Scholarship Spotlight: Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity Scholar Samantha Davenport

Since 2023, Scholarship America has administered the Greater Indy Habitat for Humanity Scholarship, providing financial assistance to Habitat for Humanity homeowners and their families in the Indianapolis area.

Greater Indy Habitat’s Jennifer Brammer told us, “It’s important to us to remain a resource for our homeowners post-purchase. The scholarship is an example of how Habitat seeks to extend the impact of an affordable home to further education and economic mobility.”

For a perfect example of that impact, look no further than scholarship recipient Samantha Davenport. Samantha is a sophomore at Franklin College majoring in forensic science. She is passionate about the arts — filling her time painting, crafting DIY projects, and as a makeup artist.

Samantha is very connected in her community through Habitat. She regularly visits and volunteers in the organization’s ReStores and on the build site. But her experience with Greater Indy Habitat began when she was three years old and her family moved into their Habitat home. Her house was built next to another Habitat home, and some of her earliest memories are of playing hide-and-seek with her neighbors’ children in the wooden frames as the houses were being built. Those are the moments that made her the family-oriented woman she is today.

Samantha’s mother was a military brat who moved around a lot. Her childhood friends also had to move frequently. Now, as an adult, she has a deeper understanding of what that meant—and it gives her a strong sense of pride and gratitude that her mother provided them with, “a home where we could plant roots.”

The stability she’s had throughout her life made it hard adjusting to living on campus away from her mom and rescue dog. But she feels relief knowing her home is close and will always be a space for her to, “reset my batteries mentally.”

In high school, she held a leadership role on the student council and was a member of the band, which helped her secure a clarinet scholarship as well. Her favorite subject was and still is chemistry. Samantha enjoyed how her assignments blended criminology with chemistry, allowing her to use science to help solve cases.

Her passion for chemistry made Franklin College an easy choice, where small classes allow her to thrive and the campus community makes her feel at home. On campus, she serves as the manager for the women’s lacrosse team, a member of the Pride Alliance, Escape Room Club, Dungeons and Dragons Club, and the Delta Delta Delta sorority.

Habitat and Scholarship America congratulate Samantha on her achievements so far, and we strive to support more students like her. If you’re ready to make an impact on students like Samantha in your community, get in touch!