EAST CHICAGO | The St. Catherine Hospital Auxiliary Scholarship Award Program has chosen its 2008-09 recipients.

The awards will be presented Wednesday at the annual scholarship awards ceremony at the hospital.

The scholarships are awarded to students pursuing higher education in the health care field. They must live in the hospital's primary services area, and/or students who are St. Catherine employees, Community Foundation of Northwest Indiana employees (based at St. Catherine) or auxiliary members and/or dependents of the employees or auxiliary members.

Contributions to the scholarship program of St. Catherine Hospital were made possible through support from the auxiliary and the Wings of Healing Program.

This year's recipients include the following:

Megan Abeyta, of Hammond, who will attend Indiana University Northwest.

Suzanna Acosta, Munster, who will attend IU Northwest

Leah Alberson, Munster, who will study at Marquette University

Erica Baran, Hammond, who will attend IU Northwest

Kelly Braden, Cedar Lake, who will study at Indiana Wesleyan

Elizabeth Curosh, Whiting, who will attend Purdue University-West Lafayette

Gabriela Dimitrievski, Crown Point, who will attend Purdue-West Lafayette

Elise Elza, Whiting, who will study at Bethel College

Jessica Gomez, Hammond, who will attend IU Northwest

Brittini Jordan, East Chicago, who will attend Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis

Katrina Klochan, Whiting, who will study at Loyola University Chicago

Zoran Kvrgic, Griffith, who will attend Valparaiso University

Eric Ligon, East Chicago, who will study at Purdue-West Lafayette

Laura Martinez, East Chicago, who will attend IU Northwest

David McDonald, Lake Village, who will attend Ball State University

Michelle Mirza, Whiting, who will attend Ball State

Justin Mis, Whiting, who will study at Purdue-West Lafayette

Nina Pistalo, Highland, who will attend Purdue University Calumet

Timothy Yee, Munster, who will attend the University of Notre Dame

- For The Times