Foundation names three Lilly finalists

Monday, November 13, 2017
Sean Ramey

Three Putnam County high school seniors have been named as finalists for the Putnam County Community Foundation’s 2018 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.

The prestigious award goes to an outstanding graduating high school senior in Putnam County. 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 finalists are Abigail Spencer of North Putnam High School, daughter of James and Michelle Spencer; Sean Ramey of Greencastle High School, son of Brian and Lynn Ramey, and Rose White of Greencastle High School, daughter of Richard and Sue White.

Abigail Spencer

The three seniors were selected as finalists following an extensive review process by the Lilly Selection Committee from the Putnam County Community Foundation.

The committee is made up of eight voting members, two of whom reside in each of our four area school districts. The process included a blind review for the first three phases, followed by a dinner in which the selection committee met with seven semifinalists. It concluded with an individual interview with each of the three 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.

Rose White

The Community Foundation’s nomination for the award has been submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana Inc. (ICI) for the selection of the recipient. ICI is a non-profit corporation that represents 30 regionally accredited degree-granting, non-profit, private colleges and universities in the state.

More than 4,300 Indiana high school students have been awarded a Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program was started by the Lilly Endowment in 1998.

The Putnam County Community Foundation is a nonprofit public charity established in 1985 to help donors establish endowments, award grants and provide leadership, enriching the quality of life and strengthening community in Putnam County.

The Foundation has been entrusted with more than 280 funds and endowments for donors, supporting a variety of charitable purposes. For more information, visit www.pcfoundation.org or call 653-4978.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: