COMMUNITY FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES FULL-TUITION SCHOLARSHIPS FOR HOWARD COUNTY STUDENTS

Four 2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship finalists also receive $1,500 scholarships

December 9, 2021 -- National Honor Society members from Taylor High School and Northwestern High School are the 2022 Community Foundation of Howard County Lilly Endowment Community Scholars. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character and leadership.

Chole McKay, daughter of Jason and Amber McKay, and Megan York, daughter of John York and Ann Cronkhite, will receive the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship which 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 of undergraduate study on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects scholars 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 the Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI).

About Chole McKay

This National Honor Society member at Taylor High School excels in advanced biology, chemistry and Advanced 3-D art classes. She participates on the Academic Spell Bowl and Super Bowl teams and is also a member of the National Art Honor Society. An athletic achiever also, Chloe has been part of the Tennis Team, Cross Country Team and Golf Team, even being recognized by the Taylor athletic department for her scholastic success. Chloe plans to study psychology at Indiana University Kokomo.

About Megan York

This Northwestern High School student’s accomplishments include being selected as Outstanding 2D Art Student, being on the All-A Honor Roll, a Level 3 semi-finalist for the Indiana State Library Letters About Literature, and being named Most Outstanding Freshman Math Student. Megan is a member of the Spanish Honor Society, volunteers with the CAM for Hope organization, and is a three-sport athlete, playing on the volleyball, basketball and softball teams. She plans to attend Purdue University.

“Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship applicants really exemplify the quality and abilities of Howard County students,” said Joe Dunbar, chairman of the Community Foundation of Howard County Scholarship Committee. “The scholarship 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 emphasize the value of education and to support Indiana’s community foundations.”

The Community Foundation of Howard County’s criteria used in the finalists’ selection process include academic achievement, financial need, potential for success, preference for first-generation college attendees, school, community and work activities, and an interview. Sixty-eight Howard County students applied for the scholarship.

The Community Foundation of Howard County recognized the accomplishments of the other finalists with $1,500 scholarships. They are Madelyn Duncan and Isaac Elkin from Kokomo High School; Katarina Grube, Northwestern High School; and Alana Johnson, Taylor High School.

About the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program

The Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-1999 school year and has supported the program every year since with tuition grants totaling in excess of $439 million. More than 5,000 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program’s inception. 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, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state. With the 2022 awards, 51 Howard County residents have received the scholarship, representing an approximate value of $4.2 million.

After the Community Foundation of Howard County Scholarship Committee selected the six finalists, the names were submitted to ICI for the selection of recipients.

The Community Foundation of Howard County Inc. was formed as a not-for-profit public charity in March 1991. The Foundation seeks to serve donors and make grants to benefit the citizens of Howard County. For more information about the Community Foundation, contact Greg Aaron at 765-454-7298 or greg@cfhoward.org. The Web site www.cfhoward.org contains information about making gifts to endowment funds, scholarships and grantmaking.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

Since 1997, Independent Colleges of Indiana has administered the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program statewide with funding provided by Lilly Endowment. Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for the state’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year, on-time graduation rates, and ICI institutions produce 30 percent of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20 percent of its undergraduates.