Pictured Above (Left to Right): Dustin Adams, Eminence Community Schools K-12 Assistant Principal; Kwenton Mathers, Kayden’s brother; Rana Mathers, Kayden’s mother; Kayden Mathers, 2016 Lilly Scholar; Corey Scott, Eminence Community Schools K-12 Principal; Jeff Gibboney, Eminence Community Schools Superintendent; and, Hannah Sitz, Interim CFMC Program Manager.
For Immediate Release: April 05, 2016
CFMC Announces 2016 Lilly Endowment
Community Scholarship Program
Recipients and Finalists
Morgan County, Ind. – Two Morgan County students have been named this year’s 2016 Morgan County Lilly Endowment Community Scholars. These scholarships are the largest awarded each year by the Community Foundation of Morgan County.
Robert Mathers and Madelynne Wright will each receive full tuition for four years to the Indiana college of their choice and a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment.
Mathers is the son of Robert and Rana Mathers of Paragon. He attends Eminence High School where he was a co-founder of the Eminence Spanish Club, the president of Future Farmers of America during his junior year, and an active volunteer with the United Way. Additionally, Robert is the valedictorian of the 2016 Eminence High School graduating class.
Mathers plans to study American Studies and Spanish Language & Culture at Indiana University – Bloomington, after which he hopes to study law in order to “defend the weak and seek truth in the world,” said Mathers in his application. “The more negativity and problems I see, the more I want to get out there and change things.”
Wright is the daughter of Terry Wright and Dawn Sullivan-Wright of Mooresville. Madelynne attends Monrovia High School, where she is a member of the National Honor Society, plays basketball and golf, and also volunteers for the Monrovia Public Library.
Wright is interested in studying chemistry, and has been accepted to Butler and Marian Universities. Ultimately, Madelynne hopes to graduate with a bachelor’s of science degree in preparation for medical school. Wright says, she seeks to “serve her fellow human beings in their most fragile and vulnerable states to the best of her ability by becoming a physician.”
From the initial pool of applicants, Mathers and Wright were selected from the seven finalists nominated by the CFMC Scholarship Advisory Committee in February. The criteria for the Morgan County Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program is weighted and based on academic performance, financial need, school/community activities and/or work experience, essay questions, a personal interview, and personal characteristics.
In addition to Mathers and Wright, there were seven other finalists in this year’s application cycle for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. Finalists included: Loran Carlton (Mooresville High School), Zoe Foote (Eminence High School), Carissa Ooley (Mooresville High School), Logan Ratts (Martinsville High School), and Tisha Townsend (Martinsville High School). All finalists will receive scholarships awarded by the board of the Community Foundation of Morgan County in honor their achievements.
The CFMC Scholarship Committee recommended the two scholarship nominees to the Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), which manages the selection of the recipients for the Lilly Endowment. ICI is a non-profit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited degree-granting, non-profit, 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 within the state. Indiana ranks among the lowest states in the percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree. There will be 142 scholarships awarded statewide.
More information on the Community Foundation of Morgan County, Inc. is available online at CFMConline.org or by calling the foundation toll-free at (855) 280-3095.