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Klotz and Parent are 2010 Putnam County Lilly Scholars

Friday, April 9, 2010
Megan Klotz

Two Putnam County students have been named recipients of full-tuition, four-year scholarships as the Putnam County Community Foundation's 2010 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars (LECS).

Seniors Megan Klotz of South Putnam High School and Dakota Parent of North Putnam High School will receive full tuition to any Indiana public or private college or university of their choice and an $800 yearly stipend for required books and equipment.

To qualify for Lilly Scholarships, the students must choose college or university that is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Klotz, the daughter of Michael and Lisa Klotz of Cloverdale, has been accepted at three Indiana higher education institutions -- Franklin College, Purdue University and the University of Indianapolis. She plans to major in psychology, and her career goal is to pursue licensure as a psychiatrist.

Dakota Parent

Parent, the daughter of Douglas and Staci Parent of Russellville, has been accepted at two Indiana higher education institutions -- Purdue University and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. She plans to major in engineering. Her career goal is to "make Putnam County a better place to live."

The LECS scholarship selection committee of the Putnam County Community Foundation selected five finalists for personal interviews from a field of 68 candidates. They were chosen for scholastic ability, moral and social commitment, the capacity to lead, and the ability to articulate a career plan.

Finalists nominated for awards were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for the selection of the recipients. ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.

The scholarships are the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative 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.

There were 216 scholarships awarded statewide.

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  • Awesome! Go, make life better for yourselves, reach for your goals, and then make where ever you are a better place. Remember that the modern day Lilly Foundation started with just one man, a man from Greencastle, a local pharmacist. Greatness is within our local graduating classes grasps; you just have to dream it and then make it happen.

    -- Posted by Hairy Tiger on Fri, Apr 9, 2010, at 7:12 AM

  • Good Luck Ladies!

    -- Posted by exhoosier2 on Fri, Apr 9, 2010, at 8:14 AM

  • After seeing the other teens in the paper this week, it's nice to see some local teenagers that are doing great things with their lives! Not all kids make bad choices. Great job girls!

    -- Posted by nikkilpn on Fri, Apr 9, 2010, at 8:23 AM

  • I hope that if Ms. Klotz wishes to become a psychiatrist, that she knows she will need to be a premed major and then go onto medical school. Whether she becomes a psychologist or a psychiatrist, we all wish her the best. Congrats!

    -- Posted by nordicheart on Fri, Apr 9, 2010, at 12:33 PM

  • Congratulations to these two girls. However, I see academically gifted students who, on a yearly basis, are omitted from the interview process by the Putnam County selection committee. It is unfortunate that since we only have two scholarships for the entire county the most academically gifted students are not given this chance. Shame on the selection committee.

    -- Posted by lehrer on Fri, Apr 9, 2010, at 3:48 PM

  • Before you make a commit on the academically gifted students you might want to check out where Ms Klotz ranks in her class. I believe that she is #1 in her class. Not knowing the girl from North Putnam. I do know the Ms Klotz works very hard for what she gets. Nothing has been handed to her.

    Way to go Megan. You go for it and look for the future.

    -- Posted by south putnam taxpaper on Fri, Apr 9, 2010, at 4:12 PM

  • I make this comment based on a number of facts. The least of which being a #1 class rank. I would also compare the difficulty of their classes, and SAT scores. I know for a fact there is a girl in the county who has taken numerous AP classes and earned scores of 4 and 5, has taken DePauw classes and earned exemplary grades, and has almost perfect SAT scores. Yet, she was not even given an interview. Could it be that the selection committee is biased and this has turned into a political award.

    -- Posted by lehrer on Fri, Apr 9, 2010, at 4:57 PM

  • The entire selection process should be completed by parties from outside the county.

    -- Posted by lehrer on Fri, Apr 9, 2010, at 5:11 PM

  • The Lilly Endowment is to recognize these girls for their efforts thus far in reaching a high level of acheivement and to encourage their pursuit of reaching even higher levels. The drive and commitment that has gotten them to this point indicates they will also be successful in the future. The support of the community plays a role in determining whether they return to the area as part of their future or if they take their talents elsewhere. Being around such talent only serves to raise the bar for the rest of us, so perhaps "lehrer" should consider that as a reward.

    -- Posted by a on Sat, Apr 10, 2010, at 9:42 PM

  • lehrer needs to check on the qualifications for the Lilly. More than just academics! Search the BG sight and you'll find both of these girls excel in much more than just academics. Both are #1 in their class. Why have the parties from outside the county select the winners? They are representing Putnam County, so the committee needs to be made up of people who know the county. There are many scholarships available based on academics only, so good luck to the girl who's #1 at either Greencastle or Cloverdale!

    -- Posted by howsthishappen on Sat, Apr 10, 2010, at 11:06 PM

  • I have see the qualifications for the Lilly. They are vague and allow the selection committee composed of Putnam County residents and even a South Putnam administrator to chose almost any student from the county for an interview.

    So is the selection then based on the actual merit of the student or who they know and are friends with on the committee.

    There are very few scholarships available in Putnam County as compared to the rest of Indiana and those based on merit rather than need are very few. And to not even give probably the most outstanding student in our county, who is also active in her church, community and sports, the opportunity to even interview for this scholarship was a slap in the face to that student, her teachers and school, and to the community because the interview committee was not given the chance to see the best our county has to offer.

    -- Posted by lehrer on Sun, Apr 11, 2010, at 10:40 AM

  • You call the qualifications 'vague', question the members of the selection committee (and indirectly the people who appointed them), complain about the local scholarships, but then refer to 'a student you know' (like as in your daughter perhaps?) probably the most outstanding student in the county!! Is that fact or opinion?!?!

    Did you see all of the other applications and/or meet the other candidates? If not, on what information did you base your fact/opinion???

    -- Posted by howsthishappen on Mon, Apr 12, 2010, at 2:16 PM

  • Hey lehrer- sounds like sour grapes! Those 2 ladies are wonderful examples for this community. I have three daughters and i hope that can follow after these ladies. But lehrer don't give up, there is always financial aid!!!

    -- Posted by idiot on Fri, Apr 16, 2010, at 10:55 PM
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