The Community Foundation of Randolph County is pleased to announce the five finalists for the 2021 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. Alphabetically they are: Ella Baldwin, Winchester, daughter of Justin and Kari Baldwin; Kyle Buckingham, Union City, son of Greg and Michelle Buckingham; Madison Hargarten, Winchester, daughter of Daniel and Amanda Hargarten; Lauren Harris, Winchester, daughter of Jeff and Wendy Harris; and Hunter Reagan, Union City, son of Scott and Rhonda Reagan.
Each finalist was invited to the Community Foundation for an interview with the scholarship committee on October 12, 2020. After the interviews, the committee determined the top nominees based on the application scores and interview scores. The nominees will be submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana a final selection of the recipient. The official announcement of the Randolph County 2021 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship winner will be made at the recipient’s school in early or 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 can 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 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 will award $1,250 scholarships to each of the other four finalists.
