OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Ottumwa sixth graders Janielle Cobler and Roger Cruz, Jr., are this year’s recipients of Indian Hills Foundation Bill and Ardis Evans Scholarships.  The winners were announced during an end-of-the-year awards assembly at Evans Middle School today.

This is the 22nd year of the scholarships, which were established at the Indian Hills Community College Foundation by retired Ottumwa educators Bill and Ardis Evans.  The Evans’ combined to spend 51 years working with elementary school children. 

The couple felt that offering these scholarships to sixth graders would give young people the incentive to improve or maintain their grades and be good citizens.  The scholarship recipients are nominated and selected based on their academic achievement, character, attendance and extracurricular activities.

Cobler and Cruz were awarded $1,000 college scholarships today.  They will earn an additional $1,000 each year through their senior year in high school provided they meet specified criteria.  Therefore, the two could each accrue $7,000 towards their college education by the time they graduate from high school.

Under the scholarship guidelines, the recipients must complete their first two years of post-secondary education at Indian Hills before transferring to a four-year college or university.

A total of 322 sixth grade students were eligible for the scholarships this year. 

Cobler is the daughter of Brent and Kimberly Cobler.  Cruz is the son of Juan Pablo Martinez and Mauri Yo Hernandez.

Cobler is interested in becoming a dentist.  She has served on the student council and is very active in 4-H.  Cobler has also participated in orchestra, match club, basketball, volleyball and softball.