Principal Sean Galiher announced that Penn High School students Hala Ansari, Manaal Buchh, Salem Fitwi and Luca Nijim were each awarded the prestigious 2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for St. Joseph County.

Lilly Endowment Community Scholars – awarded through the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County – are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character and leadership.

The Community Foundation received 109 applications from 14 schools, and submitted final nominees to the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, ICI, for the selection of scholarship recipients. Only four students from St. Joseph County were selected for a Lilly Scholarship, and all four are from Penn.

“We are very proud of our students who were selected for this scholarship,” said Galiher. “Each student has excelled in their academic pursuits, community service endeavors and leadership opportunities.” 

According to a release from the Community Foundation of St. Joseph County, each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years of undergraduate study on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects scholars with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI).

Ansari, Buchh, Fitwi and Nijim were appreciative of the scholarship.

“Receiving the Lily scholarship is an honor I never thought I would be able to achieve, but I am so glad I did,” Ansari said. “The nature of the scholarship encourages me to pursue my postgraduate education at a nearby University, allowing me to stay involved in the community, and assisting me in accomplishing my goal of improving the quality of life in our beloved town.”

Ansari considering attending Indiana University or the University of Notre Dame to major in Accounting/Finance and minor in computer science.

Buchh is considering attending Notre Dame, Indiana University, or Northwestern.

“The Lilly Scholarship, to me, is the confidence that there are people in this community who genuinely see potential in my ability to give back to my community,” Buchh said. “Lilly is a great honor I shall continue to work earnestly to deserve, and a great assurance I shall undoubtedly cherish for the rest of my academic career.

“Lilly gives me the opportunity to pursue the passions and interests I have at high caliber colleges while staying relatively close to my family. It also introduces me to like-minded peers who enjoy a challenging academic atmosphere as I do.”

Buchh intends to pursue a double major of Neuroscience and International Studies, and hopes to attend medical school post-undergrad, and plans to be a physician.

Fitwi is considering Notre Dame, the University of Pennsylvania, and Harvard. His intended major is Finance.

“Being named a Lilly Scholar is a great honor,” Fitwi said. “I couldn’t be more fortunate to receive this scholarship and be able to represent my school, my family, and my community in this amazing way. I look extremely forward to where this milestone will take me, and surely, will use this scholarship to accomplish great things.

“Lilly opens up a plethora of opportunities for me,m” Fitwi continued. “The Lilly Scholars Network is just phenomenal. It’ll give me the chance to engage with my fellow and past scholars in being a leader and in working together towards ultimately improving the quality of life in Indiana and in my community.”

Nijim is considering the University of Notre Dame as a path to study the applications of math and computer science.

“Earning the Lilly scholarship was a tremendous honor, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to be able to represent Penn on a larger scale,” Nijim said. I’m so excited to be a part of this community of Indiana learners and scholars! 

“After high school, I plan to continue my studies in the applications of math and computer science,” Nijim continued. “The biggest advancements of this century in technology and healthcare have been driven by data, and I want to be on the cutting edge of these advancements. I could see myself going on to create new statistical methods and machine learning algorithms, helping to make sense of and draw conclusions from the data available to us.”

Penn High School’s Sounds of the Season concert is back on for the Holiday Season. Student performers will be wearing masks, and audience members are also expected to wear a mask.

The performances are set for 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 10, and 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 11.

Tickets are $6 in advance and $8 at the door.

Click here to purchase tickets online in advance or tickets can be purchased at Penn the night/day of the concert one hour before show time at the box office.

Penn High School Principal Sean Galiher announced that four Penn Juniors have been named Rising Stars of Indiana.

Tanya Datta, Allison Yu, Janet Yu and Zichu Wang have been named by the Indiana Association of School Principals, through its Department of Student Programs, as Rising Stars of Indiana.

The program honors 1020 juniors from 262 schools in Indiana.

“The Class of 2023 is surely promised success with these scholars,” according to an IASP statement. “We congratulate these young people on all they have already achieved, as well as offer support and encouragement as they continue their accomplishments and expand their knowledge, growth, and leadership skills well into the future.”

