Our company's purpose statement is "Creating Quality for Life," which sums up why we exist as a company beyond earning profit. The scholarship ties to two particular ways that Kimball Electronics strives to create quality for life:

We create quality for life for our people through a respectful and rewarding company culture that encourages meaningful work, promotes a sense of family (at work and at home), and keeps their best interests in mind.

We create quality for life for our communities through our positive societal and environmental impacts.

"It's exciting to offer these scholarships uniquely tied to positive social and environmental impacts made by students in their communities. I hope they continue to be role models for their peers when it comes to creating quality of life for others," said CEO Ric Phillips. "It's very uplifting to see a younger generation actively involved in making a positive difference that can produce lasting effect."

There were 17 applicants this year. To date, there have been 30 winners chosen by a selection committee made up of members not employed by KE. The committee based their decision solely on submitted essays detailing how the students help others in their communities or the environment. Each winner will receive $1,250 for each year they are in college (up to four years) to be used for college expenses.

The selection committee consisted of Damon Mosley, of Dayton, Ohio, an accomplished author and filmmaker based in Columbus, Ohio; Tammy Lampert, of Jasper, Indiana, executive director for Southwestern Indiana Child Advocacy Center Coalition (SWICACC), a child advocacy center serving southwestern Indiana; and Susanne Wilson, of Austin, Texas, executive director for Water 2 Thrive (W2T), which provides clean, safe drinking water, connecting African communities in need with supporters who have the heart and spirit to make a difference.