1st Crouse scholarship recipient named

When IU student Ashley Crouse died in a car crash last year, both friends and strangers joined hands and crowded the streets in remembrance of her life. Classmates of Crouse showed their respect by collecting funds and starting a scholarship in her name. Freshman Monica Ozaeta is the first student to receive the $500 Ashley Crouse Memorial Scholarship, and will study abroad in Cuernavaca, Mexico, just like Crouse did two summers ago. \nOzaeta is double majoring in biochemistry and Spanish, and wishes to one day pursue a career in medical research. Though she is half Mexican, Ozaeta was raised in an English-speaking home and began taking Spanish classes in high school as a way to learn more about her own culture. \n"I've always wanted to get in touch with that part of my background," she said. \nOzaeta knew in her first semester that she wanted to study abroad in Mexico, and applied for the program offered in Cuernavaca. When she asked her instructor, associate instructor of Spanish Sarah Adams, to write a letter of recommendation for her to study abroad, Adams encouraged Ozaeta to apply for the Crouse \nscholarship. \nAdams wrote in her recommendation that Ozaeta was one of the brightest students she had ever taught. Adams also said she feels confident about Ozaeta's ability to adjust to her experience overseas, since she has already demonstrated her ability to adjust to the college workload. One of Adams' instructors, Professor Kimberly Geeslin, created the scholarship with some of Ashley Crouse's classmates soon after Crouse died. Geeslin was a member of the selection committee, and she and her students wanted to award the scholarship to the student most like Crouse.\n"The class wanted to remember Ashley in a positive way, and turn it into positive energy," she said. "It was important that it didn't become a Spanish scholarship. We wanted it to be about (Ashley)." \nGeeslin and her class first had the task of collecting funds for the scholarship. Collection cups and cans were set up at the library and the bookstore among other locations, and small donations were also accepted. The Copper Cup donated a day's worth of tips to support the scholarship. Geeslin's classmates also contributed in any way they knew how. \n"Everyone who lived in residence halls hit up their friends and families," Geeslin said. \nBecause Crouse majored in political science and Spanish, and was a student in the LAMP program, the selection committee wanted the recipient of the $500 award to be a double major like Crouse, interested in studying in Cuernavaca and to possess a leadership role with campus activities. In addition to the application for the study abroad program, Ozaeta had to write a statement of interest for the scholarship, and have one of her peer's review her. Geeslin said Ozaeta's peer letter was very positive, and was impressed that Ozaeta was involved with Latinos Unidos as a freshman. \nThe Crouse scholarship selection committee consists of faculty, graduate students and an undergraduate student representative. Junior Sarah Kamel was selected for the committee, and immediately saw similarities of background and goals between Ozaeta and Crouse. Kamel took Hispanic Linguistics with Crouse, and was a part of the class that started the scholarship in her honor.