The Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne has announced the five recipients of the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Allen County.
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character and leadership. To be eligible, Allen County students must demonstrate successfully overcoming an obstacle, as well as show financial need, academic performance and community involvement and provide a personal statement of goals.
The students chosen as the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars for Allen County are:
· Tiffani Swe from Snider Side High School
· Ezra Yoquelet from New Haven High School
· Madison Franklin from Woodlan Jr./Sr.High School
· Eh Nay Taw Dah Day from South Side High School
· Samantha Morris from Northrop High School
“These scholarship recipients are not only defined by their academic achievements but also by their resilience amidst personal challenges. Their success in their studies stands as a testament to their unwavering determination and strength in navigating life,” said Chief Impact Officer of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne Alison Gerardot. “Each year, it’s a privilege to witness the transformative power of education and the lasting impact these opportunities bestow upon these students and our collective future.”
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 equipment for four years.
The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students 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 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.
The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are to:
1. Help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana
2. Increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities
3. 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
To see photos and video of the 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars , visit the Facebook page at facebook.com/CFGFW.
About the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne: The Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne does three things: help people make their charitable giving more impactful, connect funding to nonprofits through effective grantmaking, and provide leadership to address community needs to improve quality of life. The organization connects people and resources daily to build a more vibrant community. As of December 31, 2022, the Community Foundation held charitable assets of approximately $194 Million and awarded more than $9 million in charitable grants and scholarships throughout the same year. Since its formation in 1922, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $184 million in charitable grants. For more information, visit the Community Foundation’s website.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.: Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private 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. Although the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana. To learn more information, visit the website at lillyendowment.org.
About Independent Colleges of 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. To learn more, visit the website at icindiana.org.