We had a record number of candidates, and many of them excellent.  The commitee was forced to get super, super picky.  We looked at grades.  We read letters of recommendation.  We analyzed essay answers.  And we compared candidates to one another.

 

Whew.  It was a good thing that everyone in the room were friends, or the selection may have gotten ugly.  Actually the committee had a great time, and the spirited discussions just added to the fun.

 

In the end we selected two great candidates.  Profiles of both are located on the public page of our website for scholarships.  But just for our members, we wanted to share the following message.

 

Special Message to Our Membership from Samantha Montgomery (2016 winner)

 

To all INAEP members,

 

I want to thank all INAEP members for supporting my education and helping me to launch a career in the environmental field by selecting me as the graduate scholarship recipient.  It is incredibly encouraging to me to have a group of professionals in the field tell me that I am a good investment for the future of environmental work in Indiana.  I promise your investment will pay off as I enter the field after graduation.  It is also a relief to know that my financial burden is less due to your generosity.  I further wanted to thank everyone for th warm welcome at the quarterly meeting last night.  I look forward to attending future events.  Anyone is welcome to contact me with questions about my interests in the field or with career advice.  I would greatly appreciate it.

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Thank you,

 

Samantha Montgomery