The Community Foundation of Noble County is home to a variety of scholarships for college, adult and high school seniors. The 2018 application for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship will be offered online in July 2017 for one well-rounded high school senior who resides in Noble County, that will receive a diploma from an accredited Indiana high school by the end of June 2018, and will pursue a full-time baccalaureate course of study at an accredited public or private college or university in Indiana.  High school seniors should check back with the community foundation regarding specific criteria requirements. Deadline for this scholarship application will be September 6, 2017. All other scholarships offered through the community foundation will be available online at the foundation’s website www.CFNoble.org  in mid-November 2017.