The Putnam County Community Foundation announced the finalists for the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Putnam County.
This marks the 29th year of this program, funded by Lilly Endowment Inc. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholar will be awarded a full-tuition scholarship, including a $900 book stipend per year, for four years to any accredited school in Indiana. The winner of this prestigious award will be announced later this year.
The four finalists are: Bailey Boggess of Greencastle High School, daughter of Jeff and Jana Boggess; Jasmine Duvall of North Putnam High School, daughter of Joseph and Maria Duvall; Gunner Roach of South Putnam High School, son of Joe and Erin Roach; and Gavin Simonson of North Putnam High School, son of Jason and Jennifer Simonson.
These seniors were selected as finalists following an extensive review process by the Lilly Selection Committee of the Putnam County Community Foundation. The committee comprises eight voting members, two of whom reside in each of our four area school districts. The process included a blind review for the first two phases, a live writing prompt, followed by a dinner reception in which the selection committee met with eight semi-finalists. It concluded with an individual interview with each of the four finalists.
The review process is based on scholastic abilities and intellectual pursuits, capacity to lead and motivate fellow students, social commitment and extracurricular involvement, and the ability to articulate career plans that demonstrate motivation and initiative.
The Community Foundation’s nomination for the award is submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for approval of the recipient. ICI is a nonprofit corporation representing 29 regionally accredited degree-granting, nonprofit, private colleges, and universities in the state. Nearly 5,250 Indiana high school students have been awarded more than $486 million from a Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program was started by the Lilly Endowment in 1998 including over 40 in Putnam County.
For additional information about the Putnam County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship or other opportunities at the Putnam County Community Foundation, persons may contact Sarah Stone at sstone@pcfoundation.org or call the office at 765.653.4978.
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