The Community Foundation of Crawford County is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Crawford County – Kaden Harrison. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.
Harrison is involved in the National Honors Society, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Future Farmers of America, Booster Club, Prom Committee, After Prom Committee, Yearbook, and Student Council, and is the President of the Class of 2024. He has been involved in the Senior Boiler Vet Camp at Purdue University, the AgDiscovery Summer Camp at Purdue University, and Voice of Democracy. He has volunteered at DownHome Vet Clinic, Crawford County Concessions, Crawford County Game Clean-Up, Southern Indiana Veterans Living and Rehabilitation Facility, and the Recycling Program. Harrison has worked at the Boys and Girls Club and Cave Country Canoes.
Harrison plans to attend Purdue University to major in animal science. In his essay, Harrison talks of a personal experience where the distance to the vet resulted in an unfortunate event with his pet. He said, “As a broken-hearted eight-year-old, I made the decision to become a veterinarian and work in Crawford County.”
The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years. The scholarship is for undergraduate students studying on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities.
The top 20% of the graduating class was eligible to apply for the Crawford County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. Consideration was given to the student’s personal statement of need (based on Estimated Family Contribution obtained from the FAFSA), special considerations submitted by the applicant, a personal essay, class rank, GPA, academic course work, a recommendation letter, leadership, and community involvement. After the field of applicants was narrowed down through paper application review, interviews were held with the top 5 scoring students. All reviews and interviews were completed by community volunteers. Following interviews, nominees were submitted to the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, ICI, for the selection of scholarship recipients.
“The community foundation received 14 exceptional applications this year. The review process is thorough and could not be done without our wonderful community volunteers. We are thankful for the time they dedicate to the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship selection process and the CFCC,” said Laken Fraime, Director of Finance and Programs.
Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-99 school year and has supported the program every year since with grants totaling in excess of $505 million. More than 5,200 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program’s inception.
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.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founder’s wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education, and religion. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ 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. Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for the state’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5 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.
The CFCC was founded in April 1998 by a volunteer Board of Directors that represented a variety of interests from Crawford County. To date, the CFCC has awarded more than $8 million in grants for programs/projects supporting Crawford County children and youth, education, housing, health and human services, the environment, technology advancements, literacy, and the arts, and has awarded more than $2 million in scholarships benefiting Crawford County students. The CFCC currently manages more than 80 charitable endowment funds on behalf of families, individuals, corporations, and non-profit organizations.
For more information on the Community Foundation of Crawford County, visit www.cf-cc.org or Facebook.com/CFCC4ever, email us at cf-cc@cf-cc.org, or call us at 812.365.2900.
