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NORTH MANCHESTER – Taylor Jo Bennett, a sophomore at Manchester University, was recognized at the Realizing the Dream banquet in Indianapolis on Feb. 28.
Realizing the Dream is a program by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) that annually celebrates a first-generation Indiana college student from each of the state's private, nonprofit colleges and universities. Recipients earn a $5,000 scholarship for outstanding achievement as they successfully advance toward completing their bachelor's degree, according to a news release from Manchester University
Bennett, of Pittsboro, Ind., is studying political science, sociology and peace studies.
"I've always aspired to become a lawyer, and my college education is going to get me to that next step of law school and allow me to see things differently and analyze a diverse range of issues and ideas," said Bennett. "I believe that that's truly what a college education is about - generating you into a more adaptive yet still opinionated human being."
At the banquet, recipients honored an inspiring educator who influenced their decision to attend college, and that educator receives a $1,000 professional development grant. Bennett selected Daniel Ross, a history teacher at Tri-West High School.
Recipients put together videos describing what it means to be a first-generation college student and thanking their influential educator. Bennett's Realizing the Dream video can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrfAtJsuqYs
