Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) and WTHI-TV are proud to announce that Samantha Robbins and Katelyn Gosnell from Terre Haute South Vigo High School and Heather Martin from West Vigo High School have been chosen as recipients of the Top Ten on 10 Scholarship.

Samantha Robbins has proven herself as a leader in her school and in the community. She has participated in a number of clubs and organizations, including Theater, Drama Club, Peer Ed, PEERS Project, Show Choir, Wind Ensemble, Pep Band, and Pipe and Drum Corps. She has also been a member of the Marching Band and has served as the Drum Major for two years. 

Prior to moving to Terre Haute, Robbins lived in Anderson, Ind., where she was a member of the Anderson Area Children’s Choir and the Anderson Area Youth Chorale. She also participated in the Sensational Idol Competition and, as one of the finalists, recorded a single on a CD.

While Robbins definitely has a passion for music and the arts, she is equally passionate about using her time, talents and skills to give back and make a difference.

“I enjoy helping others less fortunate … In middle school I spear-headed a collection for the California Wildfire victims and also a food drive the following year for a local food bank,” Robbins said in her scholarship application.

While attending Highland High School, Robbins also took up collections for the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Most recently, Robbins and her mother joined the Terre Haute Humane Society as volunteers, and they have already fostered four puppies.

Robbins, who plans on pursuing a major in women and theatre, said she is honored to receive the Top Ten on 10 Scholarship and she is looking forward to attending SMWC.

“Being selected as the recipient of the Top Ten on 10 scholarship was quite a Christmas present,” Robbins said. “I am honored to have been chosen, and I am truly grateful for both the scholarship and for the opportunity to attend Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College.”

A four-year honor student at Terre Haute South Vigo High School, Katelyn Gosnell has not only excelled academically, but she has also used her time, talents and skills to provide leadership to her church, school and her community.

At Terre Haute South, Gosnell was a three-year member of the Girls’ Varsity Swim Team and a four-year member of the Girls’ Varsity Golf Team. She has also volunteered her time to the Link Crew, Student Senate, Junior Prom decorating committee and Habitat for Humanity.

Gosnell is also proud to be a part of the Junior Department Club, which performs volunteer acts, like the Clothe-a-Child drive, to help those in need. In addition, Gosnell volunteers in the Perpetual Adoration Chapel at St. Patrick Parish.

“All of the time and effort I have put into civic clubs, church and school has reinforced my definition of community as a close knit group of people working toward a common goal,” Gosnell said in an essay. “A successful community reaches their goals through the selfless acts of people giving their time, treasure and talents.”

Gosnell said she plans on majoring in psychology, and she looks forward to becoming a part of the SMWC community.

“I am very excited about this opportunity to be a part of the long-lasting traditions at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods,” Gosnell said. “Not only is the campus beautiful, but I know I will receive a quality education.”

As a member of the National Honor Society and a student in many Advance Placement classes, Heather Martin has certainly excelled academically at West Vigo High School, but she has also committed much of her high school career to performing and helping others.

Martin plays piano, flute and piccolo, and she has participated in the Performing Arts Workshop with the Vigo County School Corporation for four years. And, for the last three years, Martin’s volunteer activities with Race for the Cure and Special Olympics have helped her realize how fulfilling it is to help others and encourage them to reach their goals.

She said she has also gained some new perspective on life through her job at the Bratt Animal Hospital.

“I enjoy working with the animals and seeing all the different personalities and abilities they can have,” Martin said in her scholarship essay. “Working at this animal hospital has helped me to see that there is so much more to life than just work. It is possible to enjoy the things you do and also make a difference to many different people.”

Martin, who has not yet decided on a major, said she is thrilled to have the opportunity to attend SMWC.

”I am honored to receive this award and to be able to attend a college that is so rich in academic achievement and tradition,” Martin said. “I am looking forward to furthering my education through [Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College] and meeting the challenges that lie ahead."

The Top Ten on 10 Scholarship Competition, sponsored by Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and WTHI-TV, is open to any female student enrolled in grade 12 in a public, private or parochial school in the WTHI viewing area. Female students in grade 12 who are homeschooled are also encouraged to apply.

From October to February, 10 students are chosen to receive a $13,000 renewable SMWC scholarship. Winners are chosen based on academic records, leadership and community service roles, high school/community references and a written essay. From the 10 winners, two students are chosen to receive $20,000 renewable SMWC scholarships.

To be considered for the competition, students must submit a completed application, a high school transcript, SAT or ACT scores, two recommendation forms accompanied by letters of recommendation (one from a school official and one from a community member), and a written essay. The application can be submitted online at www.smwc.edu, and the additional application materials can be submitted via US mail or in person.

Deadline for receipt of all application materials is 4:30 p.m. on the first Friday of every month. Materials received after the deadline will be considered for the following month’s competition. Once a student has applied for the award, she does not need to reapply. If she is not named a scholarship recipient during the month in which she applies, her application will be considered for the award during the following months.

Founded in 1840 by Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and the Sisters of Providence, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is the oldest Catholic liberal arts college for women in the United States. Today, SMWC thrives by offering a rich liberal arts education, scholarships and financial aid opportunities to make college affordable, individual attention, a value-centered education in a Catholic tradition, and a wide variety of student leadership activities. In fact, both Princeton Review and U.S.News & World Report rank SMWC as one of the Best Baccalaureate Colleges in the Midwest.

The College is committed to making private higher education affordable. Approximately 95% of campus-based undergraduate students at SMWC receive academic or need-based financial aid, and, this year, the College will grant approximately $3 million in institutional aid.

For more information about the Top Ten on 10 Scholarship Competition or Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, contact the SMWC Office of Admission by email at smwcadms@smwc.edu or by phone at 812-535-5106 or 1-800-926-SMWC.