One Clinton County student has been named a recipient of a four-year, full-tuition scholarship as the Clinton County Community Foundation 2019 Lilly Endowment Inc. Community Scholar.
Jenna Rockhold, daughter of John and Amy Rockhold, will receive full tuition to an accredited public or private nonprofit Indiana university or college of her choice and a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment.
Jenna, a Frankfort High School student, is president of DECA/Backpack Buddies and is a member of National Honor Society. She led DECA members in raising more than $9,000 for the Buddy Bags program. Jenna placed in the Top 3 at the Indiana DECA State Conference. She is on the Volleyball and Softball teams and is a member of Key Club. Jenna is a freshman mentor and helps to orient incoming students to high school. She has attended several camps relating to her major: Turned onto Technology and Leadership, Duke Energy Academy, Discovering Opportunities in Technology and GenCyber. Her volunteer activities include service projects through her church’s youth group and assisting with Special Olympic bowlers during competitions. Jenna served on her church’s Pastor Search Committee.
Jenna plans to attend Purdue University and study cybersecurity.
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.
The selection criteria identified by the Clinton County Community Foundation included academic achievement; school, community and work activities; essay; financial need; potential for success; and an interview. There were 27 Clinton County students who applied for the scholarship. A committee of volunteers evaluated the applications and selected five finalists who were interviewed by the Clinton County Community Foundation board and Scholarship Committee. Lilly Endowment Inc. established the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program in 1998.
“Each year it is inspiring to see the level of academic achievement attained by our Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship finalists,” said Alan Dunn, chairman of the Clinton County Community Foundation Services Committee. “This scholarship gives the recipients the opportunity to attend the college or university of their choice. Indiana is fortunate to have a program that recognizes the accomplishments of the recipients and one that promotes the role of foundations in improving the quality of life in their communities.”
The finalists’ names were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) for the selection of recipients. ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 30 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.
The Foundation recognized the achievements of the other four finalists with $1,000 renewable scholarships for a total of $4,000. They include Breawna Caldwell, Clinton Prairie High School; Keely Dehn, Frankfort High School; Caiden Maish, Clinton Prairie High School; and Larissa Smith, Rossville High School.
The Clinton County Community Foundation is a not-for-profit charitable organization created in 1996. The mission of the Foundation is to improve the quality of life of the community through the accumulation and stewardship of enduring charitable gifts. For details about making a charitable gift or establishing a permanent endowment fund to benefit a charitable organization or interest in Clinton County, please contact the Community Foundation at (800) 964-0508 or visit the Web site at www.cfclinton.org.