The community is always the number one priority for a local chamber of commerce, and this commitment to building a better economy, bringing in business, and increasing the opportunities for a community and its citizens to thrive is alive and well in St. John.
The members of the St. John Chamber of Commerce work hard to support and enhance local business in the area, but they also are doing their part to ensure that the seeds of growth for the future are firmly planted in the present.
This commitment to the growth of St. John is evidenced through their yearly scholarship program which gives four $1,000 scholarships to the students in the area.
There’s no educational red tape or criteria to apply, either. Anyone at any school in Northwest Indiana is welcome to apply, as long as they fit the one stipulation for the scholarship.
“You have to be a resident of St. John,” Gina Fezler, President of the St. John Chamber of Commerce, told IIMM.
Throughout the years, the scholarship, which is awarded based on criteria such as academic performance and community involvement, has given kids from Hanover Central, Lake Central, and even schools further into The Region, like Andrean and Bishop Noll, the chance to succeed and grow in the next step in their educational careers.
And, hopefully, these students will someday return to St. John after their education and help in the Chamber’s effort in building a better St. John.
“This scholarship is all about community,” added Fezler. “The scholarship project’s inception was as a way to give back to the community and we make sure that every aspect is community oriented.”
And it’s the community involvement aspect, Fezler adds, that the chamber can never have too much of.
“If there’s anyone in St. John that knows about a kid doing great things at school we would encourage them to nominate that student, or ask that student’s family to help them apply for our scholarship. We would love to grow this project and continue doing more to support the great kids in the area.”
For more information on how to apply for a scholarship, feel free to visit the St. John Chamber’s scholarship page here.
Want to help even more? Get involved in events like the St. John Chamber/Tri-Town Rotary Corn Roast and know the your good time is going to a good cause like the scholarship program.