Lauren Coleman and MacKenzie Snyder named

2010 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recipients

Two Steuben County students have been named as Lilly Endowment Community Scholars for 2010.  Lauren Coleman from Fremont High School and MacKenzie Snyder from Hamilton High School will each receive a full tuition scholarship to the Indiana college or university of their choice, along with an annual $800 stipend for books and required equipment.

Coleman, the daughter of Terry and Pamela Coleman of Fremont, will attend Purdue University where she will be studying Audiology and Speech Pathology.  Snyder, the daughter of Randy and Stacy Snyder of Angola, will attend Butler University, where she will pursue a degree in Pharmacy.               

The selection process for the Lilly scholarship involves several months of preparation by the scholarship review committee and staff.   This year, 36 applications were received which is slightly up from last year’s number of 31.  Over several weeks, the scholarship committee must review each application and select seven finalists.  These seven students are then interviewed by the committee and two top candidates are recommended to Independent Colleges of Indiana who must approve the recommendation before the winners can be announced.  “This is a very difficult and emotional process, but is also very rewarding. We could not make this happen without the dedication of our volunteer committee” says SCCF Scholarship Associate Lisa Caudill.

The program began in 1998 as a result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education.  As Lilly Scholars, Coleman and Snyder will join 216 other students, from all 92 counties in becoming the twelfth graduating class to receive such an honor.

Since the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program was first offered in 1998, Lilly Endowment has remained steadfast in its belief that education at all levels is indispensable to the personal, civic and economic well being of Indiana’s residents and communities. This education initiative is designed to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education. Indiana ranks among the lowest states in the percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree.

Scholarships are a donor's way of offering continuing education opportunities for students- providing the keys to the future. Individuals and organizations who place a high value on education have contacted the Foundation to establish permanent funds that annually produce the revenue needed for granting to deserving students. For those going on to school in the 2009-2010 school year, SCCF awarded $38,400.

Most people think of scholarship recipients as straight-A students; rewarding academic ability makes sense. Yet average kids often work just as hard and show determination to learn. They too dream of college and careers, and someday B and C students will fill the majority of important roles in our society. History has shown that many so-so high school students had outstanding successes in life (for example, David Letterman).

As a donor, you can become as involved in the process as you choose to be- name the scholarship, help decide the selection criteria, serve on the committee that names the recipient, and even present the award at the student's school.

Some Things to Know:

• A permanent scholarship fund established at the Community Foundation will be carried out for generations to come (permanence).
• When creating a scholarship fund, donors have a great deal of flexibility in shaping the scholarship. You may decide how often the scholarship is awarded, a school the student comes from or must attend, the type of study or degree to be pursued, academic standing, status of graduate (traditional or non-traditional), participation in a specific course or activity (drama, math, 4-H), and much more (flexibility).
• By establishing a scholarship at the Community Foundation, you have essentially hired a permanent, experienced staff to administer your scholarship (accountability).
• In accordance with the law, a scholarship program must benefit a broad pool of applicants, and the selection process must not be discriminatory.
• SCCF honors each scholarship recipient with an award certificate, a bookmark that tells the story of the donor who made the gift possible, and an opportunity to attend the award banquet where the recipient can meet the donor.