The Community Foundation of Randolph County is pleased to announce the five finalists for the 2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. Alphabetically they are: Brookelyn Erwin, Winchester (top left); Braydon Hoggatt, Union City (top middle); Olivia Keesling, Randolph Southern (top right); Christina Sowinski, Union City (bottom left); and Zoe Whitehead, Winchester (bottom right).
Each finalist was invited to the Beeson Clubhouse for an interview with the scholarship committee on October 7, 2021. After the interviews, the committee determined the top nominees based on their application and interview scores. The nominees will be submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana for final selection of the recipient. The official announcement of Randolph County’s 2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recipient will be made at the student’s school in early to mid-December.
The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are: 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana, 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations play in their communities, and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, nonprofit, and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.
The Lilly Scholarship was initiated in 1998 by Lilly Endowment, Inc. in response to Indiana’s ranking of 47th out of 50 states in the percentage of residents under age 25 holding bachelor’s degrees. Since 1998, Lilly Scholarship recipients in Randolph County have been awarded over 2.5 million dollars.
The Lilly Scholarship provides four years of tuition at a public or private, non-profit, accredited college or university within the state of Indiana for a student pursuing a baccalaureate course of study. The scholarship also includes a yearly stipend to purchase books and other required supplies. The Community Foundation of Randolph County will award $1,250 scholarships to each of the other four finalists.