Four Students Awarded Alice Hamilton Scholarship

Four incoming freshman students, planning to enroll for the Fall 2024 semester, have been awarded the Alice Hamilton Scholarship, an award that covers their entire tuition for all four years at Taylor University.

The four, Nwraba Sarpong of Suffolk, Virginia; Kaiya Grzesiak of Chicago; Wesley Johnson of Lebanon, Tennessee; and Katie Raber of Washington, Indiana, were selected from a cohort of more than 90 gifted and high-achieving high school students who came to Taylor for the annual Scholars Day in November.

Alice Hamilton, the scholarship’s namesake, attended the Fort Wayne College of Medicine (then a part of Taylor University) in 1890, prior to Taylor moving to Upland in 1893. Hamilton was a doctor, worker advocate, peace ambassador, and the first female professor at Harvard Medical School.

“These four students are amazing representatives of what makes Taylor University so unique,” said Andy Gammons, Executive Director of Admissions. “They are some of the most gifted students in the country, and they have such a passion for the kingdom of God. They serve Christ through their unique gifts, and we can’t wait to see what God will do in and through them in at Taylor.”

Nwraba Sarpong is passionate about apologetics and has competed in that category at speech competitions for the last six years. “It can be a difficult event at times, but I enjoy it because it enables me to study the Bible in a way I never have before,” said Nwraba. “I not only feel ready to defend my faith when I am called to but also to witness to non-Christians that I encounter.” She plays tennis, referees youth soccer, and has volunteered through food drives and her local cultural arts center for seven years. Nwraba is homeschooled, and she will study engineering at Taylor.

Kaiya Grzesiak has served in her father’s outreach ministry since she was young and is currently doing a discipleship training school through Youth with a Mission. She coaches the youth volleyball team she used to play on and is homeschooled. At Taylor, Kaiya plans to study computer science.

Wesley Johnson participates in a Leadership through Volunteerism program with his school, Friendship Christian School. Through the program, Wesley leads small groups for elementary and middle school boys. He helps the program’s Crock Pot Outreach, which teaches local families finance skills and equips children to help make meals. Wesley participates in monthly trips to Hancock County during which he delivers food baskets and install wells and has also installed wells on a mission trip to Nicaragua. He will study environmental science at Taylor.

Katie Raber grew up in Peru as the child of missionaries, which instilled her with the passion to spread the Gospel around the world. She has gone on mission trips to Guatemala, Mexico, and Ohio. Her heart for children has led Katie to babysitting and giving swim lessons, environments where she practices patience while speaking into the children’s lives. She also loves track, her favorite event being the 300-meter hurdles. Katie heard about Taylor from her youth pastor, a Taylor alumnus, and plans to study psychology due to her family’s experience with mental health issues.