MIAMI COUNTY — The Miami County Bar Association has announced the awarding of its 2021 high school graduating senior scholarships of $1,500 each to five Miami County area graduating seniors. The bar association’s Scholarship Committee typically meets annually in April of each year to review scholarship applications submitted by area graduating seniors with the help of their school guidance counselors, but once again due to the COVID-19 emergency, this year’s meeting was delayed until mid-May. The committee solicits scholarship applications from Miami County’s nine public high schools, Troy Christian High School and Lehman Catholic High School. The committee then evaluates the applications and handwritten personal statements of the student applicants to make its awards.

The first 2021 graduating high school senior $1,500 scholarship recipient is Ella A. Gover of Lehman Catholic High School, the daughter of Jim and Tracy Gover of Piqua. At Lehman, Ella ranked 11th in her class and carried a weighted scholastic average of 101 while serving as a member of the National Honor Society, the Teen Leadership Corps and the Limelighters Acapella Choir as both a member and as the choreographer and sound engineer for the group. Ella has also performed in numerous ballets, musicals and recitals as a nine-year member of the Sidney Dance Company, and this fall she will major in Theater Production Design at Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn.

Next is Jaden M. Stine, a Newton High School graduating senior and the daughter of Daniel and Annette Stine of Troy. Jaden, who is also a member of the National Honor Society, ranked first in her class and carried a perfect 4.00 GPA at Newton while competing in varsity soccer, basketball and track, participating in Drama Club, high school choir and student council, including a term as president, and earning an associate’s degree through the College Credit Plus program at Edison State Community College. This fall, Jaden will major in English Education and American Sign Language at Lee University in Cleveland, Tenn.

This year’s third $1,500 scholarship recipient is Lauryn A. Williams, a graduating senior from Tippecanoe High School who lives with her mother Heather Means in Tipp City. Tipp High School does not issue class rankings, but Lauryn carried a weighted 4.18 GPA at Tipp and was inducted into the National Honor Society. At Tipp, Lauryn also competed in tennis and track and participated in the Octagon, World Language and Fashion Clubs as well as high school choir. Lauryn also earned multiple perfect attendance awards while working part-time. This fall Lauryn will major in Civil Engineering at the University of Dayton.

Next is Haylee M. Bridge, a graduating senior from Troy High School and the daughter of Matt and Gina Bridge of Troy. Haylee ranked 4th in her class of 323, carried a weighted GPA of 4.463, and was a three-year member of the National Honor Society at Troy while participating in football cheer, competition cheer and basketball cheer all four years of high school. Haylee also served as Student Body President, participated in the Astra, Key and American Sign Language Clubs, worked part-time at Winan’s and babysitting and volunteered for her Sunday school. Haylee also won the Bausch & Lomb Honorary Science Award. This fall Haylee will major in molecular genetics at The Ohio State University in Columbus.

This year’s fifth and final $1,500 scholarship recipient is Genevieve H. “Evie” Olding a graduating senior from Lehman Catholic High School who is the daughter of Bryan and Sara Olding of Sidney. At Lehman, Evie was also a member of the National Honor Society who ranked 19th in her class with a weighted scholastic average of 97.86. Evie also competed in soccer (as team captain her senior year), was a member of the Limelighters Acapella Choir, participated in the Interact and Cavs 4 a Cure Clubs, and served as a Kairos Leader and Student United Way Ambassador. Evie has also been a Camp Dalanda, Special Olympics, soup kitchen and Wilson Health volunteer and worked at babysitting and pet sitting. This fall Evie will major in Special Education at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green.

The Miami County Bar Association is also pleased to announce the award of its 2021 scholarship in the amount of $1,350 from the J. Andrew Fulker Memorial Scholarship Fund. The fund was established in cooperation with the Troy Foundation as a lasting tribute to the memory of Troy attorney J. Andrew Fulker who died in an auto accident in 1989.

The scholarship fund assists deserving law students who are residents of Miami County. The Scholarship Committee of the Miami County Bar Association selects recipients from year to year to receive grants that will apply to law school tuition. Scholarship eligibility requires that an applicant be admitted for full-time attendance at an accredited college or school of law in a program designed to lead to a Juris Doctor or similar law degree.

This year’s recipient of the J. Andrew Fulker Memorial Scholarship is Dylan H. Blair of Tipp City. Dylan’s parents are Jaydee and DiaLann Blair.

Dylan is a Miami County native who is about to graduate from the University of Cincinnati ranked 12/188 in his class with a 4.04 GPA.

At UC, Dylan participated in political debate, election polling and intramural football and basketball. In the Tipp community, Dylan is a self-employed handyman who attends Ginghams-burg United Methodist Church. He also ran for the Tipp City School Board.

Dylan plans to attend the University of Dayton School of Law in the fall.