Ohio County Names 2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar

The recipient receives full tuition to the Indiana college or university of their choice.

Mason Taylor, Photo provided.

(Rising Sun, Ind.) - Mason Taylor, a member of the 2022 graduating class of Rising Sun High School, has been selected as the recipient of Ohio County’s 2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. The 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 of undergraduate study on a full-time basis leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Mason is the son of Harry and Dena Taylor of Rising Sun.

Mason was chosen from an excellent pool of applicants for the prestigious scholarship. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character and leadership. He takes his classes and studies seriously and is in the top of his class at Rising Sun High School. Mason is a member of the Spanish Club, Science Club, Academic Team, HOSA Club (Vice-President), SADD (Students Against Destructive Driving), Student Council, the Honor Society and he is the Treasurer of the Class of 2022. He has enjoyed volunteering in the community for the Science River Cleanup, Red Wolf Sanctuary, Ohio County Public Library and at the Ohio County Courthouse.

Mason plans to attend Indiana University in Bloomington to pursue a degree in Accounting. When asked how he felt when he received the notification he was the recipient, he replied, “I was shocked when I received the notification. Honestly, I do not think it has fully set in for me just yet. I still cannot believe I was the one chosen over the other deserving candidates. I am incredibly grateful that the judges saw the potential within me and I will be committed to proving they made the right choice over these next few years.”

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. This year is the 25th cohort of the awarding of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship program is administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) with local support from Indiana community foundations. Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-1999 school year and has supported the program every year since with tuition grants totaling in excess of 439 million. More than 5,000 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community scholarship since the program’s inception.

The Ohio County Community Foundation is proud to administer the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Ohio County. This past fall, scholarship applications were submitted from the senior class of Rising Sun High School. The committee uses a blind process to evaluate the applications which means the committee does not know whose applications they are evaluating. The scholarship selection

includes three processes: the application, a written essay and a personal interview. The scores are based on the scholarship criteria which include academics, financial need, activities (extra-curricular, sports activities and employment), community volunteer activities, leadership roles and a written essay. Five finalists were selected based on their application score and were interviewed individually by members of the selection committee. The selection committee then forwards the nominees’ information to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. which then makes the final selection of the recipient.

Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation that represents 29 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.

The Ohio County Community Foundation Staff, Board of Directors and Scholarship Selection Committee would like to congratulate Mason Taylor for being named the 2022 Ohio County Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.

The Ohio County Community Foundation is located at 330 Industrial Access Drive, Rising Sun. For information concerning the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship or other scholarships administered by the Ohio County Community Foundation, please call 812-438-9401, email sscott@occfrisingsun or visit our website at occfrisingsun.com.