Seventeen Purdue University North Central students have been selected as recipients of a new scholarship program funded by the Northwest Indiana McDonald’s Operators (NIMO).
A financial gift was made to PNC to provide scholarships to students of all levels – freshman through master’s candidates – in all fields of study. The partnership with Purdue North Central was established in 2015 as part of NIMO’s commitment to supporting education in Northwest Indiana.
“Thank you to the Northwest Indiana McDonald’s Operators for awarding these generous scholarships to deserving Purdue North Central students,” said PNC Chancellor Dr. James B. Dworkin. “College affordability is a concern for most students and these scholarships will definitely help to ease some of the financial concerns that students face as they pursue their degrees. About 85 percent of all PNC graduates continue to live and work in Northwest Indiana following their graduation and we all look forward to seeing these talented individuals become our business and community leaders in the years ahead.”
“The Northwest Indiana McDonald’s Operators believe that education is a true game-changer,” said Bob Mazzaro, president of NIMO and a McDonald’s restaurant owner/operator. “We founded this scholarship to help provide access to higher education for local students in Northwest Indiana. It is a privilege to celebrate their academic success and help support them as they continue along their educational journey.”
Scholarships were awarded in three categories:
1. McDonald’s Future Leaders – Ten scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded to freshman-level students pursuing a degree in any area of study.
Shy-Anne Bolde
Jonathon Dickens
Taylor Briel
Abigail Halaschak
Nolin Bruns
Jacob Moore
Maria Cervantes
Jessica Wallen
Gustavo Cisneros
Madeline Wojasinski
2. McDonald’s Students of the Year –Seven scholarships of $1,000 each were awarded one student from each department: College of Business; College of Engineering & Technology; College of Liberal Arts; College of Science; Graduate Studies; Athletics; PNC Student Organizations.
Aaron Ciesielski – Graduate Studies
Kurt Urbanski – Student Organizations
Ellyn Johansen – College of Liberal Arts
Kristin Wesse – College of Science
Ashley Starcevich – Athletics
Lindsey Carol Zajac – College of Business
Sam Swanson – College of Engineering & Technology
3. McDonald’s Scholar of the Year – Aaron Ciesielski, a Student of the Year scholarship recipient, was chosen as the Scholar of the Year and awarded an additional $3,000 scholarship.
“We are passionate about initiatives that support ongoing education and community collaboration,” said Sam Lubeznik, a McDonald’s owner/operator in LaPorte County. “The 2015 NIMO Scholarship recipients are an exceptional group of students who live these core values everyday – both in the classroom and in their personal lives.”
The NIMO Scholarship was established to recognize individuals who have demonstrated a strong commitment toward achieving their academic goals while exhibiting leadership through service of others. The scholarship program is open to full-time students who are residents of Northwest Indiana, have achieved academic excellence (minimum 2.75 GPA), support their community through volunteer activities, serve in a leadership role in a campus club or organization and are currently employed while pursuing a degree.