Erika Wells Scholarship

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Erika Wells Scholarship Recipients

2024 Erika Wells Memorial Scholarship Winner – Ian Kolbus

Ian Kolbus, Bishop Chatard High School – Purdue University

We are pleased to introduce our 2024 Erika Wells Memorial Scholarship winners, who each received a $1000 scholarship towards their college education. Please enjoy reading their personal essays, in which they discuss how running has made a positive impact on their lives.
Erika Wells was a beloved member of the Indy Runners who tragically passed away in October 2016. Her dedication to service, personal growth, social engagement, and an overall use of running as part of a healthy lifestyle and a way to help support the community were unparalleled. We believe these winners each exemplify these characteristics as well.
We are thankful that these young people were willing to share their unique stories of how running has influenced their lives. We hope that they will continue to make running a cornerstone of their life.

“Ever since I was in second grade at Christ the King, I was a runner. I showed up to every practice, and had a natural talent for the sport. I placed at every meet I was in, and only experienced the joys of the sport and never the pain of missing a PR. However, in 5th grade, I lost the love for it due to lack of success and quit in pursuit of other sports. I tried to fill the absence of running with football, basketball, and golf, but nothing ever gave me the same satisfaction as running. The summer of my 7th grade year, I came back to running, but this time for the people who I was running with. I could run the fastest 3k time, but if I was not actively enjoying the people I was with, what’s the point? That season was the most fun I had ever had running. Me and two other boys pushed ourselves every day, running countless extra miles and having the most hilarious conversations about quite possibly anything. With this new found joy, I also found success in the following two years, culminating with a top 15 finish at the Middle School State XC Championship Meet. This mindset continued on with me in high school as I joined the Bishop Chatard Cross Country team and found my place. Immediately I found a guy, Davis, on the team who was my same pace and we pushed each other every day. When one of us would feel like stopping, the other would push them as hard as they could, finishing a run with as little stops as possible. Running allowed me to find my new “family,” as me and 5 others nicknamed ourselves the “Going, Going, Goners,” spending every single weekend making pasta in each other’s kitchens, going to Target after workouts, and McDonald dinners after meets. Every 5:30 AM wake up for practice was with excitement to go out and push myself as hard as I possibly could with people who legitimately cared about my well being rather than how fast I could run a 5K. The following season, my running buddy Davis and I worked together day in and day out, pushing ourselves to the brink of exhaustion, but it all paid off with a trip to the IHSAA Track Championships, and making it back the following season placing 13th in the 4×800 relay. Without the people I formed relationships with, running would have a completely different meaning to me, but the support group running gives me has allowed me to discover who I am. I know I am never going through something alone because I know the people around me will suffer through a 10 mile long run on Pennsylvania and 86th just so we can look at houses or run in Oxbow to look at a river. Running has helped make me who I am today, and I wouldn’t change that for anything.”

"Erika Wells Scholarship"

2024 Erika Wells Memorial Scholarship Winner – Bailee Kennedy

Erika Wells Scholarship

Bailee Kennedy, Decatur Central High School – Franklin College

“It was a warm day in the early fall, the Indianapolis skyline viewed clearly from where parents gathered around the finish line. People were screaming out times and chanting, “Keep it up!”, “You’re almost there!”, “Pick up your legs!” And then, out of nowhere, came the bright red face of my older sister, her french braids loose and messy. I couldn’t help but think to myself, “Wow… This sport looks intense, I’ve got to try this!” I was only eleven at the time, and I was incredibly shy and clumsy; I had been through three different sports already, but my sister was my top role model. She chose running over softball, something she was so talented at, so, despite being the most unsure and unathletic kid in my grade, I couldn’t stop myself from taking on this challenge when entering middle school.That summer I went to cross-country camp with my sister, and to nobody’s surprise, I wasn’t a natural like my sister. In fact, the first time I ran 3 miles, she had to push me to the finish line. Even then I knew I wanted to get better, maybe even beat my sister’s PR one day. When I finally entered high school, I said goodbye to 3k’s and hello to the most exhausting, time-consuming practices of my life. This transition was difficult, and my coaches and the upperclassmen pushed me harder than any team I’ve ever been on, but it was there I began to thrive. A passion for the sport took over my life; my freshman 5k time of 37 minutes slowly went down to 23:43 by the end of my senior season. I was ecstatic that I had beaten my sister’s time, but it was only a momentary win. As much as I enjoyed these accomplishments, I learned to love the look on my teammate’s face every PR. I knew that if it wasn’t for my amazing coaches and teammates’ unwavering support, I wouldn’t have gotten that time at all.Throughout all of this, I started to learn how important it was to be a leader, and how amazing it is to watch your team grow. My team and coaches showed me how special having an encouraging, familial environment was; we prayed together, ate together, joked together, and watched movies together. They are a big part of who I am today and the reason why I want to continue running in college. They taught me how to be patient, how to put myself out there, how to push myself to new limits, how to break past mental barriers and turn injuries into strengths. I am positive when I say I will be bringing these skills into my life as I move on from high school and into my journey to further my education and running career. It takes a special kind of person to enjoy running, but with coaches and a team like mine, the motivation isn’t as hard to find.”

