The Brown County Lions Club has awarded college scholarships to five Brown County residents: Emma L. Beck, Wylah Brahaum, Caleb Allen Doss, Natalie Marie Suding and Kathrine Grace Redding.
These five were chosen based on their service to school and community, their character, their academic ability and the special circumstances of their lives. Applicants had to be 2020 or 2021 high school graduates pursuing an academic or vocational college degree.
The one-year awards are for $1,000 each, provided through fundraising projects and scholarship endowments by the Brown County Lions Club.
Emma Beck has led students in music performance since early in her high school days and looks forward to a career in music education. She was in Marching Band, Pep Band, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and a cadet teacher for the seventh-grade band. Emma is a french horn player in the Brown County Community Band; was co-president, director and horn plauer for Brown County Legacy; and participated in the Community Jazz Band. She was chosen for the All-Regional Honor Band and a summer drum major clinic. In addition, to save money, she has worked at Brown County YMCA, Sweetea’s Tea Shop and Sam’s Club. Emma has overcome family deaths and loss. Now she believes she better understands needs of people in differing situations. She will be entering her second year at Indiana Wesleyan University as a music education major.
Wylah Brahaum has loved to take care of animals, beginning with strays that found their way to her home — chickens, rabbits, cats, and dogs. She helped them when they were sick or injured. She plans to pursue a career working with animals. She is a member and Junior Leader in 4-H. In high school she was a member of National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, and secretary of both the Spanish Honor Society and Students for Equity. She also participated in band and Winter Guard and worked on the Riley Dance Marathon that was suspended because of COVID-19. To begin her studies to become zoologist, Wylah plans to major in wildlife biology at Purdue University.
At age 5, Caleb Doss was diagnosed as a Type 1 diabetic following a serious illness that caused his immune system to attack his insulin cells. The resulting discipline of regular mealtimes, insulin injections and an eventual insulin pump, and the experiences of living with those disciplines in elementary and high school, raised his awareness of the need for assisting devices in medicine. He plans to become a biomedical engineer. During high school, Caleb was graphics production manager for Eagle Manufacturing and worked for Freddy’s Frozen Custard. He works part-time in workflow optimization at Bill Austin & Associates in Columbus; volunteered at the Brown County Music Center and as a band tutor for sixth-graders; was a four-year band member and in the Jazz Band and the Show Choir Band; and was a member of the Robotics Club. He has completed his first year at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis and IU Bloomington, where his grades have qualified him for the dean’s list.
Natalie Suding earned a 4.533 weighted grade point average and worked her way to membership in National Honor Society, Science Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, the History Club, and was secretary of Student Council where events are organized like homecoming, dances and spirit weeks. She is a four-year member of the volleyball and track teams, and of History Day where she went to nationals her sophomore year, placed second at state in a group documentary, and interviewed college professors across the state. She has volunteered for Brown County Booster Club events, for parks and rec social programs, the Hilly Half, Chocolate Walk, with the Red Cross as a blood donor and volunteer, and has planned events for clothes distributions and community service projects. She’s also worked at the Flower and Herb Barn, Yesteryear Old Time Photo and the Nashville IGA. She is interested in history, archeology, and anything that requires research and new insights. Backpacking in Spain sparked an interest in languages. She’s also interested in criminology or law. Any of these topics may turn into a major field of study for Natalie as she plans for her future at George Mason University this fall.
Kathrine Redding has always been involved in people-centered activity and she has especially been drawn to working with children. Whether it was feeding, playing with and caring for children as a babysitter; being a hostess; working with high ropes activities, archery, ax-throwing or maintenance at Camp Moneto; or serving as an Irish, jazz or tap dance instructor for 5- to 13-year-olds in Columbus, Kathrine is a servant leader. As a student at Columbus North, she earned certification and worked as a nursing assistant at Brown County Health and Living Community. She is interested in becoming a pediatric nurse. In high school, she was a member of National Honor Society, French Club, Health Occupation Students of America, and was dance captain and chorus member for North’s production of “Mary Poppins.” She is a 10-year member of both 4-H and the American Heritage Girls troop. Because of a family tradition of military service, she plans to join the ROTC program in college with the goal of serving as a nurse in the military. She will attend Cedarville University in the fall.
