Purdue University Northwest (PNW) has announced the creation of an endowed scholarship to benefit graduates of Thomas A. Edison Jr. Sr. High School in Lake Station.
The Helen and Frank Korpak Memorial Scholarship has been established by Dr. Jorge and Nancy Benavente and Lillian Gaskill in honor of Helen and Frank Korpak of Lake Station. The gift honors Nancy’s parents and Lillian’s sister.
Benavente says with the scholarship they’d like to encourage students who graduate from Edison Jr. Sr. High School to further their education at Purdue Northwest. Benavente added that they’d also like to give people who previously graduated from Edison the opportunity to further their education.
Helen Korpak was one of the first female principals for a secondary school in the state of Indiana and the first female principal in Lake Station.
Frank Korpak spent 25 years with the Hobart City School System where he was employed in the maintenance department.
The endowed scholarship will first be awarded in fall 2022 with the incoming freshman class. Two students will be selected to receive the scholarship annually, with the possibility of increasing the number of recipients as the endowment grows. To be eligible, candidates must be graduates of Thomas A. Edison Jr. Sr. High School, with candidates demonstrating the greatest financial need being given priority. Students can apply for the scholarship through the PNW scholarship website at pnw.edu/scholarships.