"Erika Wells Scholarship"

2024 Erika Wells Memorial Scholarship Winner – Lucy Hiller

Erika Wells Scholarship

Lucy Hiller, Southport High School – Purdue University, University of Michigan, or Stanford University

“Despite the common idea that running is an exclusive sport, I’ve found the complete opposite to be true during my seven years competing in it. The constant support and love from the running community has allowed me to gain confidence and enabled me to help others do the same.From the course to the shoe store, runners are always lifting each other up. When I ran my first marathon, countless people noticed my “First-time marathoner” bib and gave me encouragement that fueled me through the race, and working at a shoe store myself, I know that my coworkers and I strive to empower our customers during each interaction.I began my own running journey as a shy seventh grader. I created friendships and uncovered my identity during each run with the team, and my confidence grew with every race I completed. As my training progressed and my times got faster, I felt an immense sense of accomplishment. Now I’ve traded out the jitters I felt on the starting line as a 12-year-old for the collected yet excited mentality I have toward races now.In my own running career, I’ve had highs and lows. At the beginning of my senior season of cross country, I got a stress fracture that kept me off of the course for the rest of the year. Even though having my season ended prematurely was incredibly disappointing, I had to stay upbeat and be there for my teammates. Instead of contributing to the team my running, I became the resident cheerleader, hair braider, and peptalk giver. What started out as a devastating injury ended up teaching me an important lesson. I’ve always placed so much of my self-worth in my athletic performance, and this injury forced me to reevaluate. Just because I wasn’t physically running didn’t mean that I wasn’t still part of the running community or making a valuable contribution to my team. In both areas, my injury helped me realize that I wasn’t valued because of how fast I ran or how many points I scored but rather because I brought personality and encouragement to everyone on the team.Drawing on my own experiences, I’ve had the opportunity to mentor younger girls on my cross country and track teams. Whether it was empowering teammates to speak up for themselves or showing them that they are worth so much more than their performances, each chance I’ve had to guide my teammates has made me more empathetic and allowed me to pass on the lessons that I’ve learned. Conversations like these make all of the hard work worthwhile because I know that I’m making a positive difference for the1next generation of runners by sharing my own wisdom.The running community has given me the space to grow as an individual, as a teammate, and as a leader, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.”

"Erika Wells Scholarship"

2023 Erika Wells Memorial Scholarship Winner – Catherine Holtrup

Erika Wells Scholarship

Catherine Holtrup, Cathedral High School – University of Louisville

We are pleased to introduce our 2023 Erika Wells Memorial Scholarship winners, who each received a $1000 scholarship towards their college education. Please enjoy reading their personal essays, in which they discuss how running has made a positive impact on their lives.

Erika Wells was a beloved member of the Indy Runners who tragically passed away in October 2016. Her dedication to service, personal growth, social engagement, and an overall use of running as part of a healthy lifestyle and a way to help support the community were unparalleled. We believe these winners each exemplify these characteristics as well.

We are thankful that these young people were willing to share their unique stories of how running has influenced their lives. We hope that they will continue to make running a cornerstone of their life.

“On a hot, humid August afternoon, the cross country team was breaking up into groups for the first long run of the year. I was used to three-milers from middle school, but now, freshman year, I had to decide if I would join the five-mile group or the six-mile group.I couldn’t decide if I wanted to throw up or run away from practice. I looked nervously at my friend Brooke, secretly hoping she was planning on only running five. My stomach tightened when she told me she’d be doing the extra mile, but I decided to join her anyway.

By the halfway point I was really starting to wonder what I had gotten myself into. Heavy legs and arms, a dizzy feeling. Searching my mind for a good reason to just give up. Wishing I hadn’t gone left at that last turn but kept going straight instead, headed for a Starbucks strawberry acai refresher. Through all six miles, I never stopped thinking about quitting, but I also never stopped worrying what it would feel like if I did quit.

