| ALUMNI & FRIENDS
NEWSLETTER |
| FEBRUARY 2025 |
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| Morgan Stevenson of Oak Farm Montessori School wins Pay It Forward Scholarship |
Oak Farm Montessori School senior Morgan Stevenson is the eighth winner of the full-tuition University of Saint Francis Pay It Forward Scholarship.
Saint Francis President Dr. Lance Richey and WANE-TV’s Sierra Tufts honored Stevenson with the scholarship in a ceremony on Dec. 12 at Oak Farm Montessori. Saint Francis partners with WANE-TV to promote the annual Pay It Forward Scholarship. Morgan was joined by her parents Kyle and Jennifer, sister Lyla, grandfather Bruce Coyle and fellow Oak Farm Montessori students and faculty. Her father Kyle earned a degree from Saint Francis in 1996.
The Pay It Forward Scholarship has a four-year value of more than $150,000, covering tuition and fees, and is awarded to an incoming Saint Francis student who goes above and beyond to serve others and “pay it forward.” Saint Francis and partner WANE selected Stevenson after she submitted an essay and shared her story in a WANE feature video. Stevenson will enter Saint Francis in the 2025-26 academic year.
The other Pay It Forward finalists—Christian Bratina of Perry Meridian High School, Indianapolis, and Olivia Tibbs of East Noble High School—will receive half-tuition scholarships.
Stevenson’s entry explained how she volunteered with the Humane Society and later channeled her volunteer service work to environmental science, taking an active role alongside local environmentalists in eradicating invasive species and helping to preserve local ecosystems. She also detailed how she has worked to serve others while experiencing life as a young woman with autism.
“Despite any obstacles I face, my commitment to bettering the community remains unwavering,” she wrote. “I’ve learned that community service is not just about giving back; it is also about discovering purpose and belonging.”
Stevenson plans to enter the field of medical imaging.
Other previous full-tuition winners of the Pay It Forward Scholarship and their high schools: Crystal Grunawalt (Concordia Lutheran), Kevin Brown (Adams Central), Maria Solis (Bishop Luers), Alexis Treesh (Prairie Heights), Mary Jones (Adams Central), Audrie Bowman (Huntington North) and Alexia Ramirez (Huntington North).
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