Southwood Senior Wins Lilly Scholarship

The Community Foundation of Wabash County is pleased to announce that Katelyn Ranck is the recipient of the 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Wabash County. Katelyn is a senior at Southwood High School and the daughter of Sarah Ann and Brian Ranck of rural Wabash County. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.

“Katelyn embodies the great qualities we look for in a Lilly Endowment Community Scholar. She is a strong student, a leader among her peers, a volunteer in many causes, and a hard worker who will benefit from a tuition scholarship,” said Community Foundation Vice President Julie Garber.

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 undergraduate students studying on a full-time basis 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.

Katelyn plans to obtain a bachelor of nursing degree in college. A personal experience with the medical profession led her to pursue a career in nursing. She said, “I want to devote my life to helping others. Being exposed to the field of nursing when I was fifteen has helped provide me guidance about my future, and seeing the progression of the healthcare field during the span of the pandemic to present time was inspiring because nurses held fast through its entirety.”

In determining Wabash County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar nominee, consideration was given to multiple criteria, including academic performance, financial need, work experience, volunteer and community service commitments, and leadership responsibilities. After the field of applicants was narrowed to a small list of finalists, the Community Foundation conducted interviews to determine the single nominee, whose name was recommended to ICI, the statewide administrator of the

Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program. As program administrator, ICI approves the final selection of scholarship recipients for each county.