WABASH, IN- The Community Foundation of Wabash County is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Wabash County is Brooke Wagner of Wabash High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars (LECS) are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.
Brooke Wagner will attend either Ball State University or Purdue University in the fall of 2024 as a major in environmental engineering. As a little child, she pictured herself as an astronomer, but in high school, she became more interested in using her education to “focus on the living world beneath my feet, rather than the cosmos above. Through my studies, I will aim to be a factor for change.”
In her application, Brooke said, “Being a first-generation college student means I get to represent the true accomplishments of my mom and dad as parents. I also get to show a generation of students in similar situations that there are resources for college.”
In determining Wabash County’s LECS nominee, consideration was given to a balance of academic achievement, financial circumstances, participation and leadership in school activities, volunteer opportunities and work experience. After the field of applicants was narrowed, the nominee was submitted to ICI, the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which approves the final selection of scholarship recipients.
Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-99 school year and has supported the program every year since with grants totaling in excess of $505 million. More than 5,200 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program’s inception.
The recipient of the Ford Family Community Scholarship is Randy Boone, a senior at Southwood High School. Randy will attend Indiana Wesleyan University in the fall to study exercise science/physical therapy.
Randy Boone is a student leader at school, in the community, and in his church. He is president of Southwood’s student congress and captain of the football team. His has learned to lead by example and to use encouragement and honesty to build a sense of team. When asked what he would do as a leader in his community, he focused his attention on the importance of education for all communities.
This scholarship supports the education of a future leader. “As I continue to grow,” Randy says, “I plan on continuing to help those under me or younger than me develop into leaders in the same way that those older than me have helped me develop as a positive leader with influence.”
The Ford Family Community Scholarship was established to honor the legacy of the late Wilbur and Florence Ford and their descendants, many of whom were life-long Wabash County residents who believed in investing locally, supporting community organizations, volunteering, and creating opportunities for future generations. Candidates for the Ford Family Community Scholarship submit a blind application and an essay on leadership. Five finalists sit for an interview to talk about their experiences in leadership among their peers and their visions for their community.
Applicants were evaluated on their potential to become the leaders of the future. In particular, the Ford Family Community Scholarship awards this four year, full-tuition scholarship to students who have been involved in their communities through volunteer service, community events, youth groups, clubs, teams, student government or other youth leadership opportunities.
About Community Foundation of Wabash County
Since 1954, the Community Foundation has been serving Wabash County citizens and has put income generated from donor’s investments to work in the community. To date, we have over 350 permanently endowed and over 30 non-permanent funds. Our total assets are more than $79 million and we have made more than $35 million in unrestricted grants to Wabash County nonprofits and programs, dedicated to improving life in the county. To learn more about our work and initiatives in the community, visit cfwabash.org or call (260) 982-4824.
