Community Foundation Announces 2022 Lilly Scholars

Two Students Each from Clark, Floyd County Named Recipients

Four graduating seniors in Clark and Floyd counties have been named the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana’s 2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.

Two students residing in each local county were selected to receive the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship which provides for full tuition, required fees and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for undergraduate study on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. This year’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholars include:

Clark County:

Jackson Mullins (Clarksville H.S.)

Leila Sidahmed (Clarksville H.S.)

Floyd County:

Giavanna Yowell (New Albany H.S.)

Corinne Dilger (Jeffersonville H.S.)

“Congratulations to all of the finalists and thank you to Lilly Endowment Inc. which has been incredibly supportive of our foundation and this community,” said Linda Speed, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Because of the generosity of this scholarship program we are able to award these life-changing scholarships to deserving applicants in Clark and Floyd counties who will go on to pursue their education and achieve their goals.”

The Community Foundation of Southern Indiana administers the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship program locally. Students in all accredited public and private high schools in Clark and Floyd counties were invited to apply. Applications from each county were reviewed and scored by an independent committee of civic volunteers who assessed applicants in a blind review process.

Once the 13 semi-finalists were determined from the 159 applicants this year, each was individually interviewed, according to Crystal Gunther, Senior Director of Community Philanthropy for the Community Foundation of Southern Indiana. Finalists were then selected, and their names were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana Inc. (ICI) for selection of the recipients. ICI is a non-profit corporation that represents 29 regionally accredited, degree-granting, non-profit private colleges and universities in Indiana, and is the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program.

The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are 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 were 143 scholarships awarded statewide.