Four area high school students awarded scholarships by Purdue Northwest’s Office of Concurrent Enrollment

Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) Office of Concurrent Enrollment awarded its first scholarships to area high school students who participated in the concurrent enrollment program.

The scholarship recognizes four highly motivated and engaged students wishing to attend PNW. Among the recipients were Nathan Karnezis of Munster, Cameron Wickersham of Westville, Antionette Yasko of La Porte, and Elise Richards of Boone Grove.

Students who completed a minimum of 3 dual credit courses in high school and enrolled as full-time PNW students starting this fall semester were eligible. They also needed to have a minimum 3.5 high school GPA.

Winners wrote a 500-word essay explaining the impact taking university coursework while in high school had on their decision to attend college.

Scholarship winner Nathan Karnezis said, “I am indeed honored and was greatly surprised by the scholarship. I am grateful and very humbled to be the first recipient.”

Concurrent enrollment, also known as dual credit, allows students at participating high schools to take courses that count toward both high school and college credit. Data on concurrent enrollment programs statewide indicates an academic and economic benefit to high school students, as well as a pathway to higher education.

According to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education (ICHE), Purdue Northwest is second among Indiana’s public four-year universities offering concurrent enrollment in both the number of students enrolled in dual credit courses and number of credits awarded. A 2019 Commission report cites PNW with awarding 34,139 total dual credits to 2,934 Indiana students.

“The awarding of these scholarships allows us to recognize the exceptional performance of these students in their concurrent enrollment coursework in high school and distinguishes these students from their peers,” said Anne Gregory, director of PNW’s School of Education and Counseling. “We are excited to welcome these four individuals to PNW this fall.”

“It is definitely helpful in paying for college and the dual credit program is wonderful in so many different ways. It really allows a student to prepare for college with both time management skills and getting a feel for the workload that college requires,” said Antionette Yasko. “I would definitely recommend the dual credit courses offered by PNW for high school students.

It is a great way to earn college credit at an affordable rate.”

PNW’s nationally-accredited concurrent enrollment program has partnership agreements with 31 Indiana high schools across Lake, La Porte and Porter and counties.