“There are no benches in cross country” goes a saying among runners. Whether it’s 20 degrees or 100, through tornado warnings or blizzards, cross country runners keep running. Our sport is your sport’s punishment. Cross country is also unusual because it’s both an individual sport and a team sport. But that’s why it has helped me learn so much about facing challenges. A runner has to persevere not only to improve their own abilities but also to support their teammates and the goals of their team. A runner can’t quit because doing so means not only letting herself down but letting her team down too.

I can’t even count the number of times I’ve thought of quitting a race or quitting my sport altogether. But any time I considered it, my mom would remind me that running is 10% physical and 90% mental. I believe that. Cross country has taught me how to face challenges in many areas of my life. I have struggled with learning disabilities throughout my education, and the classroom is another place where I’ve thought about quitting many times. In the end, though, I know that a geometry test or an English essay is nowhere near as painful as a six-mile run, and I know that I can persevere.”

2023 Erika Wells Memorial Scholarship Winner – Jonathan Reid

Erika Wells Scholarship

Jonathan Reid, Franklin Central High School – Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

“Running, although now a major part of my life, initially was something that I largely disliked. I ran around and played tag with my friends in the backyard, but I never would’ve considered running if it wasn’t for my father forcing me to run cross country in 6th grade.

I initially hated every part of it. Every long summer practice, every lap around the school, every single day where I wasn’t able to go home like every other kid and have time to play outside. However, as awful as I perceived it to be, it only took a season to fully understand why my dad forced me to run and how much I would begin to love running.

My dad wanted me to have an emotional and mental outlet to sort myself out whenever I got angry or overworked. I never realized just how valuable this would be until high school, where the immense workload from AP classes, extracurriculars, and maintaining a top 25 spot in my class of 700 people would’ve mentally destroyed me if I didn’t have a cross country to act as my stress reliever. My parents especially knew me as the kid that won’t stop trying his best no matter what consequences may arrive from the intense perseverance, so instead of trying to stipend my work ethic, they gave me the gift of teaching me how to healthily deal with stress while also enjoying myself. No matter the distance, cadence, or speed, running is a sport that solely relies on pushing yourself to your absolute best to push new boundaries and break your own goals and records you set for yourself, so I naturally came to love running as its own activity while it also let me enjoy the rest of my life better due to the decreased stress.

The other main reason my dad forced me to run was because of what it meant to my family. ‘The Running Reids’ was an established running group that ran in multiple areas around central Illinois and held many charity events in the form of races as a part of that. Even to this day, my cousin (a fellow John Reid, ironically) still runs a 5k event in the summer every year.

However, my ‘Running Reid’ that made me love running more than anything was my grandfather. A paratrooper in Vietnam, he was stranded from his squad and blasted by a grenade so he had to return home early. Before his now crippling Parkinson’s disease (from the grenade) fully set in, he dedicated his life to his family and running. Despite constantly fighting against the scars of his past, he’s managed to run 20 marathons, including 3 Boston marathons, in his 26 year running career.

Running was his personal fight against the wickedness of the world; it’s mine too.

Put plainly, I love running because of what it does to people and what it forces them to become: healthier and happier than they were the day before.”

2023 Erika Wells Memorial Scholarship Winner – Claire Monahan

Erika Wells Scholarship

Claire Monahan, Bishop Chatard High School – University of Dayton

“I have a love/hate relationship with running, like many who have chosen it as their sport. In just the six years I have been involved in it, my feelings have alternated between both of these and more. It has been a big part of my life, and I know it will continue to be important as I get older and participate in running as a lifestyle, rather than a sport I compete in.

I started running in seventh grade as a part of the track and cross-country team. I was a “social runner”, using the sport to be with my friends. I did not plan to run in high school. That changed the summer before my freshman year when I reluctantly decided to train with the cross-country team. It turns out I loved it. Part of the reason was the actual running and the accompanying feeling of accomplishment and I also deeply appreciated the feeling of community, each teammate pushing each other to be our best. But the main reason I continued running was our coach. She was like my older sister, friend, and mentor combined into one person. Maris showed me how to be a role model and gave me a sense of who I wanted to be, and she did this in such a selfless way as our volunteer coach.

I’ve always been passionate about helping disadvantaged people. The summer before my sophomore year I decided to take initiative with a specific goal of helping children in a forced transition from their home by providing a backpack with items that would give solace in a time of need. I worked with police and firemen to select items to include and determined an initial budget. To pay for the items, I created a GoFundMe page, called “Bag of Comfort”, and contacted newspapers, radio stations, and television shows to get the word out. My team helped me by offering encouragement and helping spread the word themselves, showing me that we had much more than running in common.

