By Erin Ailstock—
MUNCIE, IN — The Exchange Club of Muncie is proud to recognize two outstanding Delaware County students for their academic achievements, service to others, leadership and perseverance. Emma J. Miller and Mason Skinner have each been awarded a $2,000 scholarship to support their educational and career goals.
Emma J. Miller, daughter of Scott and Malisha Miller, is the recipient of the Exchange Club of Muncie Youth Scholarship. The award recognizes a student who has demonstrated excellence in academics, community service and leadership.
A graduating senior at Delta High School, Emma has been actively involved in 4-H, FFA, Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Spanish Club. She plans to attend Purdue University to pursue pre-veterinary studies with the goal of becoming a livestock veterinarian.
Emma particularly stood out for her extensive volunteer service and leadership through 4-H.
“4-H has shaped so much of who I am,” Emma wrote. “It has taught me leadership, responsibility and the importance of giving back. Through 4-H, I have had opportunities to participate in service projects, help organize events and mentor younger members. Each experience has reminded me that leadership is not about being in control; it is about caring for the people around you.”
Vic Gasaway, Purdue Extension Delaware County 4-H Educator, described Emma as an important youth leader within the local program. As a youth representative on the Delaware County 4-H Council, Emma collaborates with adult council members to help make decisions affecting the program. She also helps educate young people about agricultural and livestock safety during the Delaware County Fair and community events such as the Farm Festival.
Emma has also volunteered with Books in the Barn, a collaborative literacy initiative involving Purdue Extension educators, 4-H members and the Delaware County Farm Bureau.
The Exchange Club of Muncie congratulates Emma on this well-earned recognition and wishes her continued success at Purdue University.
Mason Skinner, son of Kellie and Shane Skinner, is the recipient of the Exchange Club of Muncie’s Accepting the Challenge of Excellence, or A.C.E., Scholarship.
The A.C.E. Award honors a student who has faced significant challenges and continued moving forward through perseverance, hard work and determination.
Mason is graduating from Wes-Del High School, where he has been involved in football, golf, Future Business Leaders of America and CommUnity Church. He plans to attend Ivy Tech Community College in Fort Wayne to study diesel mechanics.
Throughout his life, Mason has experienced profound personal loss and academic challenges. Despite those hardships, he continued working toward his goals and ultimately discovered his strengths and sense of purpose through hands-on learning and mechanics.
His high school coursework reflects his dedication to his chosen profession and includes Basic Auto Service, Brake Systems, Steering and Suspension, Driveline, Electrical Systems I and II, and Engine Performance I and II. The highly technical language of automotive systems may sound foreign to the average student, but for Mason, it represents a field in which he has found confidence, talent and a promising future.
Tammie Gill, sponsor of Wes-Del’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter, praised Mason’s contributions to the organization’s annual Color Run. Mason helped keep participants safe and delivered water to runners throughout the community event.
“I rely heavily on the students, and Mason was a student who helped immensely,” Gill wrote. “Mason can do well at anything he puts his mind to. I am excited for all of Mason’s future endeavors.”
Mason’s journey embodies the spirit of the A.C.E. Award: meeting adversity with resilience, finding purpose and refusing to give up.
The Exchange Club of Muncie congratulates Mason and wishes him every success as he begins the next chapter of his education and career.
About the Exchange Club of Muncie
Founded in 1921, the Exchange Club of Muncie is one of more than 700 local Exchange Clubs throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. For 105 years, the club has provided members with opportunities to use their time and talents to make the community a better place to live through its four areas of service: Americanism, Community Service, Youth Programs and the Prevention of Child Abuse.
Each year, the Exchange Club of Muncie organizes Flags of Honor, a moving display of American flags created to honor and remember veterans, active-duty military members, first responders and other special individuals. This year’s Flags of Honor display will be available for the community to experience September 4–11 on the lawn at Minnetrista.
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