Camacena Mendez named recipient of “Realizing the Dream” Award

Sharon Camacena Mendez ’27 has been selected as Hanover College’s recipient of the Independent Colleges of Indiana’s “Realizing the Dream” Award. She will be acknowledged March 1 during a ceremony at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis.

Established in 1989, the “Realizing the Dream” Award is a state-wide honor that recognizes outstanding academic achievement and leadership potential displayed by first-generation college students during their first year on campus. Mendez, a business major from Lexington, Ind., is a member of the Hanover’s Latino Student Union, Student Philanthropy Committee, Investment Club and Kennings.

Funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. through the Independent Colleges of Indiana, the award is presented annually to students from Indiana’s 29 private, non-profit colleges and universities. Each recipient receives a certificate and $4,000 scholarship to help offset educational costs. The honor also provides a $1,000 professional development grant to a former teacher or mentor who most influenced their decision to attend college.