The Penn High School String, Concert, Philharmonic, Chamer and Symphonic Orchestras – under the direction of Anne Tschetter and Zac Coudret, performed at the Tis the Season Concert on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

Penn High School and Discovery, Grissom and Schmucker Middle School students performed at the Kaleidoscope Concert on Wednesday, Nov. 17, 2021.

The Penn Symphonic Winds, the Advanced Jazz Ensemble, and the Penn Marching Kingsmen performed, as well as the combined middle school bands.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

Penn High School's Salem Fitwi has been selected as a Semifinalist in the 2021-2022 Coca-Cola Scholars Program.

Only 1,617 Semifinalists were chosen from more than 68,000 applicants based on outstanding leadership, academic achievements, and dedication to their community.

Three Penn Spellers competed in an Individual State competition.

Scores: Tasneem Ahmed 85/90, Ashley Oh 87/90, Felix Zhang 90/90.

Zhang earned the rank of Gold in the State, something only 1 other student achieved!
 

Penn placed second in the state as a team.

Everybody loves to buy pumpkins for their Autumn home decor, but what happens when Halloween passes and the pumpkins remain? 

Some people throw them in the trash, other people compost them and still others toss them in their garden to see if anything will grow.

Kylee Wetzel’s Hospitality Management class had other ideas, turn them into food!

The class took old, unwanted pumpkins and seeded, gutted and cleaned them.

They followed three different recipes to create delicious roasted pumpkin seeds! Take a look at the process below.

To download high-resolution jpg files from the photo gallery below, just simply click the “DOWNLOAD” button on the bottom right-hand corner of the photo while viewing it in the Photo Gallery function. We are happy to provide this service to you, free of charge!

Penn High School’s National Honor Society held a ceremony to induct new members. The event took place at the Center for Performing Arts on Tuesday, Nov. 16.

Click here for a list of NHS inductees.

A Photo Gallery is posted below.

The 2021 Penn High School Showcase will be held from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 6.

The Showcase allows incoming Freshmen (current Eighth Graders) and their families the opportunity to tour Penn, meet with staff and students, hear about the opportunities that one of Indiana’s top high school has to offer. 

All prospective Penn students and current Penn 9-11 graders and their families are also welcome to join us!

• Student Last Names A-L:  Enter through Doors B, C, D.
• Begin in the CPA to hear a presentation from counselors at 6 p.m. 
• Student Last Names M-Z:  Enter through Doors A, M, L.
• Begin by touring the building, visiting open classrooms, talking to staff & students, then hear a presentation from counselors at 7 p.m. 

Penn High School is filled with so many opportunities that the choices can be overwhelming. We want to help match the right opportunities with your student's goals. The administration and staff of Penn High School extend a welcome to you and your student to attend the upcoming Penn Showcase, which will allow you to investigate the many opportunities available. This Showcase night is for all students who will be attending Penn during the 2022-23 school year to come tour and learn more about Penn High School. This is a great time to speak to teachers and current students about course options. Some classes will be available to see live in action!

Elective Areas To Tour (Live Classrooms):

• Visual Art
• Business
• Family and Consumer Science
• World Languages
• Performing Arts
• Health & Wellness
• STEM

Besides the Live Classrooms, students and parents are encouraged to visit the Academy booths, which will be set up around the building, to gain information into the Academy structure at Penn High School. Teachers representing both Academy and elective classes will be available to answer questions and provide information. We will also have representatives of the Early College Academy, Exceptional Education and the Elkhart Area Career Center.

Penn Freshmen Counselors will give presentations about diploma types, graduation pathways, four-year planning, and more.  Last names A-L will attend the presentation at 6 p.m., while last names M-Z will have this opportunity at 7 p.m. Counselors will also be on hand to answer questions and meet with students and families.

Your involvement in your child’s education is vital to making their high school experience a positive one. We value your participation in decisions related to planning your child’s class schedule.  A collaborative effort between parents, students, teachers and counselors is essential and represents P-H-M’s “Triangle of Success!”