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Milan
senior receives full ride to college thru Lilly
Wanda English Burnett
Editor
The
odds of winning were 54 to 1 and (Ada) Elizabeth Smith was the
lucky one!
There was excitement in the air at Milan High School last Thursday,
March 31 when the announcement was made that Smith was the winner
of the Ripley County Community Foundation 2011 Lilly Endowment
Community Scholar award.
Im just shaking, she said breathless after she
was called to the office last week to hear the news. Only a select
few knew the winner, with her mother, Paula Karsteter, being one
of them. She was excited as well, knowing the financial boost
this means.
This year there was only one student in Ripley County who received
full tuition to the Indiana college of their choice and a $800
yearly stipend for required books and equipment.
Smith is the daughter of Jeremy Smith and Paula Karsteter of Milan.
The senior plans to major in chemistry/pre-medicine and is leaning
toward attending Butler after graduation this spring.
There were 54 applicants for this coveted award in Ripley County
this year drawing from six high schools. The Ripley County Community
Foundation scholarship committee narrowed the field to five nominees.
Then the finalists were submitted to the Independent Colleges
of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for the selection of the recipients. ICI
is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited
degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities
in the state.
The Ripley County Community Foundation scholarship committee is
composed of Ripley County residents representing all areas of
the county. The committee is not aware of whose application they
are viewing as names and schools of students applying for the
scholarships are removed from the applications. At the interviews
of the finalists, the students are only introduced by their first
names, allowing for as much objectivity as possible.
Students who were finalists received the Ripley County Community
Scholarship of $1,000. Those receiving the 2011 Ripley County
Community Foundation Scholarships are: Jessica Bosse, Oldenburg
Academy, daughter of Gerard and Paula Bosse of Batesville; Brooke
Gilland, Jac-Cen-Del High School, daughter of Steve and Julie
Gilland of Osgood; Arielle Noel, Milan High School, daughter of
Holly Noel of Milan; and Meghan Wanstrath, Oldenburg Academy,
daughter of Matt and Sherri Wanstrath of Batesville.
The scholarships are the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment
initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education.
According to information from the foundation, Indiana ranks among
the lowest states in the percentage of residents over the age
of 25 with a bachelors degree. There were 142 scholarships
awarded statewide.
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WANDA
ENGLISH BURNETT PHOTO
Pictured from left are Jane Deiwert with
the Ripley County Community Foundation, going over some
of the paperwork with Elizabeth Smith of Milan, who said
she was breathless after learning she had won the scholarship
last Thursday.
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