Named as a tribute to Mr. Simmermaker, the Samuel P. Simmermaker Journalism & Communications Scholarship is a nonrenewable award of $1,000 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)

Past 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