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Heritage Fund — The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, has announced the 10 local high school seniors selected as finalists for the 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships for Bartholomew County.
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character and leadership. Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years.
The scholarship is for undergraduate students studying on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Scholars also may participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities.
Finalists are:
From Columbus East High School: Austin Menefee, Ella Powell and Keana Wooten.
From Columbus North High School: Benjamin Ferguson, Rebeca Cantu Garcia and Neal White.
From CSA-New Tech: Flint De Luna, Sydney Morrow and Dane Tibbs.
From Hauser Jr-Sr High School: Samantha Holzer.
Heritage Fund received 37 applications for this year’s scholarships, from which the 10 finalists were selected. Scholarship applicants were evaluated by the election committee on academic performance; scholastic and community involvement; employment; leadership; financial need; short answer and essay responses and two recommendations.
Finalists now will be interviewed by the selection committee before scholarship nominees are submitted to ICI, statewide administrator of the scholarship program, for nomination approval.
The 2025 Lilly Scholars will be announced in December.
To date, 57 Bartholomew County students have been named Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.
About LECSP, Lilly Endowment & ICI
Lilly Endowment created LECSP in the 1997-98 school year and has supported the program every year since with tuition grants totaling more than $490 million.
About Heritage Fund
Heritage Fund was formed in 1976 as a community foundation with the purpose of continuing a legacy of giving by providing an opportunity for all citizens to make gifts and establish charitable funds to benefit the local community. Our mission is to inspire generosity, gather and grow community leaders, and to act to ensure that Bartholomew County is an exceptional place for all to live, learn, work and play.
More than 5,300 Indiana students have received Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships since the program’s inception. The primary purposes of LECSP 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, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.
Since 1997, Independent Colleges of Indiana has administered the LECSP statewide with funding provided by Lilly Endowment. Founded in 1948, ICI is the collective voice for excellence and choice in higher education for all students. As a nonprofit association, ICI represents Indiana’s 29 private, nonprofit, regionally accredited colleges and universities.
