Foundation Awards Lilly Scholarships

The Posey County Community Foundation announced the 2008 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship will be awarded to Joshua Koch and Brandon Green.  Katharina Rynkiewich and Blake Frazier have been named as alternates, and each will receive a $1,500 scholarship from the Community Foundation.

Joshua Koch, son of David and Terri Koch, is a senior at Mt. Vernon High School.  He has applied to Butler University with plans to study Pharmacy.  During his high school career, Joshua has been a member of the Student Athletic Council, National Honor Society, German Club, Challenge Leadership and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  In addition to his involvement with the Habitat for Humanity and the St. Matthews Youth Group, Joshua has been a volunteer for Katrina Hurricane Recovery in Mississippi and a mission trip to Appalachia.  Joshua has been a member of the soccer, football and basketball teams.

Brandon Green, son of Robert and Sharon Green of Mt. Vernon, is a senior at Mt. Vernon High School.  He has applied to Butler University, Purdue University and Indiana University with plans to study Pharmacy.  During his high school career, Brandon was a member of the Key Club, National Honor Society, Distribution Education Clubs of America, Student Government and the Advanced Biology Club.  Brandon was a dedicated participant in Younglife, Agape Family Ministries Youth Group, the 40 Assets Fair, the 30 Hour Famine and the Coppell Youth Advisory Council. Brandon assisted in the set-up for theatre productions and participated in basketball and tennis. 

Alternates

Katharina Rynkiewich, daughter of Michael and Teresa Rynkiewich of Mt. Vernon, is a senior at Mt. Vernon High School.  She has applied to Indiana University, Hanover College and Butler University with plans to study Anthropology.  During her high school career, Katharina was a member of the National Honor Society, the Spanish Club, Beta Club, Tennis Club, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and newspaper staff.  During the last four years, Katharina has been involved with the Hurricane Katrina Relief, the American Red Cross, and participated in a mission trip to Ecuador. She was a member of the track team, volleyball team, and the tennis team.

Blake Frazier, son of Vincent and Tammy Frazier of Mt. Vernon, is a senior at Mt. Vernon High School.  He applied to Indiana Wesleyan University, the University of Southern Indiana, and the University of Evansville with plans to study Christian Education.  During his high school career, Blake has been a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Student Council, and the Thespian Troupe 982.  During the last four years, Blake has been a volunteer for Younglife, Zion Lippe U.C.C, Crossroads Christian Church, and Evansville Day Shelter.  He also participated in 4-H for ten years.  Blake has been involved with Theatre, Painting, Computer Graphics and Photography.  He has been a member of the diving and soccer teams and participated in intramural soccer.

The Foundation's scholarship committee evaluated applicants based on academic achievement, involvement in community and school activities, and written essays.  After the interview process, the committee submitted its nominees to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) for final review and approval.  ICI, a nonprofit organization representing 31 Indiana colleges and universities, oversees statewide administration of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship program.  The scholarships are the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education.  A total of 216 scholarships are to be awarded statewide.

Ray McConnell, chair of the scholarship committee, thanked the committee for the tremendous job they did in reviewing and selecting the candidates, noting their difficulty in selecting the recipients and alternates from among the 51 applicants.  "They were all bright and deserving students, and we wish we could have provided a full scholarship to each of them.  We owe Lilly Endowment a big thank-you for providing scholarships to two outstanding seniors in Posey County," said McConnell.