North student receives first Hungerford scholarship

Jessica Meza Sanchez. Photo courtesy of Heritage Fund.

The Columbus North High School valedictorian will receive the first Siler Hungerford Memorial Scholarship.

Heritage Fund: The Bartholomew County Community Foundation is announcing that Jessica Meza-Sanchez has been awarded the $25,000 scholarship. The award was established last year by Hungerford’s family to encourage the excellence of study in math and science and to foster leadership in academic pursuits by a graduating North student. Hungerford taught mathematics at Columbus North and was the former chair of the Math Department. She died at the age of 87 in 2016.

Meza Sanchez plans to major in mechanical engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. During her time at North, Meza-Sanchez won all-conference honors for cross country and track and field, was vice president of Key Club, president of the Society of Women in Engineering and was a calculus/math tutor. She also volunteered at Love Chapel and St. Bartholomew Church.