We're excited that Putnam County is coming together to achieve a better quality of higher education.
We should all give our thanks to former Putnam County resident Majorie Lisby, who created a scholarship endowment fund for Putnam County students hoping to attend DePauw after graduating from high school.
The scholarship also represents the quality of education and the strong memories DePauw impresses upon its students. Lisby didn't finish her degree due to financial reasons during the Great Depression. But at 96, retired and living in Florida, she felt so strongly about the university that she created this fund.
News of the scholarship is great for both the DePauw community and the county. This scholarship will allow Putnam County students, especially those of lesser means, to attend the prestigious university near which they grew up.
It's a fact that DePauw, like its comparable liberal arts schools, is expensive. The effort to bring more students from the Putnam County community to campus is one that has the potential to influence the diversity and perspective of the student body.
It is surprising that more Putnam County and Greencastle students aren't present in the student population already. It seems like a small liberal arts university with such convenient proximity would attract more local students. The high ticket price is an obvious deterrent, but one would hope exemplary scholarship has the ability to break down those barriers.
This efort will also boost town-gown relations, further integrating the DePauw and Putnam County communities. Such interaction with Greencastle and the surrounding county can only positively serve the greater collective.
A deepened relationship between DePauw and Putnam County schools could also provide new and exciting opportunities to high school students.
Local students could take upper-level courses or become involved in more career-specific opportunities at DePauw, fostering a passion for education at earlier stages.
While the scholarship will undoubtedly have a meaningful impact on students lives, it is important to remember that DePauw is very much a part of a larger community.
As such, the university should continue to equal the county's efforts and reach out to prospective DePauw Tigers in the community for the benefit of all.