WGU honors Public Service Recognition Scholarship winners

WGU Indiana awarded more than $29,000 to state employees via a second round of scholarships intended to help working adults explore new educational opportunities.

Seven state employees were selected as this year’s recipients of Public Service Recognition Scholarships, which offered monetary rewards of $2,400 or $6,500 for graduate and undergraduate students.

WGU staff including Chancellor Alison Bell and strategic partnerships manager Lindsay Taylor organized a special presentation for the scholarship winners which was held Nov. 22 in the Indiana Statehouse. The ceremony served to shine a light on this year’s winners, who serve their fellow Hoosiers as exemplary employees of state of Indiana agencies.

“I love what we do, but this may be one of my favorite things,” said Chancellor Bell. “It’s so rewarding to me to celebrate you and your accomplishments, and to watch where you go with this opportunity.”

Lucie Nader, an Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles clerical assistant, was one of this year’s $6,500 scholarship winners. She started taking online classes in September in pursuit of her MBA with the goals of “enhancing [her] leadership skills and gaining confidence.” Lucie was accompanied by her parents, Bassam and Randa, at the event, who smiled and snapped photos from their cell phones as she shook hands with Chancellor Bell. Lucie beamed as she received her official scholarship award document denoting her accomplishment.

Lucie previously said she felt “exhilarated and grateful” upon learning she’d been selected for the scholarship. The scholarship gave her a financial boost that helped her start her MBA program in September.

Lucie was joined by fellow state employees Christopher Henderson and Anthony “A.J.” Hedge, both of whom are seeking MBA’s in the field of Information Technology (IT).

Anthony recently completed his bachelor’s degree in IT from WGU Indiana, and is now in the process of pursuing his M.S. in IT at the online university. He earned a $2,400 scholarship this fall to continue his studies. Anthony’s full-time work is for the Integrated Public Safety Commission.

Chris currently serves as IT director for the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority. He is pursuing an MBA in IT management, which began in October. Chris’ studies are going well, thanks in part to the convenience of WGU’s online courses which allow him to advance at a pace that suits him.

“I can take more time on subjects that are new or unfamiliar to me, and I also have the opportunity to demonstrate competence quickly and move on from subjects that I’ve already mastered,” he said.

Chris also said he enjoyed getting to meet WGU staff and his colleagues and fellow students during the reception. He called the event “humbling and exciting.”

“I was thankful to be able to share that moment with my wife, Rachael,” said Chris. “Meeting Chancellor Bell, the other honorees, and the past awardees and WGU graduates was a great experience. We’re a small cohort, but getting to meet awesome people, like Anthony Hedge with IPSC and Lucie Nader with BMV, was inspiring. We might be in different phases of our careers and our journeys through life, but we share a commonality in our pursuit of education and balancing that with our service to Hoosiers. I hope to be able to serve as a resource to my fellow students, if they should need any assistance, and I know that I won’t be afraid to reach out to my new friends when I need a helping hand.”

Indiana State Personnel Department deputy director of Talent Management Mikka Jackson was also on-hand to ceremonially accept the $29,100 awarded to state employees. This year marked the second consecutive in which WGU Indiana offered scholarships specifically for state of Indiana employees. In 2018, 10 employees were each awarded $5,000 scholarships. Two of those winners were in attendance to support their state employee colleagues at this year’s reception.

Diana Augustine commuted from Terre Haute to be part of the presentation at the Statehouse. She’s continuing her program at WGU Indiana while working with the FSSA Bureau of Developmental Disabilities. She expressed gratitude at the new educational opportunities the scholarship has provided her.

Another of last year’s scholarship winners, Tamara Havics, has since completed her MBA. Tamara works as an environmental engineer for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Office of Air Quality.

The full list of 2019 Public Service Recognition Scholarship winners:

• Anthony Hedge, Integrated Public Safety Commission ($2,400)
• Lucie Nader, Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles ($6,500)
• Chris Henderson, Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority ($2,400)
• Kristina Govert, Family and Social Services Administration – Division of Family Resources ($2,400)
• Terry Bryant, Office of the Attorney General ($2,400)
• Gayle Turner, Family and Social Services Administration – Office of General Counsel ($6,500)
• Amy Holeman, Indiana State Police ($6,500)

Story by Brent Brown, Indiana State Personnel Department