(LAGRANGE) – The LaGrange County Community Foundation has named the winner of the 2022 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.

This year's winner is Lillian Schackow, a senior at Lakeland High School. She plans to attend Indiana Wesleyan University and study elementary education and special education. She is the daughter of Jason and Elisa Schackow of LaGrange. Lillian is involved in multiple clubs including Sources of Strength, Educators Rising, Interact Club, National Honor Society, Student Council, Peer Coaching, Academic Team, volleyball, and tennis. She serves as president of the Student Council and the class of 2022.

Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership. Octavia Yoder, Executive Director of the LaGrange County Community Foundation, says Lillian demonstrates many of the qualities they seek in a future leader: motivated, hard-working, and engaged in the community. Yoder says the selection committee was impressed by her service to her community and passion for her career goals.

In her application essay, Schackow wrote that it’s important to give back to the communities that shaped her; she chooses to be heavily involved by volunteering at her church, Night to Shine, and Bair Lake Bible camp as well has other community service opportunities. She organized a team that ran a 7-week campaign for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society that helped raise awareness and held numerous fundraisers. The team raised $25,000 for the cause.

Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides 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.

Finalists for the award include Lillian Eash of Westview High School; Isaac Rogers of Westview High School; Kaylyn Gates of Westview High School; and Jackson Minix of Westview High School. Each of the finalists will receive a $4,000 scholarship from the Lambright Leadership Fund, established by Kevin and Carrie Lambright in 2014.