Marion High School Alumni Association congratulates this year’s winners of the Beekman-Porter Tennis Scholarship: Ava Marroni, Abigail Ndow, and Meet Patel, all members of Marion High School’s Class of 2025.

This scholarship, new this year, honors the legacy of the winningest coaches in Marion Giants tennis history, Bill Beekman and Doug Porter. It helps tennis players to reach for their dreams. In total, $1,000 was awarded this year.

Ava Marroni, $500 scholarship winner

Ava has been a tennis player for all four years at Marion High School. She was named to All-Conference teams in her sophomore and junior years. She also served as manager for the boys tennis team in her freshman and senior years. She has been a member of the MHS bowling team for four years, earning All-Conference honors as a junior. She also played soccer for MHS in her sophomore year.

“Playing sports at Marion has taught me teamwork and that it takes more than just one person to achieve our goals,” she said. My time as a member of the MHS girls tennis team has helped me grow in the areas of sportsmanship and overall character.”

Ava is a member of the MHS table tennis club, and a previous member of the MHS animal science club. She has volunteered with the Cardinal Screamway haunted trail for several years.

She plans to attend Earlham College with a career goal of photography. She will continue playing tennis at the collegiate level.

Ava is also a recipient of another scholarship facilitated by the Marion High School Alumni Association: the Marion Giants Athletic Boosters Scholarship.

Abigail Ndow, $250 scholarship winner

Abigail has been a tennis player all four years at Marion High School. She was named All-NCC second team in her junior year, and she is team captain this year. She is also a member of the MHS cheerleading team for all four years, and she has been named an All-American Cheerleader in her junior and senior years.

“Before I played sports at Marion, I was very shy and not confident in my skills. However, from the support of coaches and other teammates, I have learned to be a leader not just on the court, but off as well.”

Abigail is a member of Science National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematics Honor Society, Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (Spanish Honor Society), National Honor Society, Student Senate, Black History Club, Key Club, Fellowship of Student Athletes, Student Advisory Council, and the Best Buddies program. She has served as a peer-tutor at Marion High School, and she has helped coach Marion Youth Sports cheerleading. She is also an active member of her church, and has been dancing for many years. She also is an award-winning musician, having earned gold at the Indiana State School Music Association’s Solo & Ensemble competition.

She is a recipient of the President’s Volunteer Service Award, having logged more than 130 volunteer hours through the Leadership for Service (L4S) program administered by Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY) Foundation. Abigail participated in a HOBY leadership conference in her sophomore year, and has been connected with the program since then, including work as a junior staff member. 

Abigail is a College Board national honoree, was selected an Indiana Association of School Principals (IASP) Rising Star in her junior year. She has earned the AP Scholar designation, for which a student needs to earn scores of 3 or higher on three or more Advanced Placement exams. A score of 3 designates the student as “qualified” and capable of doing the work of an introductory-level course in a particular subject at college, and many colleges and universities grant credit and placement for scores of 3, 4, or 5. She was selected the 2025 Distinguished Young Woman of Grant County, part of the annual DYW nationwide scholarship competition, and she earned a scholarship at the state level competition as well.

She plans to attend Butler University and major in biochemistry, with a career goal of becoming a pediatrician or pediatric oncologist.

“My experience at Marion has taught me how to be a better student, athlete, and person through academics, sports, and extracurricular activities,” she said.

Abigail is also a recipient of two other scholarships facilitated by the Marion High School Alumni Association: the Keller Family Science Scholarship and the Blackmon Family Scholarship.

Meet Patel, $250 scholarship winner

Meet has been a tennis player for three years at Marion High School. He was named NCC All-Academic all three years, All-NCC second team in his senior year, and he was team captain. He was runner-up in mixed doubles in the 2024 Ken Hill Memorial Tournament. He was also a member of the MHS swim team, and was named NCC All-Academic in his junior and senior years. He also served as manager for the girls tennis team, and worked as a timer and recorder for girls swim meets. 

“Playing tennis at Marion High School has taught me resilience, leadership, and sportsmanship — qualities that will stay with me beyond high school,” he said.   

Meet is an officer for Science National Honor Society and a member of National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta National Mathematics Honor Society, and Sociedad Honoraria Hispanica (Spanish Honor Society). He also has volunteered with Grant County Rescue Mission and is an active temple member.

He plans to attend Indiana University-Bloomington and major in biology, with a career goal of becoming a physician assistant. He has earned a spot in the IU Groups Scholars Program, a selective jumpstart program that offers academic, financial, and social support, along with specialized courses and activities.

Congratulations to these outstanding students!

Marion High School Alumni Association is grateful for our collaborative relationship with Marion Community Schools and the community, which enables us to help provide excellent opportunities for Marion students!

If you would like to give to the Beekman-Porter Tennis Fund / Scholarship, you can do so online here.