The Unity Foundation of La Porte County is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for La Porte County – Colton Barnes, South Central Jr-Sr High School and Bailey Chavis, Michigan City High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.

“Bailey and Colton embody the spirit of community, true leadership, and perseverance that the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship seeks to honor. Colton impressed the Scholarship Committee with his dedication to community service, particularly with his role in the Shine the Light Project, which creates inclusive opportunities in theater for people of all abilities, and his leadership in various school organizations like Robotics and National Honor Society. His passion for nursing and serving others reflects his commitment to making a meaningful impact in the world.  Meanwhile, Bailey showcased extraordinary leadership as a student government officer, class president, and athlete across multiple sports. Her work as a student commissioner for Michigan City’s Sustainability Commission and as a volunteer at Tannehill Soup Kitchen highlights her dedication to improving her community and addressing critical issues like food insecurity. Both Bailey and Colton are shining examples of the positive change young leaders can achieve,”  said CC Payne, Director of Operations at Unity Foundation.

Each 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 full-time undergraduate students 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.

In determining La Porte County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar nominees, consideration was given to Service, Academics, and Activities by the Unity Foundation Scholarship Committee,  After the field of applicants was narrowed down, nominees were submitted to ICI, the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which approves the final selection of scholarship recipients.

Maggi Spartz, Unity Foundation President shares “The Unity Foundation staff and volunteers invest a lot of time reviewing the applications, choosing and interviewing the finalists in person.  The scores are tallied the two highest scores are referred to ICI.  The quality of the candidates make this task very hard, yet makes us all proud of what our high school students are achieving!”

Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1997-98 school year. Since then, grant funding in excess of $490 million has supported more than 5,300 Indiana students who have received scholarships through the 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.

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Since 1992, Unity Foundation of La Porte County has served donors, nonprofits and local communities. As La Porte County’s community foundation, it manages $45 million in assets, administers more than 350 charitable funds, and has distributed more than $25 million through direct grants and scholarships. Unity Foundation’s mission is to strengthen La Porte County now and forever by building permanent endowments; providing leadership; offering philanthropic vehicles for everyone; and being a catalyst for social and economic vitality. For more information, please visit uflc.net or call 219-879-0327.

Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private 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 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 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.