{"id":23907,"date":"2015-04-10T13:28:03","date_gmt":"2015-04-10T17:28:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=23907"},"modified":"2016-01-06T09:35:17","modified_gmt":"2016-01-06T14:35:17","slug":"newest-yoder-scholars-bring-artistic-athletic-and-academic-talent-to-emu","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2015\/newest-yoder-scholars-bring-artistic-athletic-and-academic-talent-to-emu\/","title":{"rendered":"Newest Yoder Scholars bring artistic, athletic and academic talent to EMU"},"content":{"rendered":"

Over the past three years, the graduation rate for EMU honors students<\/a> was 100 percent, with a third completing double or triple majors.<\/strong> These students, representing diverse cultural, racial and religious backgrounds, participate in special academic and co-curricular opportunities to learn from and be mentored by faculty.<\/em><\/p>\n

Each year, a new group of highly motivated and gifted scholars is invited to join the EMU Honors Program<\/a>. From this group, two prospective students are selected to receive the annual full-tuition Yoder Scholarship<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Nicole Litwiller of Sarasota, Florida, and Maria Yoder of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, will begin their education in the fall of 2015 as contributors to EMU\u2019s legacy of academic excellence.<\/p>\n

During Honors Weekend in February, Litwiller and Yoder came to campus with 42 other candidates for the final interview process. The group averaged 1,269 on the SAT critical reading and math sections, 29 on the ACT and a high-school grade point average (GPA) of 4.11.<\/p>\n

Full Tuition Yoder Scholarships<\/h2>\n

The Yoder Scholarships, established in 1993, are named for Paul and Carol Yoder of Harrisonburg, Virginia, both 1963 graduates of EMU. The rigorous selection process for the two scholarships includes a comprehensive academic and service resume, letters of recommendation, creative essays and interviews with Honors Program professors. Candidates who do not win the full-tuition scholarships receive academic scholarships covering approximately half of tuition<\/strong>, as well as membership in the Honors Program.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are looking for creative students with wide-ranging interests and strong leadership abilities,\u201d said Owen Byer<\/a>, a mathematics professor and faculty member in the Honors Program.<\/p>\n

Benefits Include 1:1 Mentoring and Critical Thinking Boosts<\/h2>\n

Over the past three years, the graduation rate for EMU honors students was 100 percent, with a third completing double or triple majors. These students, representing diverse cultural, racial and religious backgrounds, participate in special academic and co-curricular opportunities to learn from and be mentored by faculty.<\/p>\n

A majority of honors graduates responding to a 2009 alumni survey \u201cstrongly agreed\u201d that the program increased their overall learning and deepened critical thinking skills. Forty-two percent of the survey respondents indicated an educational track beyond their undergraduate degree.<\/p>\n

Maria Yoder: The Animal Lover<\/h2>\n

Maria Yoder loves cats and dogs, and as she took biology classes in the past year, she thought about becoming a veterinarian someday. Lately she\u2019s been volunteering at an animal hospital. At EMU, she plans to enroll in the pre-professional health sciences program<\/a>.<\/p>\n

At Hempfield High School, Yoder is involved in sports, music, tutoring and academic clubs. She was captain of her school\u2019s volleyball team, which won consecutive state championships in 2013 and 2014. She is also captain of the track and field team. A cellist in the school orchestra, she was selected this spring for the state orchestra.<\/p>\n

At EMU, Yoder will run track<\/a>, her favorite sport, and join the cross country<\/a> team. She will play cello in the orchestra.<\/p>\n

\u201cI like to keep a busy schedule,\u201d she says, \u201cbut I have to be organized and make sure to leave some time for relaxing so I don\u2019t feel overwhelmed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her parents, Randy and Marianne Kurtz Yoder, graduated from EMU in 1982 and 1983, respectively. Her mother earned a master\u2019s in education from EMU Lancaster<\/a> in 2013. Although EMU was high on Yoder\u2019s list, she also considered Haverford College near Philadelphia and the University of Mary Washington in Virginia.<\/p>\n

Nicole Litwiller: Looking Forward to Cross-Cultural<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Nicole Litwiller says that \u201cEMU has been on my radar since I was young.\u201d Her parents are both graduates \u2013 Larry \u201980 and Nelda Rempel Litwiller \u201885. \u201cI am excited to expand my faith and be challenged by professors,\u201d she says. \u201cAlso, I love how EMU puts a huge focus on becoming more knowledgeable about other cultures worldwide.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the middle of her sophomore year, Litwiller went through an emotional experience when her family moved from Kansas to Florida the day after Christmas. She did not know anyone at Sarasota Christian School, but she looks back on that transition as full of \u201cmany new and fun things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Today she is president of her senior class, and she is trying to make the year an unforgettable one for her classmates. During her sophomore and junior years, she was on her school\u2019s Odyssey of the Mind<\/a> team that advanced to world competition both times.<\/p>\n

A member of her high school soccer team and one of its three captains, Litwiller will probably play for EMU this fall.<\/p>\n

Her major, at this point, is undecided. \u201cI hope that through my classes, the cross-cultural trip and other experiences at EMU that my path will become clearer,\u201d she says. \u201cI am looking forward to many opportunities to experience the world.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Over the past three years, the graduation rate for EMU honors students was 100 percent, with a third completing double or triple majors. These students, representing diverse cultural, racial and ... read more about Newest Yoder Scholars bring artistic, athletic and academic talent to EMU<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":23910,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4515,5725,266,5583,14184,5861,5731,5733,12579,4513,14139,5730,5720],"tags":[14010,6834,12784,5944,15385,11416,10090,15433,10838,8645],"feature":[],"class_list":["post-23907","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-admissions","category-alumni","category-campus-community","category-campus-guests","category-conferences-and-events","category-cross-country","category-outdoor-track","category-pre-professional-health","category-student-life","category-student-profiles","category-undergraduate-programs","category-womens-soccer","tag-carol-yoder","tag-eastern-mennonite-university","tag-emu-lancaster","tag-giving","tag-hempfield-high-school","tag-honors-program","tag-maria-yoder","tag-owen-byer","tag-paul-yoder","tag-sarasota-christian-school"],"yoast_head":"\nNewest Yoder Scholars bring artistic, athletic and academic talent to EMU - EMU News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2015\/newest-yoder-scholars-bring-artistic-athletic-and-academic-talent-to-emu\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Newest Yoder Scholars bring artistic, athletic and academic talent to EMU - EMU News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Over the past three years, the graduation rate for EMU honors students was 100 percent, with a third completing double or triple majors. 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