The Community Foundation of Switzerland County, Inc. is pleased to announce that Switzerland County’s 2012 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recipient is Samantha Helt.
Samantha is the daughter of Mark and Laura Helt of Vevay. She is the President of her Senior Class; President of the National Honor Society; and President of the Key Club.
She is also the Co-President of Student Council and Vice President of Business Professionals of America.
Outside of school, Samantha has volunteered her time for many different community organizations and works as a part-time caregiver. She plans on attending Purdue University and majoring in veterinary medicine.
The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides full tuition for four years of undergraduate study leading to a baccalaureate degree. It also covers all required fees and up to $900 per year for required books and equipment. Students receiving the scholarship must attend an Indiana public or private college or university accredited by the North Central Association of College and Schools.
The Community Foundation’s selection committee reviewed eight applications this year. The applicants were evaluated on academics, financial need, activities (school activities, community service, and work experience), and writing samples. All four of the evaluation criteria were worth 25-percent each.
The selection committee used a blind process to evaluate the applications, meaning committee members did not know whose applications they were evaluating. After the Community Foundation’s selection committee selected the recipient, it submitted its recommendation to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), which makes the final decision on the scholarship recipient.
ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state. Lilly Endowment, Inc. contracts with it to administer the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program.
The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship program is the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment, Inc. 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 142 scholarships awarded statewide this year.
Anyone interested in learning more information about the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program or the Community Foundation can contact Pam Acton or Melissa Andrew at the Community Foundation’s office. It is located at 303 Ferry Street in Vevay and can be reached at 427-9160; or info@cfsci.org.
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Samantha Helt is the 31st Switzerland County student to be honored by being named as a Lilly Scholar. Here’s a list of past winners:
– 1998: Renee Hoskins Rogers
– 1999: David Sandidge and Elyssa Swango Haskell
– 2000: Brooke McHenry Levell and Amanda Deveary White
– 2001: Jeff Theetge, Clinton May, and Carrie Wiley.
– 2002: Liz Phipps, Kodi Archer McAlister, and Jeremy Armstrong.
– 2003: Sarah Allen Reagan, Philip Deaton, and Angela Thieman.
– 2004: Becky Phipps, Alisha Konkle, and Amanda Gray Johnson.
– 2005: Amanda Watson and Mattie Waddle
– 2006: Melissa Kinne and Natalie Daugherty Wheeler.
– 2007: Sara Craig and Brittany Heffelmire.
– 2008: Allison Steele and Lauren Jo Hunt.
– 2009: Kyle Green and Rachel Gurley.
– 2010: Ariel Clark and Kayla Keith.
– 2011: Kimberly Cox.