Jesse Herrera ’26 had big plans for his first two years at Wabash.
He wanted to become a standout athlete on the wrestling team, get involved in student clubs, and pursue opportunities that would help him figure out his future career goals.
The psychology major and rhetoric minor has accomplished all of that and more thanks to the support of Peter ’84 and Melani Wilson.
Herrera is one of two recipients of the Peter C. Wilson Scholarship.
Endowed as part of the Giant Steps Campaign, the Peter C. Wilson Scholarship supports students with need and is equal to or above the cost of full tuition. The scholarship is renewable for four years.
“Coming from a low-income household as an only-child, it was very stressful to always be worrying about the increasing debt college could put me in,” said Herrera, a first-generation college student from Highland, Indiana.
Herrera was one of six wrestlers to compete last spring in the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament and was recognized by the National Wrestling Coaches Association as a 2024 scholar all-American for his accomplishments on the mat and in the classroom. He is also the treasurer of La Alianza and a member of Delta Tau Delta fraternity, the Public Health Organization (PHO), Wabash Acts Responsible (WAR) Council, Wabash College Republicans, and Wabash Fishing Club.
“I can’t express how much it means to me and my family to be awarded the Peter C. Wilson Scholarship,” Herrera said. “It’s thanks to the Wilsons’ generosity that I am no longer worrying about the financial burden, and instead focusing my attention on my academics and everything else that makes Wabash special.”
Wilson recently retired as president of his family’s business, Pyromation, Inc., a manufacturer of temperature sensors based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He has been a member of the Wabash Board of Trustees since 2010 and has served on the Budget and Finance, Student Development, and Buildings and Grounds committees.
Along with the scholarship, Wilson has taken additional giant steps for Wabash students by pledging funds in support of the Wabash Liberal Arts Immersion Program (WLAIP) and the construction of the new 38,000-square-foot community center.
Since its beginning in 2015, the WLAIP has welcomed approximately 30 students each year to Wabash from all over the country including places like Indiana, Arizona, Georgia, and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas.
The program includes a month-long Summer Institute and is designed to give students a head-start on Wabash and post-graduation success by helping them: earn their first college credit; learn about and interact with the offices and people who can help them succeed at Wabash; and understand what makes a Wabash education rigorous, unique, and important.
The WLAIP was envisioned as a way to help improve the retention and graduation rates of first-generation and traditionally under-represented populations. Recent data shows that students participating in the program were retained at a record high of 96% while non-participating but eligible students were retained at 77%.
“Watching the WLAIP go from pilot to program and then seeing the results has been amazing,” said Wilson.
“I have talked to my daughter who is a teacher in Nashville Public Schools and others in that field about their need for a program like Wabash has with WLAIP,” he continued. “They all see the value. They recognize that bridge of effectiveness in helping students get across that finish line in high school and then preparing them to thrive in college—in an environment they’re not immediately familiar with. As the data shows, that work is so important in helping our students succeed.”
In relation to the community center, Wilson said he was moved by the College’s efforts to not only create a gathering space for students—one that will include a new dining hall, community event space, meeting rooms, and public-facing restaurant—but also a hub for connecting with Crawfordsville community members.
“Wherever you’re located, you ought to be connected to that community as much as possible,” said Wilson, “and sometimes there is an unintentional disconnectedness between the students and Crawfordsville.
“So why not be a part of the solution that bridges the two together,” he said. “Let’s create a space that allows people to come together over a meal or an event. When you have a meaningful way to gather different people together, you start to find more common ground and ultimately strengthen your community.”
Wilson encourages alumni and friends to keep paying it forward and giving back to the institutions and causes that matter most to them.
“I was awarded a merit scholarship my junior year that was endowed by a Wabash mother whose son had passed,” explained Wilson, a biology major, Beta Theta Pi brother, and member of the Little Giant football team. “She was a wonderful person. She had that sense of loss and turned it into helping others. As I got older, I started to understand more and more how incredible that was. In a sense, the scholarship is repaying a debt of gratitude to her.
“Everybody gets to where they are with helping hands,” he continued. “I would ask everybody, particularly as you get farther along in life, to think back about how you were able to get to where you are, wherever that is. If you’re candid with yourself, it wasn’t just because of your own talent and hard work. It was really because somebody helped you get there. So, make sure you pay it back.”
Herrera, who plans to pursue clinical psychology after Wabash, thanks Wilson for helping students like him thrive.
“I am beyond grateful for the opportunity Mr. Wilson has given me to succeed,” Herrera said. “It wouldn’t have been possible without his contribution to me and Wabash.”