Pitch Your Passion competition gives students academic opportunities

[From left to right] Zoie Alger, junior; Kelin Peraza-Argueta, new Thomasson scholar and incoming freshman; Rebekah Johnson, sophomore; Kensdiana Fluerant, freshman; Adalynn Oberndorfer, new Thomasson scholar and incoming freshman; Reesse Gheen, freshman; Henna Bartnik, new Thomasson scholar and incoming freshman; Kimberly Hestermann, junior; Emily Eshbach, senior; and Benjamin Rocks, sophomore.
Photo Courtesy of Kelin Peraza-Argueta
[From left to right] Zoie Alger, junior; Kelin Peraza-Argueta, new Thomasson scholar and incoming freshman; Rebekah Johnson, sophomore; Kensdiana Fluerant, freshman; Adalynn Oberndorfer, new Thomasson scholar and incoming freshman; Reesse Gheen, freshman; Henna Bartnik, new Thomasson scholar and incoming freshman; Kimberly Hestermann, junior; Emily Eshbach, senior; and Benjamin Rocks, sophomore. Photo Courtesy of Kelin Peraza-Argueta

IU Indianapolis is home to the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, one of the only philanthropy schools in the nation. In the pursuit to provide students with the opportunity to study philanthropy, the school offers students the opportunity to win scholarships through the Pitch Your Passion competition.

A scholarship competition for high school seniors and college students with less than 60 credit hours, Pitch Your Passion gives students the opportunity to share a small group presentation about an issue in their community they care about. Participants also do an individual interview. 

“I think it allows students who wouldn't otherwise be able to come [to college] an opportunity, based just on finance. I mean, it's very expensive to come to college. We're looking for people who are really strong students who are involved in their community, who have some leadership skills, and who really care,” Pamela Clark, assistant dean for enrollment management and student success and director of undergraduate programs at IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, said.

One of the people who has benefited from this program is Kelin Peraza-Argueta, a high school senior starting her college journey at IU Indianapolis in summer 2025.

“I always associated philanthropy with, like, a rich white man with money. I always thought that’s what philanthropy was,” Peraza-Argueta said. “Recently, I was like ‘Oh, philanthropy isn’t just money.’ I decided to apply, and, honestly, it was probably the best decision that I made.” 

Peraza-Argueta was one of the winners of this year’s Pitch Your Passion competition, winning a full ride scholarship through the Thomasson Scholars Program. College wasn’t always something Peraza-Argueta saw in her future.

“Going into ninth grade, it was right after COVID. During COVID eighth grade, I had like a 1.0 GPA and that was the absolute worst. I've never gone that low in my life,” Peraza-Argueta said. “I kind of came into ninth grade in high school with the attitude that I wasn't going to go to college. I was like, people like me don't belong in that space. And who's to say that me, a first-generation daughter of immigrants, is actually going to get there?” 

At the beginning of her senior year of high school, Peraza-Argueta heard about the competition.

“I still didn't expect to be able to go to, like, I know I was applying and I know I got into schools, but I wasn't like, is this really happening? It kind of felt fake,” Peraza-Argueta said. “I saw her [Kimmy Hestermann’s] post and a couple of my mentors had. They were like, ‘Kelin, you need to do this.’”

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Kelin Peraza-Argueta poses with check for $25,654 from the Pitch Your Passion Competition Photo Courtesy of Jelin Peraza-Argueta

Peraza-Argueta focused on professional development, especially for the Latinx community in her application.

“When I applied, I talked about professional development actually, because I feel like it's something that a lot of first gens don't have access to, especially young Latinas,” Peraza-Argueta said.

“They don't have access to professional development because most of the time our families don't come from a background where that's needed because they do a lot of manual labor, things that don't really involve that type of work.” 

Going into the competition, Peraza-Argueta did not have high expectations, but despite these doubts, she won a full-ride scholarship and is set to start classes this summer.

“When I did the competition, I didn't expect to win. I actually was telling myself the entire day that I had failed and I was doing terribly because I was the first one to have my interview and I got emotional during my interview,” Peraza-Argueta said. “I didn't think that was possible. The moment they said my name, I wanted to start crying, and I wanted to bawl my eyes out because I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is happening.’”

For Peraza-Argueta, this is about more than just an education. It also shows others in her community that more is possible.

“I truly think it's amazing that I get to do this, not just for myself, but for all of them. The Latinos, the immigrants, the Salvadorians, the undocumented community, all of those are my people,” Peraza-Argueta said. “And so I was the first one to go through everything, and it's so challenging. I know that out there, there has to be another immigrant child that felt the exact same way that I did. I just want to show them that they can do it too. No matter where we come from, what's happening, we are just as capable as anybody else to make our dreams come true and pursue something better.”

Peraza-Argueta is shocked at how her life has shifted in the last year, even after the competition.

“Somebody was asking me about it like yesterday, and I was like, ‘yeah, I have a full ride.’ I don't have to worry about it. It's crazy that for the first time in my life, I get to choose education over anything else and that's crazy. It's so weird, but I'm so beyond thankful that they gave me that opportunity,” Peraza-Argueta said.


Abigail Godsen (she/her) is a junior majoring in Applied Information Sciences with a minor in Classics. She is Campus Editor for The Campus Citizen. When she isn’t writing, Abby likes to cook, do crossword puzzles and drink a lot of tea. She can be summoned using anything shiny or books.

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