(LAGRANGE) - Five LaGrange County high school seniors have been named finalists for the 2027 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.
The prestigious award covers full tuition and provides a $900 annual book stipend for four years at any Indiana college or university.
LaGrange County's five finalists for 2027 are Reggie Sunderland of Lakeland Jr-Sr High School; Landry Byler of Prairie Heights High School; and Gloria Miller, Lucas Mullet, and Carver Stump of Westview Jr-Sr High School.
The scholarship recognizes students who excel academically, demonstrate leadership, and make a positive impact in their schools and communities. Reviewers evaluated each application based on academic achievement; school and community involvement; extracurricular activities; work experience; honors and awards; personal statements and essays; and letters of recommendation.
The Lilly Scholarship Advisory Committee will conclude the selection process by inviting the finalists back for Interview Day later this month. Each finalist will deliver a digital presentation and respond to interview questions. The committee will combine those scores with the application evaluations and impromptu essay results to recommend one nominee and two alternates to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI). ICI will select the final recipient, who will be announced in December.
Only one finalist will be named a Lilly Scholar in the 30th cohort, but each LaGrange County finalist will receive additional financial support. Finalists who are not selected for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship will receive the Lambright Leadership Scholarship, established in 2013 by Kevin and Carrie Lambright. The scholarship provides $4,000 over four years through annual $1,000 awards.