SCCF Announces 2027 Steuben County Lilly Endowment Community Scholar Finalists
Angola, IN - Six 2027 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar finalists have been selected by the Steuben County Community Foundation (SCCF). After reviewing highly competitive applications from the schools serving Steuben County, the committee named six finalists to continue with the three-step selection process. The 2027 Steuben County Lilly Endowment Community Scholar will receive a full tuition scholarship and a $900 annual book stipend to attend an Indiana college or university.
Anna Crankshaw, Copper Farnham, Emily Skinner, Emma Creager, Jordan Gibson and Piper Hasselman met on October 7th for phase two of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship application process, which included an interview success workshop and an impromptu essay. The final step for these young community leaders consists of an interview with the selection committee and a presentation of their personal portfolio.
Angola High School senior, Anna Crankshaw, plans to attend Purdue University for business studies and financial management before attending law school. Hamilton Jr/Sr High School senior, Copper Farnham, plans to study mechanical engineering. Angola High School senior, Emily Skinner, plans to attend Trine University to study Education. Fremont High School senior, Emma Creager plans to attend Indiana University to study preprofessional studies / health sciences. Fremont High School senior, Jordan Gibson plans to attend Purdue University to pursue Mechanical Engineering. Angola High School senior, Piper Hasselman, plans to study healthcare or business.
"The Foundation is honored to participate in the 30th year of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program," said Silby Kays, Grants & Scholarships Manager at the Steuben County Community Foundation. "All six finalists have demonstrated a strong commitment to excellence both in the classroom and in the community."
The Steuben County Lilly Scholar recipient will be selected by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), the state-wide administrator of the program, and announced in mid-December. SCCF awards a scholarship to the other five finalists.
The scholarships are the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to:
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.
There are 147 scholarships awarded statewide; the number awarded in each county is based on population. Steuben County is eligible to nominate one student for this award.
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About Steuben County Community Foundation: The Steuben County Community Foundation (SCCF) serves as a trusted partner in philanthropy with more than $70 million in assets under stewardship. Guided by its mission to connect people who care with needs that matter, SCCF strengthens Steuben County through charitable giving, strategic investments, and community leadership. Learn more at www.steubenfoundation.org.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based, private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J. K. Lilly and his sons, Eli and J.K. Jr., through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. While those gifts remain the financial bedrock of the Endowment, Lilly Endowment Inc. is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with its founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion. Although the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.
Since 1997, Independent Colleges of Indiana has administered the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program statewide with funding provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for the state’s 28 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,400 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5.3 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.