The summer before my junior year, my family moved from Illinois to Indianapolis. The transition from a town and group of friends that I had known my whole life was not easy, and it still isn’t, but the constant during the change has been running. I was able to form new friendships and make the town and school feel smaller by immediately joining the Bishop Chatard cross country and track teams. I found my ‘group’ in the summer workouts. A challenge I didn’t anticipate was a stress fracture in my ankle, but this limitation helps me appreciate and be grateful for the ability to run when I am healthy.

Being new to Indianapolis, I had not heard of Ms. Wells until my coach, Dan Kinghorn, mentioned this scholarship opportunity. I enjoyed reading about her and regardless of the outcome, this essay has helped me see how running can be a part of my life well after I compete in my last meet.”

2022 Scholarship Winner Katelin Schwab

Erika Wells Scholarship

What High School did you attend: I went to Pike High School

What got you into running? I started running in sixth grade because I loved the team environment and how my hard work directly resulted in faster times.

How are you adjusting to College at Purdue? College is going well so far. It was definitely an adjustment, and I still feel like I have a lot to figure out but I am learning. I have already joined the run club and the Brain Exercise Initiative club.

Do you plan to continue to run in the future? Over the next few years, I plan to continue running because I always want it to play an important part in my life. I hope to continue
getting faster, while growing closer to my new team.

Katelin’s Essay:

When I was a 6th grader, I wanted to play softball for my school, but I only had two options for fall sports. The school permitted 6th graders to join the cross country team, or play tennis. My friend suggested I try running, so I decided to join the cross country team. I thought all people had a general understanding that running was awful, so I didn’t expect to like it, let alone be good at it. However, to date, joining the cross country team was one of the best decisions of my life. The team became my family, and I fell in love with the sport that hurts so much. I love that everyone around me is equally motivated to become faster and that my hard work has tangible results. It’s addicting. After my first season, I missed cross country so much I would lay awake at night thinking about racing again. This love for running drew me away from softball, and I haven’t looked back since.

I love the freedom I have during long runs, or the power and satisfaction I feel after workouts. Most of all, I love racing. I love feeling alive when I push my body to the limit, and I’m running solely on grit and determination. The sport is a release of negative energy for me, it takes away my headaches, and restores the sense of confidence and calm in my mind. Running helps me grow stronger physically and mentally, and it brings out the best version of myself. Running will always be a part of my life not just because it makes me happy, but because I still have many goals I want to accomplish. The longest run I have competed in is a 5k, but I want to eventually run a marathon, and compete in Ironman races. Running got me interested in the limits of my body, and I still have so much to give to the sport. I want to continue getting better just to prove to myself that I can. Even though I will not run on an official school team next year, I plan to join a run club because I want to continue racing.

It is hard to explain what exactly running means to me, because yes the sport hurts, and yes I go weeks without improvement, but still… my love for running grows everyday. When my time drops, it makes all the long and gruesome workouts worth it. Nothing else in this world makes me feel as happy and as powerful as running. I am grateful as a sixth grader I joined the cross country team, and I am forever thankful for my coaches and teammates who push me to be a better runner and the best person I can be. Without them, my love for running would not have grown to as big as it is now.

2022 Scholarship Winner Ashley Flick

Erika Wells Scholarship

What High School did you attend: Roncalli High School

What got you into running? My older brother started running when he was in fourth grade, so I attended his meets with my family. After watching him, I decided that I also wanted to give the sport a try. The coach allowed me to attend practices as a second grader and run in the home meets, and I immediately fell in love with the sport. Since then, I have run both cross country and track.

How are you adjusting to College at Notre Dame? Despite college being a significant adjustment, I love Notre Dame! The school has so much to offer – a strong sense of community, long standing traditions, and top tier academics. I am very thankful to have this place as my second home.

Do you plan to continue to run in the future? Through the excitement, as well as difficulties, that accompany transitioning to a new chapter of my life, I have been able to deal with the stressors and various aspects of college life through running. College is a heavy workload, and time management is important. I have made running a priority for me as it helps prepare me mentally for the day ahead as well as relieve stress. I plan to join the Notre Dame running club and continue running past my college years!

Ashley’s Essay:

The stadium is full, and I feel the crowd’s eyes on me. As the slight breeze swims through the hushed arena, I do a few warm-up strides.
The whistle is blown twice: “Sweats off!” the announcer yells. I feel my heart aggressively beat against the walls of my chest, and I get in the zone. I shake out my butterflies, take deep breaths, and look forward. It’s race time. “Runners, on your mark!” Once I hear the loud pop of the gun, my nerves dissipate, and there’s no time to think. Just run – setting my position, pumping my arms, quickening my cadence. I feel more comfortable as I go. I’m in my element. I’m home.

This feeling, unique to only cross country and track, is one I’ve experienced since I was a little girl. I remember the first time my grade school cross country coach was hesitant to let me, a tiny 7 year-old, compete in a 3k. He eventually gave in, and little did I know that this would only be the beginning of a lifelong journey that would help me discover who I am. The feeling of the wind whipping at your face, the click-clack of the spikes across the gravel, the pain that serves as motivation, the load cheers as you near the finish line- so many aspects of the sport that brings a distinct sense of peace and comfort.

Throughout my early running career, I suffered two stress fractures near my tibia, a stress fracture in my left foot, and was place in a boot two different times for several weeks. During my sophomore year, the impact of these injuries ballooned, and I missed significant portions of the seasons. My sophomore track season was canceled due to COVID, and I contracted COVID mid-way through my junior year. My rapid heartbeat resulted in a four-month setback of no training. After two EKG’s, an echocardiogram, and a stress test, I was finally cleared by my cardiologist.

Working through these setbacks, i began to realize the impact running has had on me since I was a little girl. Throughout the years, it’s become my go-to – my way of escaping the craziness of everyday life. When I found out my best friend was diagnosed with brain cancer, and would be traveling out of state and missing school to get the treatment needed, I was scared. Not knowing where to turn, I ran more than I imagined in the weeks following her diagnosis. Later that same year, my grandpa only had a few days left to live, and I never got to say my final goodbye. After losing him, I felt alone and helpless. Once again, running was my fallback, giving me a sense of peace that I so desperately needed. I am blessed to have this sport as my lifeline – it has become a crucial aspect of who I am, and I’m forever grateful for the endless laughter, support, and pure happiness it has brought me over the last 11 years.

2002 Scholarship Winner Daniel Odumosu

Erika Wells Scholarship

What High School did you attend: I went to Pike High School

What got you into running? I started running when I was little. Knowing I’m not from here I got into running as a competitive sport and I liked it but not just because I like winning but also because I feel free when I run and it all started back in my hometown Lagos, Nigeria.

How are you adjusting to College at IUPUI? College is going pretty well actually, there are times when things get hard but I just watch my time management and ask for help when needed.

Do you plan to continue to run in the future? Honestly I don’t think I’ll stop running any time soon because it’s like therapy to me and it’ll also be great for me because I might join the military and we all know they run a lot so just that alone will be a big part of my life.

Daniel’s Essay:

I was young, ambitious, and crazy about being the best and fastest in school. You see that’s the mentality of most people from where I’m from. You’re probably saying what I am talking about is every kid’s dream but it’s not that easy. I’m not from the United States. Originally, I was born and raised in the country Nigeria and I recently moved to the United States five years ago.

Before I came here, everything in that country was a competition and we took running way too seriously. I have worked with a lot of people and have been running since I started school when I was young. Running for me is like a way to get my mind off things and for the fun of it. I also love running because I feel free and it makes me feel like I can do anything I set my mind on and untouchable. I remember one day that I felt mad at myself because I didn’t win a race, I beat myself up because I lost and came in second place. After that day, I worked so hard and practiced every time so I wouldn’t be second anymore. I’m a trackstar still now and I’ve met some pretty fast people but with time and me all grown up, I realized winning a race doesn’t define everything and it’s okay to come in second place too. After all my hard and extreme practices, I finally became fast and beat the boy that me and when I did, I felt victorious but at the same time I didn’t really feel anything because we were close friends and we should have been working hard and elevating each other up together.

I said all that because we lost touch after elementary school in Nigeria and I loved running because of him pushing me to be good and beter than him. So when I run now, I believe whatever I put my mind into is do-able and achievable and that’s something that I’ll never forget. Running also gets things off my mind a lot because then I am in my zone and I’ve learned a lot from the clarity I get when I am running. The way I take my mind off things is by running and even on days that it’s bad outside, I have a treadmill at home. Running will definitely impact my future because I plan on doing track in college and might also maybe join the military and I know they run a lot there because I’m the commanding officer for JROTC at my high school and we’ve been taught all these and are mentally ready to join for the people only interested in joining. Also like I said before, running will impact my future because I see my path or way more clearly and feel like I can achieve what I put my mind to while running. And I always make sure to remember it’s not always about winning.