The 2023-24 Dr. Jill E. Hungerford Memorial Scholarship
This $3,000 scholarship was established to honor the memory of Dr. Jill E. Hungerford who died unexpectedly at age 34 in 1999. Jill was a 1983 graduate of Penn Manor High School where she was an honor student and varsity tennis player. She competed in collegiate tennis at the College of William & Mary and Georgetown University.
This award is to be used towards post-secondary educational expenses.
Application Deadline: May 15, 2024
Bethany Elmore
Bethany Elmore- Dr. Jill E. Hungerford Memorial Scholarship 2021-2022 Winner
2021-2022 Dr. Jill E. Hungerford Memorial Scholarship will be presented to Bethany Elmore. Bethany is a senior at Cocalico High School, maintains a 4.0 GPA, and is a three-year varsity tennis player and co-captain of the team. She has served as student government treasurer, senior class treasurer and National Honor Society vice president. Currently ranked #2 in her class, she has received several student of the month awards and was nominated to be on the Cocalico homecoming court. She plans to attend Brigham Young University in the fall. Read more about Bethany in her essay below.
Bethany’s Essay Reads
Participating on the Girls’ Tennis team gave me the opportunity to do what I love – be part of a team and compete. My heart loves the thrill of athletic competition, but my body was having a hard time keeping up with my passion for sports. I may look like an average teenager, but I have Juvenile Arthritis, an autoimmune disease that causes my body to attack its own joints. When I started high school, some sports became overly stressful on my joints, and I was devasted that my body was struggling to keep up. It was hard to step away from teams I had grown to love in order to protect my health, but the tennis team was there to fill that void.
Activity can be painful with arthritis, but being sedentary can make things worse too; and so, tennis became the perfect amount of activity for me. Tennis was like medicine for my joints during my high school career. Being an active participant on the tennis team allowed me to continue to do what I love- compete with a team. My spirits were lifted at each practice and match as new and lasting friendships developed over the years. I would build off of my teammates’ energy, and their friendship and support helped me to feel physically better.
Tennis gave me a renewed sense of self-esteem. My arthritis may have kept me from reaching my full athletic potential, but my tennis coaches were amazing champions encouraging me and helping me feel like a valued team member. They helped me pace myself through my physical challenges including an entire season playing with a left arm cast. Tennis taught me that being a leader was more than being the star of a team, it was rising above your challenges and supporting others along the way.
Playing varsity tennis also taught me other invaluable life lessons. First, I learned the importance of losing. Of course, I love the feeling of winning a well-played match, but losing matches gave me an opportunity to root out my weaknesses and strive to make those weaknesses stronger. Losing wasn’t enjoyable, but I became more comfortable experiencing moments of failure because I understood its importance in the journey to become a better version of myself.
Another way tennis shaped me is by teaching me not to dwell on things that are out of my control. Questionable line calls can easily make or break a match. Allowing frustrations to fester over missed points only hurts me and causes me to lose focus of my game; however, placing focus on facets within my control and concentrating on earning my next point are crucial to success. Tennis taught me how to let go of frustrations and focus on what lies ahead and that has helped my outlook in life.
Finally, being a student-athlete has taught me excellent time-management skills. Going from early-morning bible study, to school, and then directly to tennis often gave me minimal time to complete school work. Forward-thinking and planning out my studies have proved essential skills to accommodate a rigorous schedule. Playing tennis has helped me become the organized and adaptable person I am today.
As I move onto the next phase of my education, I plan to attend Brigham Young University as a communication disorders major to pursue a degree in speech and language pathology. I have a special interest in this field of study because significant joint damage in my jaw caused speech issues for me as a child, which I overcame with surgery and therapy. I’m passionate about pursuing a degree in communication disorders, so I can help children develop confidence and overcome their own speech challenges.
Another passion of mine is sharing my love of reading with others. Unfortunately, children with speech and language disorders are at a high risk of reading problems and often struggle with reading comprehension. Entering the communication disorders program would help me prepare to alleviate the roadblocks that keep these children from experiencing the joy of being lost in a good book.
I also look forward to staying involved with extracurricular activities such as continuing my love for tennis by participating in the intramural programs and tennis classes that BYU has to offer. In addition, I plan to become involved with the student service association. Currently BYU doesn’t have a student arthritis association, but I’d love to start one to support students like myself and help them rise above their health challenges.
Dr. Jill E. Hungerford Memorial Scholarship Past Winners
- 2000 – 2001 – Julia Lathia/Elizabethtown
- 2001 – 2002 – Ann Cooper/McCaskey
- 2002 – 2003 – Waverly Lutz/LCDS
- 2003 – 2004 – Chrissy Zigment/ Conestoga Valley
- 2004 – 2005 – Allison Altdoerffer/ Penn Manor
- 2005 -2006 – Kelly Krespan/LCHS
- 2006 – 2007 – Eliza Martin/Pequea Valley
- 2007 – 2008 – Sydney Clark/Hempfield
- 2008 – 2009 – Megan Elliot/Penn Manor
- 2009 – 2010 – Carlie Wetzel/Hempfield
- 2010 – 2011- Andrea Huffnagel/ LS
- 2011- 2012 – Grace Jemison/LMH
- 2012 – 2013 – Shannon O’Malley/ Garden Spot HS
- 2013 – 2014 – Julia Davis/ LCHS
- 2014 – 2015 – Katina Jones/ Penn Manor HS
- 2015 – 2016 – Carolyn Kitsock/ Manheim Township HS
- 2016 – 2017 – Anna Farmer/ Donegal
- 2017 – 2018 – Lindsey Strasenburgh/ JP McCaskey HS
- 2018 – 2019 – Amanda Hagino/Hempfield
- 2019 – 2020 – Emily Ashley/ Donegal
- 2020 – 2021 – Ariana Cuba-Rivera/Penn Manor HS
- 2021 – 2022 – Bethany Elmore/Cocalico HS
Application and Requirements
To apply, you will need to send along an updated copy of your high school transcript. You will also need to upload a separate text or MS Word document that answers the following three questions. The length of each answer should be approximately 200 words.
1. Please describe how being a member of your schoolʼs Girls Tennis Team has affected your overall high school experience.
2. Please describe any life lessons you have learned by being a member of your schoolʼs tennis team that you can apply to your life off the tennis court.
3. Please describe any future goals you hope to achieve during your post-secondary education.
The completed application must be received by May 15, 2023. The scholarship winner will be selected and notified by June 15, 2023. Please contact Jenni Grove, 717-917-3693 with any questions.
Thank you,
Tennis Central