Posted: Wednesday, January 28, 2026
By: University Communications

High school students throughout the Tri-State and beyond were awarded significant scholarships on Friday, January 23, at the University of Evansville's 10th annual High School Changemaker Challenge, made possible by Toyota Indiana.

The challenge is designed to motivate young people to take a leading role in identifying and solving challenges in the world through innovation and creativity. A panel of judges heard pitches from the top 20 teams and individual students who had been invited to the in-person competition. From those top 20, six ideas were then chosen for the championship round. During that event, judges awarded first, second, and third place. Additionally, a surprise $10,000 UE scholarship was given to each of the runners up.

UE has committed more than $1 million in scholarships to winners of this competition since its inception. Those who choose UE as their college destination will each receive four-year scholarships as listed below:

First Place Helping Hands (Full tuition UE scholarship)

Team: Noma Ohonba, Chaz Burkett; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

HelpingHands is a streamlined platform to make volunteering more convenient, people can find events that match their interests and keep track of their hours & verification all in one place. It basically functions as a social network for service, making it easy to stay informed, get involved, and track real impact without extra hassle.

Second Place / Team Promise ($27,000 UE scholarship)

Team: Lucy Howe, Elodie Thomason; Reitz Memorial High School, Evansville, Indiana

This program proposes a co-ed or all-girls flag football league in the Evansville Promise Neighborhood, offering kids a fun and active way to build healthy habits. It emphasizes physical activity, teamwork, and confidence while creating a positive space for youth to play and grow.

Third Place / VeraWell for Women ($25,000 UE scholarship)

Team: Jaini Haria, Adria Saha; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

This app provides a secure way for victims of domestic abuse to reach licensed health and mental-health professionals through private chat or video, offering crisis triage and personalized safety planning. It also includes anonymous peer-support spaces where survivors can connect and share experiences, along with accessible resources to help them find safety and begin healing.

Runners up ($23,000 UE scholarship)

Accessible Cam

Team: Cameron Jenkins; Franklinton High School, Franklinton, North Carolina

Accessible Cam is designed to bring awareness to sidewalk and path accessibility issues throughout our city. It provides a street-level view of the challenges faced by pedestrians using wheelchairs and walkers, new mothers using strollers, and others navigating Evansville sidewalks and paths.

MyJourney

Team: Nicholas Fleming; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

An online therapy extension providing reusable resources to patients for use out of session, along with storage for session notes and action plans and mood and progress tracking. It helps the financial and time burden on both therapists and patients, ensuring that more people have access to therapy.

LungCheckVOC

Team: Jonathan Davis; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

This project introduces a non-invasive diagnostic tool that analyzes exhaled VOCs with machine learning to support early detection of lung cancer. It offers a simple, patient-friendly approach that can improve screening access and lead to faster, more informed care decisions.

ChangeLab Coach Awards

Emerging Coach of the Year: Max Flowers, Graduate Research Librarian, Clinical Assistant Professor

Coach of the Year: Dr. Valerie Stein, Professor of Religious Studies; Director, Social justice Program and Race & Ethnicity Studies; director, UE's Journey to Justice

Fan Favorites

Evansville Youth Music Collective

Team: Ethan He, Layne Jenkins, Stephanie Panayides; Signature School

We are a student-led volunteering ensemble and initiative composed of high school musicians driven by the philosophy that everyone deserves access to live music. Since 2024, our ensemble has performed at hospitals, retirement communities, and care facilities, bringing joy to patients, residents, and families when they need it most.

Future Women of Criminal Justice

Team: Taylor McRoberts; Boonville High School, Boonville, Indiana

The project aims to organize outreach events that connect young girls with female role models in the criminal justice field, offering mentorship and support. The initiative seeks to inspire and empower the next generation of women to pursue careers in criminal justice.

GrowIN' Soy: Indiana's Tiny Beans, Big Climate Impact

Team: Matthew Goff, Alexander Rawlinson; Signature School, Evansville, Indiana

GrowIN' Soy is an educational program to teach 3rd graders about the growth and value of soybeans and recieved an Ag Literacy grant from Indiana Farm Bureau to present this in Warrick Co. schools. Our goal is to expand this program statewide to create change by promoting more informed consumers for a positive environmental impact that supports Indiana's agricultural communities.

To learn more about High School Changemaker Challenge please visit https://www.evansville.edu/changemaker/