News Release

Jackie Walorski

ELKHART — The Community Foundation of Elkhart County has two new scholarship funds to extend the legacy of the late U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski.

The Jackie Walorski Memorial Scholarship and Jackie Walorski Memorial Ministry Scholarship will honor the life and work of the congresswoman from northern Indiana who died tragically in August 2022.

Walorski’s surviving family members, including her mother Martha Walorski and husband Dean Swihart, approached the Community Foundation about establishing the scholarships.

Walorski was a lifelong resident of the South Bend-Elkhart area and dedicated her life to serving others. She had worked in media and development in northern Indiana. She married Swihart in 1995 and together they started Impact International Inc. and served as missionaries in Romania where they assisted in church planting and worked with homeless children, orphanages, the children’s burn unit, and remote villages.

After returning home due to the declining health of her father, Walorski was elected first to the Indiana General Assembly and then to the U.S. Congress. She served as State Representative for District 21 from 2005 to 2010 and was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2012. She represented Indiana’s 2nd District, holding that position until her passing.

“As a family, we wanted to honor Jackie’s life of service in helping young people further their education in the areas of public service to which Jackie devoted her life,” said her mother Martha Walorski. “Our hope is that the recipients will further Jackie’s legacy by working to serve others and also by promoting the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which was an important part of who Jackie was — a servant of Christ to others.”

Graduating high school students who are residents of the Second District, which includes Elkhart County and all or part of 10 other counties, will be eligible for the scholarships. The awards will be given to those pursuing a four-year degree as full-time college students. The Memorial Scholarship will be given to students in programs related to public affairs, politics or journalism. The Memorial Ministry Scholarship will be for those in ministry- or mission-related fields.

The first scholarships will be offered in the 2024-25 school year as part of the Community Foundation’s Universal Application process, which includes more than 30 scholarships for high school students.

Donations can be made at: www.inspiringgood.org/walorski-scholarship-donation