CARROLL COUNTY COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2020 LILLY ENDOWMENT COMMUNITY SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

December 17, 2019 -- One Carroll County student has been named a recipient of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship as the Carroll County Community Foundation 2020 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.

Ayden Ayres, son of Elizabeth Ayres and Adam Ayres, will receive full tuition to an accredited public or private nonprofit Indiana university or college of his choice and up to $900 per year for required books and equipment.

Ayden, a Carroll High School student, is senior captain of the varsity football team and a member of the track team.  He is a Key Club member, where he is known for his large amount of volunteer hours, and treasurer of the National Honor Society.  Ayden also is a driver for the C-Force Racing Team.  His volunteer activities included serving at the community dinner, building a greenhouse on a mission trip and filling Buddy Bags.  Ayden also mentors an elementary student. 

He plans to attend Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology and study engineering.

The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (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.

Including the 23rd cohort, 4,769 full-tuition scholars have been awarded and over $405 million in scholarship tuition has been provided through the LECSP since the program’s inception in 1998. 

The Carroll County Community Foundation’s criteria include academic achievement; school, community and work activities; potential for success; essay; and financial need. A committee of volunteers evaluated the applications and selected the four finalists who were interviewed by the Carroll County Community Foundation board. There were 22 Carroll County students who applied for the scholarship.

“The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship allows students to be able to focus on academics and not finances,” said Dr. Paul Manning, Chairman of the Carroll County Community Foundation Services Committee. “It also encourages them to remain in Indiana and participate in the communities where they reside. The Endowment utilizes the Community Foundation to administer the program as a way to support Indiana’s community foundations.”

The finalists’ names were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) for the selection of recipients.  ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 30 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.

The Foundation recognized the achievements of the other three finalists with $1,000 scholarships. They are Rylee Houston, Delphi Community High School; Elijah Hudson, Delphi Community High School; and Jordan Ladd, Delphi Community High School. 

The Carroll County Community Foundation was established in 1997 as a not-for-profit charitable organization governed by a volunteer board of local citizens.  Its purpose is to serve the interests of donors, to make grants and to act as a catalyst around issues of community importance in Carroll County.  For details about making a charitable gift or establishing a permanent endowment fund to benefit a charitable organization or interest in Carroll County, contact the Carroll County Community Foundation.