Community Foundation Announces Lilly Scholarship Finalists

WINCHESTER, INDIANA, October 28, 2019 –The Community Foundation of Randolph County is pleased to announce the five finalists for the 2020 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. They are: Lindsey Herrera of Winchester (parents Tracy and Daniel) Leah Keesling of Randolph Southern (parents Lisa and Brad) Katie Reichard of Union City (parents Shelia and Scott) Grant Wagner of Winchester (parents Janell and Brian) and Derick Williams of Union City (parents Georgiana and Erick)

Each finalist was invited to the Community Foundation for an interview with the scholarship committee on October 14, 2019. After the interviews, the committee selected a recipient and two alternates based on the application scores and interview scores. However, the nominees must be approved by a committee at Independent Colleges of Indiana before the recipient’s name can be publicly announced. The official announcement will be made at the recipient’s school in early or mid-December. Until then, the results will remain confidential.

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. The purpose of the scholarship is to increase the educational attainment of our state. 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. Some colleges and universities also provide Lilly Scholars with free room and or board. The Community Foundation will award $1,250 scholarships to each of other finalists.