BLOOMINGTON – The Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe Country is pleased to announce high school seniors Eva Stuart and Kaitlyn Wong as Monroe County’s 2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recipients. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.
“If you are seeking inspiration this holiday season, you need to look no further than this year’s Lilly Scholars, said Community Foundation President and CEO Tina Peterson. “These two young women not only excel academically but also demonstrate leadership, integrity, and a commitment to service. They have each used their own unique combinations of talent, intellect, and compassion to extend their impact well beyond their school communities. We look forward to following their academic journeys and hope one day they will choose to seek our fulfilling careers here, in the Indiana Uplands.”
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 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 Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI).
Eva Stuart is a senior at Bloomington High School South and the daughter of Jennifer Schepers and Sam Stuart. She is the president of Students Advocating a Greener Environment (SAGE), co-editor of the school newspaper, The Optimist, and a member of Student Council, National Honor Society, Quill and Scroll Honor Society, the Model UN Club, and Bloomington Pride Girl’s Lacrosse.
Eva has volunteered with WonderLab, IU Cinema, the MCCSC Cross-Age tutoring program, Indiana Forest Rangers, and Yellowood Youth.
As an accomplished young writer, Eva has written news articles, feature profiles, poetry, podcasts, short stories, and social media. She has studied at the University of Iowa’s young writer’s conference and designed a social media internship for Women Writing for (a) Change, a local organization that provides opportunities for individuals to pursue the art of writing as a tool for growth and change.
“I am beyond grateful to the foundation for this life-changing opportunity and so eager to honor my community as I continue my studies,” said Stuart. “I will forever be thankful for my wonderful parents, teachers, and mentors who supported me through this process.”
Kaitlyn Wong is a senior at Bloomington High School North and the daughter of Y. Joel Wong and Angie Wong. She is the president of the Student Council, the Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science (GEMS) Club, BHSN Book Club, and a member of the Science Olympiad team and National Honor Society. She has studied violin at the Indiana University Pre-College String Academy was the concertmaster in the Hoosier Youth Philharmonic and BHSN Orchestra and participated in figure skating. Kaitlyn co-founded Bloomington’s chapter of Letters for Rose, a volunteer-led youth initiative to write letters and create artwork for nursing home residents to combat loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic. She has also volunteered as a tutor, camp counselor, and childcare provider.
In the face of challenges brought on by COVID-19, Kaitlyn organized and moderated Bloomington High School North’s first mental health forum and invited professional mental experts to facilitate dialogue and discussions on how students can support each other through the pandemic.
“I am deeply honored and grateful to represent my community as a Lilly Scholar,” said Wong. “Thank you to Lilly Endowment for this amazing opportunity! This would not be possible without the continuous support and encouragement from my wonderful family, teachers, coaches, and North administration. I am committed to living out the ideals embodied by the Lilly Endowment, and I look forward to serving our community!”
The Community Foundation has also announced Monroe County’s eight other 2022 Lilly Scholarship finalists will each receive $1,000 scholarships to use at a college or university of their choosing:
● Lucy Clarke, Bloomington High School North
● Ella Francis, Bloomington High School North
● Jetta Norris, Edgewood High School
● Sophia Ramlo, Bloomington High School South
● Mathilde Robinson, Bloomington High School South
● Faith Stimson, Bloomington High School North
● Jacob Waugh, Edgewood High School
● Katie Wilson, Edgewood High School
“Each year, we are amazed by the quality of applicants for the Monroe County’s Lilly Scholarship,” said Jessika Hane, chair of the Community Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. “While the selection process is never easy, this year’s finalists have faced challenges unlike any group of students before them. Despite the daily disruptions of the pandemic, they have found innovative ways to learn, lead, achieve, and give back to the community. We are inspired by the potential of all these graduating seniors and the phenomenal difference they will make in our communities.”
Monroe County’s Lilly Scholarship Application Process
Monroe County’s Lilly Scholarship recipients were selected from among applications submitted by students from five of the ten high schools that serve Monroe County. Eligible schools include The Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship, Covenant Christian School, Bloomington Graduation School, Bloomington High School North, Bloomington High School South, Edgewood High School, Harmony School, Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics & Humanities, Lighthouse Christian Academy, and Seven Oaks Classical School.
Applications for the 2022 scholarship were reviewed without identifying information and independently scored by representatives from each high school to identify semifinalists. The number of semifinalists identified is reflective of each school’s senior class size.
See complete list of semifinalists.
Each semifinalist was invited to submit a more comprehensive application, which included additional application questions and recommendations. The Community Foundation’s Scholarship Selection Committee then evaluated the completed semifinalist applications. This committee, made up of community members and a former Monroe County Lilly Scholar, reviewed without identifying information and scored applications from the semifinalists to select ten finalists. In selecting recipients for the Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, consideration is given to student activities and achievements, community and civic service, academic performance, and leadership potential.
The finalists then participated in virtual interviews with the Foundation’s Scholarship Selection Committee, and their interview scores were combined with scoring from their written applications. The finalists’ rankings, along with the committee’s recommendations for scholarship nominees, were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. for the final selection of scholarship recipients for Monroe County.
Lilly 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. Administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. with local support from Indiana community foundations, more than 5,000 Indiana high school students have been awarded 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.
For more information on the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program or other scholarships administered by CFBMC, visit https://www.cfbmc.org/lasting-impact/apply-for-a-scholarship/ or contact Marcus Whited, Program Director at 812-333-9016 or marcus@cfbmc.org.
About Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County:
Created by individuals, families, and businesses who share a passion for Monroe County and a vision for its future, the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County has granted more than $27 million since its incorporation in 1990. With a growing $44 million endowment, the Foundation makes a difference by connecting caring people, important causes, and community resources.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.:
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.
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.
