Millennial Scholar Academy

Purpose and Philosophy

Millennial Scholars Amanda Justiniano and Caleb Roth

Grace College established the Millennial Scholar Academy to offer gifted students scholarships and special programming designed to build character, community connectedness and leadership skills. Students who participate in the prestigious Millennial Scholar Academy become engaged in dynamic personal and leadership development opportunities throughout their years at Grace College. Building professional relationships in the community, church, on campus and in cross-cultural, educational and human services communities are just some of the ways the MSA program will impact each student.

Millennial Scholars Shanon Farrell, Caleb Roth, and Cody Sheckler

MSA Requirements

The Millennial Scholar Academy offers students a total of 32 training sessions over a four-year period, approximately four sessions each semester. Millennial Scholars are required to participate in a minimum of 24 sessions of their choice over that 4-year period, although they may elect to attend more. Most of the sessions offered are 50 minutes in length, scheduled at a time that will not interfere with classes. Occasionally, a 2-hour field trip is scheduled, to enable students to attend a session on-site at community businesses and service organizations.

MSA Programming

Training sessions for the Millennial Scholar Academy are structured to provide the students with practical  insights and experience to help them develop personally and as future leaders. The presenters of the various sessions are community leaders, providing MSA students with fascinating insights into areas of personal development and community life that most members of any community never experience. The Millennial Scholar Academy is an investment that Grace College is proud to make in the lives of these students. 

MSA training sessions include:

MSA Freshman Orientation

At the beginning of each school year, incoming MSA Freshmen are invited to a 3-day MSA Freshman Orientation immediately prior to Grace College’s Welcome Weekend.

The goal of the orientation is to build immediate connections for the freshmen, especially focusing on

• Millennial Scholars Lindsey Eilbacher and Amanda Justiniano, outside the Orthopaedic Capital Center on the Grace campus. The OCC is home to the Millennial Scholar Academy.

  Grace Systems: Making the students familiar with the Grace campus and services.
• Local Churches: Introducing the students to local churches, allowing them to meet the pastoral staffs and find a church home early.
• Winona Lake: Giving the students an appreciation for the spiritual and social history and goals of Winona Lake.
• Personal Connections: Providing times for the students to build relationships with each other as well as with Grace professors and leaders.
• Personal Worth: Helping the students to feel especially valued for their on-campus presence and contributions to the school.

Five of the sessions attended during MSA Freshman Orientation count toward the 24 MSA required sessions, so students attending the orientation will have only 19 more required sessions to attend during their school years. This will enable students to attend fewer sessions during their freshman year, if they choose.  MSA students desiring to attend more than the 24 required sessions are welcome to do so. Some of the training sessions offered during the MSA Freshman Orientation will also be offered at other times for those students with schedule conflicts during the week before Welcome Weekend.

Millennial Scholar Cody Sheckler

MSA Scholarships

All MSA students (freshman–senior) are offered scholarships based on their participation in the MSA training sessions. To receive the anticipated scholarships, freshman students must be making satisfactory progress toward the completion of their 24 required minimum MSA sessions (6 completed sessions by the end of their Freshman year, 12 by the end of their Sophomore year, 18 by the end of their Junior year, and 24 by the end of their Senior year.) A student may attend more than the minimum number of sessions at their discretion. 

About Grace College

Grace College is an evangelical Christian liberal arts college committed to a view that God has provided His authentic written revelation in the Bible, the World of God.  From this viewpoint, the various disciplines and fields of study are explored, experienced and applied.  Students can ask the tough questions, find answers and stand strong in their faith at Grace. 

For further information

Call toll-free:  800-544-7223, ext. 6096 or e-mail: allisokj@grace.edu