{"id":56869,"date":"2024-03-22T13:00:18","date_gmt":"2024-03-22T17:00:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/earlham.edu\/?p=56869"},"modified":"2024-03-22T13:05:28","modified_gmt":"2024-03-22T17:05:28","slug":"earlham-sophomore-carly-mays-selected-for-realizing-the-dream-scholarship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earlham.edu\/news-events\/earlham-sophomore-carly-mays-selected-for-realizing-the-dream-scholarship\/","title":{"rendered":"Earlham sophomore Carly Mays selected for \u2018Realizing the Dream\u2019 scholarship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Carly Mays, left, is pictured with Thom Christ, at a banquet honoring the 2024 Realizing the Dream Scholarship recipients.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n
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Earlham College sophomore Carly Mays has been selected for the \u201cRealizing the Dream\u201d scholarship by the Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supported by Lilly Endowment Inc., the $4,000 scholarship is awarded to 29 first-generation students \u2014 one from each of the ICI\u2019s member colleges and universities \u2014 in recognition of outstanding achievement in pursuit of a bachelor\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike most college students, I am young and eager to take on as many things as possible,\u201d said Mays in a video tribute published on ICI\u2019s website<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think my college education will allow me to keep that chase going, keep that drive going and keep that curiosity alive,\u201d she said. \u201cI also believe it will let me chase my dreams a little more.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scholarship recipients also select an influential educator that have supported them in their education. Mays selected Thom Crist, her former music director who is now working for Northside Middle School. Influential educators receive $1,000 in professional development grants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOne thing that really stands out to me is that he never gave up on me,\u201d Mays said. \u201cThere have been moments where I was ready to give up on all my progress and dreams and throw in the towel. He would be waiting there with an open mind and an open heart. He always knew exactly what to say and what direction to point me in.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As an Earlham College student, Mays benefitted from the LIFT program, which provides additional support to first-generation college students during their first year on campus. She was selected in 2023 to travel to Germany and the Netherlands as part of a fully funded excursion available only to LIFT students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThroughout the program, Carly consistently displayed thoughtful concern for the welfare of her peers, demonstrating both adaptability and reliability,\u201d said Amy Bryant, Earlham\u2019s library director and director of the LIFT program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All 29 scholarship recipients were celebrated at a banquet on Feb. 24 at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks to the continued support of Lilly Endowment, we get the opportunity to hear the inspiring stories of these first-generation students and the impact local educators have had on their drive to succeed academically,\u201d said Dottie L. King, ICI\u2019s president & CEO. \u201cThese scholarship awards will provide critical support for these young people who are dreaming of future success.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more information about this year\u2019s class of Realizing the Dream recipients, visit ici.org.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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About Earlham College <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 1847, Earlham College has fostered a collaborative learning community that inspires and motivates students with transformative opportunities and experiences so they can become catalysts for good in a changing world. Located in Richmond, Indiana, Earlham is one of U.S. News & World Report\u2019s Top 100 national liberal arts colleges and offers one of the top 20 classroom experiences in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Media contact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Brian Zimmerman<\/strong>
Assistant vice president of strategic communications
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Email: zimmebr@earlham.edu
Phone: 765.983.1256<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n