The students and staff of Northeast Dubois Jr./Sr. High school were pleasantly surprised earlier this December as one of their very own students was announced as the recipient of the 2026 Lilly Endowment Scholarship. The Lilly Endowment Scholarship is a program designed to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana and to also encourage many of Indiana’s most talented students to attend higher education institutes, to ultimately pursue a career in Indiana. 147 scholarships are awarded yearly, and Raynie Schnell, a current Senior of Northeast Dubois Jr./Sr. High School, was one of those recipients.
While Schnell isn’t entirely sure what her plans are for the future, she has expressed interest in majoring in Bio Chemistry or Animal Science at either Hanover College or Purdue University with the intentions of becoming a veterinarian; and for her, this is a huge step forward in the right direction.
“It means a lot,” Raynie said. “It’s gonna help me a lot in my future, especially since I want to go to vet school. That’s gonna be another four years of school, so the scholarship’s gonna help me a lot, and it takes a little stress off my shoulders.”
When asked about the application process of the scholarship, Schnell explained how while the process was tedious, in the end, it was worth it.
“The process was really hard and very long,” Raynie explained, “and I worked on it all night, sometimes during volleyball games, while I was watching my sister play, and I had my parents help me. I had them revise it. I had them edit it, and I asked some of my peers to read over it. But it was very long, but it was worth it.”
As Raynie moves forward with her success, she leaves behind a message for future potential recipients:
“It’s worth it. Keep filling it out. Sometimes you’re not gonna want to, but just keep doing it, and get involved in every single club you can, any sport you can, any volunteer activities you can, because in the end, it’s worth every bit of it.”
While this is a major success for Raynie and her family, this is also a major feat for Northeast Dubois County Jr./Sr. High School and its staff, including Principal Andy Chinn.
“It means a lot to our school. We have not had an award recipient in 12 years,” Principal Chinn expressed. “It’s just such a big deal, and for our school, and, and Raynie specifically, for our students, and our whole student body, to get that honor, to know that going to school here is a good thing, and we’ve got the programs that it takes to get to the next level at the highest level.”
Principal Chinn sees Raynie Schnell as an exemplary student for future Lilly Endowment applicants, and of course, for all current and future Jeep students to aspire to be:
“I think she did a good message of you know, telling kids to get involved. We say that every year when seventh graders get up here, and then when we meet with eighth graders, freshmen, sophomores, juniors, is to get involved.” Principal Chinn said, “She’s a Jeep, and it’s been very clear.”
For more information about the Lilly Endowment Scholarship, visit their website.
For more information about the Dubois County Community Foundation, visit their website.
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