Unity Foundation of La Porte County congratulates ten local high school seniors as La Porte County finalists for the prestigious Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.
Two students from La Porte County will be selected as 2020 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars, to receive a full-tuition scholarship to be used to pursue a baccalaureate degree at any accredited public or private Indiana college or university and an annual $900 book stipend. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program has provided more than $4,000,000 in tuition and book stipends to LaPorte County students through this program.
The 2020 scholarship finalists and their respective schools are:
La Porte High School: Mya Fegaras
Marquette High School: Grace Murphy
Marquette High School: Quinn Larkin
Michigan City High School: Megan Steinhiser
New Prairie High School: Emily Graves
New Prairie High School: Logan Crawford
South Central High School: Katelyn Adams
Westville High School: Kyra Dabbert
Westville High School: Sydney Patla
Westville High School: Leigha Jones
Applicants were judged on their academic achievement, service to others, extracurricular activities and, to a lesser extent, financial need. A committee of local volunteers reviewed the applications, not knowing the applicants’ names until after the finalists were selected. The ten finalists are then interviewed, and nominee and alternate names will be submitted to the Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc., the statewide administrator of the program, for the final selection – which will be announced by the end of December. The fall selection timeline is designed to allow Lilly Scholars more time to apply to their desired accredited public or private nonprofit college or university in Indiana.
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.
The Unity Foundation elects to participate in this program provided by Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. through ICI. Maggi Spartz, Unity Foundation President, said, “Unity’s screening process is among the most intensive of participating community foundations. We are proud of the 62 ambitious, hardworking and smart young people that have been named Lilly Scholars from La Porte County. This is one of many ways Unity ‘invests in our people.’ We are delighted when we see them succeed and give back to their communities.”
Since 1992, Unity Foundation of La Porte County has served donors, nonprofits and local communities. As La Porte County’s community foundation, it manages approximately $30 million in assets, administers more than 325 charitable funds, and has distributed approximately $19 million through direct grants and scholarships. The Council on Foundations has deemed Unity Foundation in compliance with all Indiana and national ethical and operating standards for community foundations.
Unity Foundation’s mission is to strengthen La Porte County now and forever. For more information, please visit www.uflc.net or call 219-879-0327.