Ten high school seniors selected as finalists for Monroe County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships

Monroe County’s two scholarship recipients to be announced in December

​Ten high school seniors have been selected as finalists for the 2025 Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program. 

Congratulations to these exceptional students:

• Gabrielle Buckley, Edgewood High School
• Sophia Craiutu, Bloomington High School North
• Tamanah Fazel, Bloomington High School South
• Zoe Gray, Bloomington High School South
• Isha Harbaugh, Bloomington High School South
• Koel Harbaugh, Bloomington High School South
• Gavin Kocher, Bloomington High School North
• Wren Millick, Edgewood High School
• MaKenzie Rayles, Bloomington High School South
• Trinity Vuyyuri, Lighthouse Christian Academy

 
“Every year, we are inspired and encouraged by Monroe County’s young leaders, and this year is no exception,” said Community Foundation President and CEO Tina Peterson. “This year’s Lilly Scholarship finalists were selected from a group of 110 remarkable high school seniors in Monroe County who excel as leaders in their schools and our community. While only two of these impressive high school seniors will receive Monroe County’s Lilly Scholarship, we are proud to recognize each of our community’s finalists and their accomplishments,” added Peterson.

Among their many accomplishments, this year’s Monroe County Lilly Scholarship finalists have participated and held leadership roles in more than 40 school clubs and organizations, including Student Councils, Academic Super Bowl, Science Olympiad, National Honor Society, Women Empowerment Club, Environmental Club, DECA, Debate Team, Asian Culture Club, Spanish Club, French Club, Global Learners, 4H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and many more.
 
In sports, this year’s finalists have been active in soccer, softball, cross country, track and field, tennis, golf, swimming, taekwondo, figure skating, cheerleading, and lacrosse. They have also pursued a variety of fine arts such as writing, photography, marching and concert band, ballet, piano, choir, show choir, and theater.
 
As engaged community members, they have demonstrated service to the community as volunteers, activists, advocates, and fundraisers. Among the local nonprofits that their service has impacted are local churches, senior centers, Jill’s House, WonderLab, Salvation Army, Community Kitchen, American Cancer Society, Kiwanis International, IU Science Fest, Fourth Street Arts Festival, Riley Dance Marathon, Braver Angels, and many others.
 
They have all also found time for work-based learning and work experiences through summer internships, jobs, and self-employment as tutors, camp counselors, caregivers, photographers, babysitters, dog sitters, coaches, bakers, lifeguards, restaurant hostesses, sales associates, and clinic assistants.
 
The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program (LECSP) will provide 147 scholarships statewide and two in Monroe County. LECSP scholarships may be used for otherwise unreimbursed full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year. The special allocation may cover the required books and equipment costs for four years of undergraduate study on a full-time basis, leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.
 
The program is administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and locally in Monroe County through the Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County.
 
“The Lilly Endowment and Independent Colleges of Indiana are opening doors and encouraging high school students to pursue their college dreams right here in Indiana,” added Peterson. “Ultimately, we hope all of this year’s applicants will elect to not only stay in Indiana for post-secondary education but will also choose to begin their careers and make the Indiana Uplands region their home.”
 
Monroe County’s finalists were selected from among 21 semifinalists and 110 applications submitted by students from six of the ten high schools that serve Monroe County students. Eligible schools include The Academy of Science and Entrepreneurship, Covenant Christian School, Bloomington Graduation School, Bloomington High School North, Bloomington High School South, Edgewood High School, Harmony School, Indiana Academy for Science, Mathematics & Humanities, Lighthouse Christian Academy, and Seven Oaks Classical School.
 
Evaluation Process for Monroe County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships:
CFBMC’s Board of Directors establishes the criteria and selection process for selecting Monroe County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship recipients. A student who demonstrates notable abilities, leadership skills, civic potential through community service, exemplary school citizenship, and outstanding academic performance are considered for this scholarship opportunity.
 
High school seniors submit scholarship applications between July and August. Applications are blindly reviewed and independently scored by members of a Lilly Scholarship committee at each Monroe County high school to identify semifinalists. The size of each high school’s senior class size determines the number of semifinalists identified.
 
Next, semifinalists submit additional content and references. The Community Foundation Scholarship Selection Committee, comprised of community members and a former Monroe County Lilly Scholar, blindly reviews and scores applications from the semifinalists to select ten finalists. Each finalist is interviewed in October, and their interview scores are combined with scoring from the written applications.
 
The finalists’ rankings, along with the committee’s recommendations, are then submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. for final selection of scholarship recipients for Monroe County prior to the formal announcement in December.
 
Lilly Endowment created LECSP for the 1997-98 school year and has supported the program every year since with tuition grants totaling more than $490 million. More than 5,300 Indiana students have received Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships since the program’s inception.
 
The primary purposes of LECSP 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.
 
The LECS program has helped launch successful careers in fields such as medicine, education, engineering and journalism. Many Lilly Scholars have remained in the local community and are active in the Lilly Scholars Network, connecting them with resources and opportunities for leadership, civic engagement, and community involvement.
 
For more information on the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program or other scholarships administered by CFBMC, visit https://www.cfbmc.org/lasting-impact/apply-for-a-scholarship/ or contact Marcus Whited, Program Director, at 812-333-9016 or [email protected].