Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and WTHI-TV announce that Chelsea Meeks of Vincennes and Katie Paxton of Rockville have been chosen as the December recipients of the Top Ten on 10 Scholarship.

Meeks has been on the honor roll at Vincennes Rivet High School since her freshman year. She’s been in the National Honor Society at Rivet since her sophomore year. Students in the society focus on volunteer work and each year Meeks does 10 hours of tutoring, six acts of kindness — such as fund-raising for St. Jude’s and taking gifts to area nursing homes, and volunteering at area food banks and kitchens.

Showing compassion and respect are important to Meeks. “Leaders show respect, trustworthiness, honesty and are willing to help others,” she said. “Leaders have to show compassion to others in order to help them.”

Meeks served on the student council her freshman and senior years. She’s also part of Students Against Destructive Decisions and Youth Inspiring Peers.

Meeks played on Rivet’s varsity basketball team all four years of her high school career, receiving such honors as first team all-conference, first team all-area, county leading scorer, and all-state honorable mention.

At SMWC, she plans to major pre-professional studies to either become an occupational therapist working with special needs children or go to medical school. “SMWC would be a great opportunity for me, it has small yet challenging classes, and a great learning environment,” Meeks said. “It would help me start off my career in the medical field. The small classes would help me get a one-on-one experience with my professors to help me learn the best way possible.”

Paxton is involved in student government and National Honor Society at Rockville High School as well as 4-H.

She’s received writing awards at her school — including an outstanding writing award and outstanding English student – and in her community, including winning a Daughters of the American Revolution essay contest. Paxton is on the high honor roll at Rockville High.

In Future Farmers of America, Paxton received her Green Hand Degree and is a Chapter Top 10 Scholar.

Paxton plans to study education at SMWC to one day be a teacher. She respects efforts to promote literacy by such people as former First Lady Laura Bush. “Her dedication to the continuous fight for literacy, early childhood education and exposure of literature is exhilarating, instilling in me a desire to impact the lives of future students,” Paxton said.

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.

Through February, 10 students will be 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 by 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.

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 e-mail at smwcadms@smwc.edu or by phone at (812) 535-5106 or 1-800-926-SMWC.