Andy and Celicia Upper Scholarship
Born November 2, 1973 in Bloomington, Andrew Mayne Upper was the son of Henry and Celicia Upper. Dean Upper is the retired Associate Dean for External Relations for IU Jacobs School of Music. Although Andy struggled throughout his life with severe cerebral palsy, he graduated from Bloomington High School North in 1995 and participated in programs at Stone Belt Center. He was also a member of the First United Methodist Church of Bloomington.
Andy was employed by Sunrise Publications, making him one of the first profoundly handicapped people to be hired in the Bloomington community. His employment at Sunrise was facilitated and encouraged by Stone Belt Center's director Elbert Johns. "Rarely has there been a disabled person who had so much support and participated so actively in community life as Andy," said Mr. Johns. "He had a network of support from every segment of the Bloomington community: coworkers, family, neighbors, and employers. Andy's was a model situation for people with disabilities. When all of the facets of a community work together, it makes for magic."
Andy was a symbolic figure for the achievements of persons with disabilities in the Bloomington area. The Andy Upper Memorial Scholarship was established upon his death in 1998 by his friends and family. It benefits students in the IU Jacobs School of Music as well as students studying special education in the IU School of Education.