News

Emily Reese, the daughter of Mike and Sharon Reese, all of Connersville, received the Judge George L. Kerrigan Memorial Scholarship, and the Robert L. Joy Memorial Scholarship, both endowments of the Fayette County Foundation. Both are general scholarships that require applicants who have at least a 3.0 GPA and are  a graduating senior of Connersville High School.

 Judge George L. Kerrigan Memorial Scholarship was founded in 2000 by Elizabeth Kerrigan Roberts, George’s eldest daughter.  George and his wife, Ruth, had two daughters, the other beign Virginia; the couple had seven grandchildren at the time of his passing.  George was born Sept 12, 1917, in Connersville, to George Joseph and Elizabeth Stout Kerrigan. He was member and elder at First Presbyterian Church in Connersville. He lived in Connersville all his life and graduated from Connersville High School in 1936. He graduated from Indiana University in 1940. He obtained his LLD from Indiana Univerisity in 1942. He began practicing law in Connersville after graduation from law school. He served three terms as Fayette County Prosecutor and for many years was county attorney. He spent 12 years as Fayette County Circuit Court Judge, retiring in 1985. He was a member of Indiana State and American Bar Associations, he served on the Fayette County Library Board, and was active in the Connersville Area Chamber of Commerce. He was a loyal member of Elks and Eagles lodges in Connersville. He is a member and past president of the Connersville Country Club.

Robert L. Joy Memorial Scholarship was created through a gift from the Fayette County School Corporation in 2006. The Foundation is proud to receive gifts celebrating life. Through memorial gifts and tributes, we continue to build endowments and create an enduring legacy for generations in Fayette County. Instead of material gifts, choose gifts from the endowment list to honor your friends, family or business associates – gifts that help people and organizations here. Scholarship funds may be established in memory of an individual, for a specific field of study, for those planning to attend specific colleges or university or general post-secondary educations. Starting a scholarship is a great way to help eager individuals reach their academic goals.

Emily Reese is now attending Ball State University pursuing a degree in telecommunications, with an ultimate career goal of becoming a sports news broadcaster for ESPN. Emily explained, “Looking back I realize the exact moment I fell in love with sports was watching my brothers participate in baseball, football, basketball, and tennis. I also became involved in softball, volleyball, and basketball myself, which helped further my interest in sports. I recently realized my other love of media. My sophomore year I decided to take the first year of media classes just for fun. We learned about the basic rules and techniques of media, television, film, and radio. I loved the class and decided to take the next year of media. The following year we were given hands-on experience with making short videos preparing us for the follow year when we would be in charge of CHS Today. Joe Glowacki, the instructor for CHS Today, was the most influential person in helping me figure out my love for media. His inspiring stories and experiences showed me how wonderful the world of media and telecommunications can be. After looking at my life and what I truly love to do I decided to combine my two main passions, media and sports, together to make the perfect major of sports broadcasting.”

This year the Foundation awarded 34 scholarships to 19 students with $100,337 in tuition funds awarded.

Congratulations, Emily!