By John Rohlf, The Message assistant editor
For the fifth year, a total of four Father Endress scholarships were awarded to students at Mater Dei and Reitz Memorial High School.
On Feb. 5, two students at Mater Dei and two students at Reitz Memorial were awarded scholarships of $10,000 per year, for up to four years. The scholarship has been awarded to two high school seniors at each Evansville school since 2022.
At Reitz Memorial, Maria Hillenbrand and Steven Lasher were announced as recipients of the award. Mater Dei’s recipients were Adalyn Wilkinson and Aiden Fehrenbacher.
Maria Hillenbrand is the daughter of Pete and Karri Hillenbrand. She is a member of Holy Rosary Parish in Evansville. Josh Reising, Reitz Memorial President, said Hillenbrand is a student who leads with both strength and compassion. He added she is an outstanding scholar who has challenged herself academically through her time at Reitz Memorial while also serving as a leader in student council, campus ministry, Teen Power and athletics, including as a volleyball team captain. However, what stands out most about Maria is how she authentically lives her faith, Reising said.
After receiving the award, Hillenbrand said the thing that stuck out to her most about Father Endress was his service. The thing she is most excited for is to pay it forward at college, she said.
“I’m really excited to get into the teaching classes, the theology classes and learn more about myself,” Hillenbrand said. “And then paying it forward through everything Marian has. I’m just really thankful.”
Steven Lasher is the son of John and Angie Lasher. He is a member of Good Shepherd Parish in Evansville. Reising said Lasher is a young man whose life is rooted in service, discipline and leadership. Lasher is an exceptional student who has excelled in a demanding academic program. He served as captain of the speech team, earning respect through integrity, preparation and encouragement of others, Reising said.
Reising said Lasher draws inspiration from figures like Venerable Father Emil Kapaun. Reising said Father Kapaun and Father Endress were both priests who “ministered to others in the most difficult of circumstances.”
Lasher said as soon as he realized the scholarship was something he wanted to pursue, he wanted to learn about who Father Endress was, what he did and the legacy he left behind.
“He decided to leave his parish in Loogootee that he was serving at and he sacrificed his comfort,” Lasher said. “He sacrificed the life he was living. And he went and he served in our Armed Forces in one of the most brutal wars that we’ve been in. That really testified to who he was. I chose Emil Kapaun to be my Confirmation namesake and as soon as I found out the person that he was, I knew I just wanted to be here. And it’s a real honor to be affiliated with a person like he was.”
Adalyn Wilkinson is the daughter of Jordan and Kelly Wilkinson. She is a member of St. Joseph Parish in Vanderburgh County. Shea Reneer, Director of Guidance at Mater Dei High School, said Wilkinson intends to attend Indiana University and major in Bio-Chemistry. Reneer said the judges for the selection process described Wilkinson as driven. They said they had never met a young lady so driven and where her faith was so deeply integrated.
Reneer added Wilkinson is very involved in so many aspects of Mater Dei. However, the biggest thing about her is that kids look to her for her strength, depth of faith and that she always walks the right path and walks out her faith, Reneer said.
“Just to know that everything that I’ve done, it’s meant something and was noticed,” Wilkinson said. “I feel like there’s a lot of scholarships for academics and athletics and all those. So it’s just really nice to be noticed for your faith. It’s a lot more fulfilling I feel like, at least for me.”
Aiden Fehrenbacher is the son of Marc and Emily Fehrenbacher. He is a member of St. Philip Parish in Posey County. Reneer said Fehrenbacher plans to attend Marian University and major in ministry studies and marketing. She said the word both judges used in evaluating Aiden was humility or humble. She noted he is involved in a lot, especially with Savio.
“I think a lot of his peers, especially guys, because I think at this time, the faith that guys have is hard,” Reneer said. “But this group, Aiden and his friends, are just dynamic. Everybody looks to them. They are true leaders whether they realize it or not in just how they live.”
Fehrenbacher said he thought it was a great opportunity to apply for the scholarship because of how involved he is in his faith.
“It will help a lot,” he said. “Now I definitely am able to go to Marian, which will really help me continue to deepen my faith, especially (at) a Catholic college. Really a lot of great opportunities to continue to deepen and help others deepen their faith as well.”
Thom Endress and Carol Burns, family of the late Father James Endress, were present at each school’s scholarship presentation. Thom Endress commended the parents of the scholarship recipients for sending their children to Mater Dei and Reitz Memorial. They picked Mater Dei and Reitz Memorial for the scholarships because “we know the kind of education you get there.” Thom Endress encouraged the scholarship recipients to take it forward, pay it forward and change this crazy world.
“You’re going to get a scholarship as you know for $10,000 and you’ll have it for four years,” Thom Endress said. “So it will hopefully help administer the cost of a four-year degree. And then you go out into the world and then you help change the world. And that’s what this scholarship is about. So congratulations and I’m sure Father Jim would be proud.”
In honor of the late-Father James Endress, the scholarship was established in 2021 to benefit well-deserving Mater Dei and Reitz Memorial graduates who are planning post-secondary education at any accredited technical or vocational school, college or university in the United States.
Father Endress was ordained April 3, 1960, and served the Diocese of Evansville and his country in many roles, including 17 years as an Army military chaplain, before returning home and eventually retiring in 2004. He died Jan. 20, 2021, at age 86. Father Endress was inducted into the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame last November.