Editor’s note: The following has been adapted from a press release from the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County.
Ten high school seniors have been selected as finalists for the 2021 Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program.
Monroe County’s 2021 Lilly Scholarship finalists include:
- John Beggs, Bloomington High School South.
- Hannah Browning, Lighthouse Christian Academy.
- Ethan Cantrell, Bloomington High School North.
- Darby FitzSimmons, Bloomington High School South.
- Solveig Ksander Hicks, Bloomington High School North.
- Josephine Sparks, Bloomington High School South.
- Moya Stringer, Bloomington High School South.
- Lucia Walker, Bloomington High School South.
- Kaitlyn Young, Bloomington High School North.
- Katherine Zinkan, Bloomington High School South.
The two 2021 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars for Monroe County will be named in December 2020.
“This year’s Lilly Scholarship finalists represent a dynamic group of individuals who have achieved as students while also giving back to their communities in remarkable ways,” says Tina Peterson, Community Foundation’s president and CEO.
Among their many accomplishments, this year’s Monroe County Lilly Scholarship finalists have led more than 25 school organizations, displayed their talents in art, music, dance, theater, writing, and poetry, and excelled as athletes in soccer, cross country, volleyball, track, lacrosse, and swimming. These civic-minded students have led efforts to engage young people in community government and encouraged their peers to register to vote. They have advocated for a greener environment through new local efforts and global initiatives.
They have also volunteered for 30 local organizations, including St. Vincent de Paul, Habitat for Humanity, Hoosier Hills Food Bank, WonderLab, Salvation Army, City of Bloomington Parks and Rec, Community Kitchen, Best Buddies, Meals on Wheels, Boys and Girls Clubs of Bloomington, and many others.
“While we always regret that only two of these amazing finalists will ultimately receive the Lilly Scholarship, each one inspires great confidence in this generation of young people,” adds Peterson. “It would be our hope that many of our finalists ultimately elect to stay in Indiana for school and begin their careers as Hoosiers.”
Monroe County’s Lilly Scholarship finalists were selected from among 21 semifinalists and 117 applications submitted by students from Monroe County high schools. Applications for the 2021 scholarship were blindly reviewed and independently scored by members of a scholarship committee at each Monroe County high school to identify 21 semifinalists. The number of semifinalists identified is reflective of each school’s senior class size.
Each semifinalist was invited to submit an updated application, which included additional content and references from school and other community members, to be considered for the finalist round. The Community Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee then evaluated the completed semifinalist applications.
This committee, which comprises members of the community and former Monroe County Lilly Scholars, blindly reviewed and scored applications from the semifinalists to select ten finalists. In selecting recipients for the Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, consideration is given to student activities and achievements, community and civic service, academic performance, and leadership potential.
The finalists will participate in interviews this week, and their interview scores will be combined with scoring from the written application. The finalists’ rankings, along with the committee’s recommendations for scholarship nominees, will be submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. for final selection of scholarship recipients for Monroe County, to be named in December.
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are awarded four-year, full-tuition scholarships to pursue baccalaureate degrees at colleges or universities in Indiana. The scholarship also includes up to $900 annually for required textbooks and equipment. Since the Lilly Endowment Scholarship Program’s inception in 1998, over $404 million in scholarship tuition has been provided. Including scholars from the 23rd cohort, which started their college careers this fall, 4,769 students have received full-tuition Lilly scholarships. The Lilly Scholarship program is administered by Independent Colleges of Indiana and community foundations in each of Indiana’s 92 counties.
For more information on the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program or other scholarships administered by the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, click here.
