The Wildcat Foundation awarded $43,000 in scholarship funds to graduating seniors during Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School’s Senior Awards Night on May 22.
Foundation Executive Director Jeff Pratt announced six scholarships during a ceremony that honored the MASH Class of 2025.
Scholarship applications were accepted through early April this year. A committee of foundation volunteers then met in the spring to review applicants and select students to receive each award.
New additions this year include the Janet B. Wentz English Award and the Foundation Board Scholarship.
The Janet B. Wentz Award for Outstanding English Student was established to honor Janet B. Wentz, a graduate of Wilson College and Shippensburg University who started her career as a staff writer for the Harrisburg Patriot-News and then taught for 23 years at MASH from 1965 to 1988, where she was coach of the speech team and retired as chairwoman of the English department.
Her son Douglas Wentz, MASH Class 1976, made a $150,000 contribution upon her passing at age 97 in January 2025 to establish the award.
The 21 members of the Wildcat Foundation Board of Directors initiated this year their first board-funded scholarship for a graduating MASH senior. Using board member-donated funds, they decided to review all of the submitted applications for one more scholarship to a senior whose story and application left an impact on them in the review process.
This year’s foundation scholarship winners are:
Charles H. Jr. and Jane Eagle Diller Business Scholarship
Pratt said the foundation was honored to again work with Charles H. Diller Jr. and Jane Eagle Diller to deliver their $20,000 scholarship to a graduating senior student. The Dillers are committed to providing financial assistance to help students who desire to pursue business and entrepreneurial goals and obtain a college education.
This year’s selection was Kallie Bower. Bower will receive $20,000 – $5,000 for each of her qualifying four years – studying Business Administration at York College.
Mr. and Mrs. Diller grew up in south central Pennsylvania and are now residents of Silver Spring Township. Mr. Diller spent most of his professional career working for JLG Industries, Inc., where he held the positions of executive vice president, chief financial officer and director before retiring. He also served his country as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps and is a Vietnam veteran.
Mrs. Diller is a MASH alumna. After graduation, she focused on raising a family, and she continues to be actively engaged with her church’s youth programs.
Mechanicsburg Club/Wildcat Foundation Scholarship
The Mechanicsburg Club endowed the Mechanisburg Club/Wildcat Foundation Scholarship in 2012.
Since then, the foundation has awarded four $4,000 scholarships annually to students performing any field of study at a 2-year college, 4-year college, community college, or a trade school.
Established in 1894, the Mechanicsburg Club prides itself in providing for the area’s youth, school and community programs, senior citizen groups, charities and many of our community’s special projects.
The four students selected for the 2025 scholarships were:
- Madison Fissel – attending Shippensburg University to study Early childhood and Elementary Education
- Lindsey Lania Karim – attending the University of Pittsburgh to study Biology on a pre-dental track
- Nandin-Erdene Molomjamtse – attending the University of Pittsburgh to study Computer Science
- Logan Waring – attending West Virginia University to study Wildlife and Fisheries Resources
Mechanicsburg Club President Mike Wagner helped present the awards during the ceremony.
Stock & Leader Scholarship
Stock & Leader (now Saxton & Stump as of April 1) worked with the foundation to hand out its first $500 scholarship in 2022 to a senior student planning to pursue a degree in law or education.
For 2024, foundation board member Gareth Pahowka, an attorney with Stock and Leader’s School Law group, matched the scholarship funds to produce a $1,000 scholarship offer.
The 2025 scholarship winner is Jorja Baker, who will study Music Education at West Chester University.
Janet B. Wentz English Award
The Janet B. Wentz Award for Outstanding English Student will be an annual $5,000 cash award to a graduating senior at Mechanicsburg Area Senior High School (MASH) who excelled in English studies and will pursue a field of study that requires strong English skills.
The 2025 award winner is Riley Lepley, who will study Public Policy at George Washington University.
Wildcat Foundation Board Scholarship
The 21 members of the Wildcat Foundation Board of Directors initiated this year their first board-funded scholarship for a graduating MASH senior.to a senior whose story and application left an impact on them in the review process.
The $1,000 award winner for 2025 is Brooklyn Trout, who will study Fashion Business Management at the Fashion Institute of Technology.
The Wildcat Foundation
Founded in 1998, the nonprofit Wildcat Foundation is an educational foundation that operates under a stated mission to strengthen the educational, cultural, wellness and athletic programs of the Mechanicsburg Area School District (MASD).
It disperses grant funds annually through a competitive grant-making process to aid and support students throughout MASD. The foundation has funded nearly $2,000,000 in funds for programs and projects since 2001.
To learn more about the Wildcat Foundation and how you can become involved as a volunteer, participate in a special event or make a contribution, contact the foundation office at 717-691-4505, send an email to wildcatfoundation@mbgsd.org, or visit us online at www.wildcatfoundation.org.
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