by Kimberly Rinker, for Harness Horsemen International

Chicago, IL — Jessica Blankenship, 18, has been awarded the 2012 Harness Horsemen International Jerome L. Hauck Scholarship, worth $4,000. She is the daughter of Standardbred trainer Tom and Michelle Blankenship of Ashville, Ohio.

Jessica plans to attend Marshall University in late August where she will concentrate her field of studies in high school education with an emphasis on history and social studies. She graduated from Teays Valley High School this past spring where she maintained a 3.3 grade point average, and was a four-year member of the honor roll program.

“This scholarship will help me with expenses that I’ll incur at Marshall and I appreciate being this year’s recipient,” Jessica offered. “My heartfelt thanks go out to HHI and to God.”

Besides her academic accomplishments, Jessica was the student body president during her senior year, and served as her class president through her freshman, sophomore and junior years. She was a three-year member of the varsity cheerleading squad for football and basketball, a two-year track team member, and a FFA Student Advisor.

Jessica is a ten-year member of the Walnut Porkers 4-H Club where she showed market hogs, beef feeder calves, rabbits and market lambs. As well, she won the Grand Champion title at the 2006 Pickaway County Fair.

As a member of the Blessed Hope Bible Church, Jessica has been participating in church activities since sixth grade, volunteering in the nursery and teaching junior church.

In her community, Jessica has tutored middle school children; spoke to elementary children regarding the protection of the environment through soil conservation; donated books for children in Uganda; supported the adopt-a-family programs during Thanksgiving and Christmas via FFA & 4-H; and raised over $1,000 for Autism Speaks charities.

Harness Horsemen International is delighted to present this scholarship to such a deserving candidate as Jessica Blankenship.