The Henry E. Bennett Achievement Foundation, in partnership with the Gary Alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., has recognized 17 high school seniors from Northwest Indiana in its 2026 college scholarship award program.
The scholarships honor students who demonstrated academic excellence, leadership, service and a commitment to higher education, according to a release.
Funding for the awards was made possible in large part by the foundation’s inaugural Gary Alumni Honors Awards Luncheon last September at the Marquette Park Pavilion.
The event honored an inaugural class of distinguished Gary natives who have excelled in various fields of human endeavor — including law, medicine, education, business, civic leadership, sports, entertainment and government — with proceeds directed toward scholarships for these deserving students.
The 2026 scholarship recipients are:
Brandon Walker Ateke – Munster High School – Brown University
William Ballard IV – Merrillville High School – Ball State University
Elijah Jimmie Lamar Boone – Portage High School – Tennessee State University
Emanuel Campos – East Chicago Central High School – Purdue University Northwest
Derrick Cannon Jr. – Merrillville High School – Indiana University Northwest
Brandon David Edmondson – Merrillville High School – Indiana University Northwest
Jordan Deon’Tae Fields – East Chicago Central High School – Columbia College Chicago
Ethan Kai Hoff – Merrillville High School – Calumet College of St. Joseph
Isaiah Eric Malik Holden – Thea Bowman Leadership Academy – Purdue University
Julian Michael Holmes – West Side Leadership Academy – Tennessee State University / Purdue University
Aiden Jay Kirksey – Merrillville High School – Indiana University Bloomington
Zion Alexander Mitchell – Lake Central High School – Indiana University Bloomington
Mason Andrew Navarre – Merrillville High School – Purdue University
Noah Michael Montell Shaffer – Hobart High School – Indiana University Bloomington
Troy Xavier Thompson – Merrillville High School – Indiana University Bloomington
William Jaxon Darnell Waddell – Merrillville High School – Indiana University Bloomington
Darien Cornell Wiggins – Merrillville High School – Purdue University
“The investment we make in these students today is an investment in the future of Northwest Indiana,” Ryan C. Williams, Scholarship Committee chairman, said in a release.
“Each recipient exemplifies the ideals of Achievement upon which Kappa Alpha Psi was founded.”
Named in honor of longtime Gary educator Henry E. Bennett, the foundation is the charitable arm of the Gary Alumni Chapter.
