Named as a tribute to Mr. Simmermaker, the Samuel P. Simmermaker Journalism & Communications Scholarship is a nonrenewable award of $2,000 open to all Columbus North High School seniors planning to pursue a college degree in journalism or communications.

Mr. Simmermaker has been an outstanding advocate in the community for more than 50 years. He is most notably known for his work as Sports Director for WCSI, totaling more than 3,550 live ball game broadcasts.  He is a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame and the Indiana Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame.

*Scholarship requires a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (4.0 scale)

Simmermaker Recipients:

  • 2010 Natalie Bush University of Missouri
  • 2011 Emili Hefler Ball State University
  • 2012 Katie Kutsko University of Kansas
  • 2013 Erika Espinosa Ball State University
  • 2014 Hannah Patton Ball State University
  • 2015 Alexis Dykes Ball State University
  • 2016 Lillyanne Pham Reed College
  • 2017 Katherine Stewart Indiana University
  • 2018 Brian Keith Wilson Ball State University
  • 2019 Caitlin Ward Butler University
  • 2020 Salome Cloteax Indiana University
  • 2021 Margaret Mowrer Purdue University
  • 2022 Michaela Brown Indiana University
  • 2022 Grace Chapman Indiana University
  • 2023 Ivy Davidson Temple University
  • 2024 Brynn Stewart Indiana University