Unity Foundation of La Porte County congratulates 12 local high school seniors as finalists for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.Two students will be selected as 2012 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars, to receive full tuition at an Indiana college or university and an annual $900 book stipend.

 

 

The 2013 scholarship finalists and their respective schools are:

• La Crosse High School: Jared Dyjak

 

• La Porte High School: Jacob Applegarth, Whitney Hart, and Paige Pope

 

• Marquette High School: Jon-Henry Papineau and Quinn Porter

 

• Michigan City High School: Lillianna Pollnow

 

• New Prairie High School: Deanna Menke and Makayla Schmitt

 

• South Central High School: Jasper Dittmar, Benjamin Gibbs and Victoria Klimczak

 

Unity Foundation received 67 applications for the Lilly Scholarship from students throughout La Porte County. Applicants were judged on their academic achievement, service to others, extracurricular activities and, to a lesser extent, financial need. A committee comprised of La Porte County residents reviewed the applications, not knowing the applicants’ names until after the finalists were selected. The twelve finalists were then interviewed, and nominee and alternate names were submitted to the Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. for the final decision – which should be shared by April 1.

The Unity Foundation elects to participate in this program provided by Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Inc. through Independent Colleges of Indiana. Maggi Spartz, Unity Foundation president said, “This year we will reach the significant milestone of 50 Lilly Scholars from La Porte County. With funding from the Endowment, we have been able to help 50 amazing young people achieve their dreams. This is one way Unity is ‘investing in our people’ to make La Porte County and our nation even stronger. We are very proud of them and their accomplishments. Many of them are living and working right here in La Porte County.”

Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.

The scholarships are the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education. Indiana currently ranks among the lowest states in the percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree.

Past Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recipients from La Porte County are: Brittany Belkiewitz, Mitchell Orzech, Ryan Byers, Kelsey Tuholski, Jill Fischer, Jackson Troxel, Jessica Nieman, Jana Hunsley, Mindy (Marsh) Heidel, Jada Anderson, Melissa Spurr, Aaron Albrecht, Peter Davis, Suzanne Dolembo, Laura Durazzo, Macara (Hostetler) Aloi, Patricia (Jongkind) Willhite, William Kelly, Andrew Knaup, Mary Kutch, Zachary Lute, Sara Mahoney, Cheryl Miller Winters, Mary Rodecap, Melanie Thomas, Elizabeth (Hunter) VanHook, Keith Kalvaitis, Kyle Kownacki, Brett McNeal, Kathryn Meyers, Patricia Minich, Federico Pabon, Alexandra Pagels, Virginia Pagels, Teresa Spence, Sarah Valatka, Erica Valdez, Jennifer (Warfel) Juskiewicz, Sandra (Wood) Graves, Charles Zila, Angela Zolvinski, Jonathan Gray, Jessica Thompson, Anna Kammrath, Karen Wassel, Sondra Jeske, Robert Wedow, Yana Alekseeva and Ian Nielson.
Since 1992, the Unity Foundation of La Porte County has served donors, nonprofits and local communities. As La Porte County’s community foundation, it manages approximately $21 million in assets, administers more than 200 charitable funds, and has distributed nearly $10 million through direct grants and scholarships. The Council on Foundations has deemed Unity Foundation in compliance with all Indiana and national ethical and operating standards for community foundations.

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 www.uflc.net or call 219-879-0327.