Story by: Sydney Blankenship, staff writer
Photos by: Rose Yang, staff photographer
On February 8, Aaron Rush, 12, and Lily Erlewein, 12, were honored for being finalists in the Lilly Endowment Scholarship Award. One female and one male student who are in the top 15% of their class and plan to attend college for four years with a Bachelor’s course are eligible to be nominated. They were selected anonymously by the Hancock County Community Foundation (HCCF), based on their variety of accomplishments and community contributions.
“I felt rather accomplished,” Rush stated when he found out about being nominated. “Never stop at success. Never be satisfied. There is always something to improve.”
Rush is in Center Stage choir, cross country, track, Science olympiad, Quiz bowl and NHS. He plans to attend Purdue for computer science.
Lily Erlewein heard about the award through her involvement with HCCF. “I have been involved throughout the years with the Community Foundation, so I knew about this scholarship through them.”
“After getting over the initial shock, I felt extremely honored. A scholarship like this could really change my life with all the financial stress it would relieve and opportunities it would open up, so I felt very honored to be one of the eight finalists in the county chosen.”
Erlewein participates in Marauder Mentors, Green Team and Spell Bowl. She is also the captain of the varsity cheer team, president of NHS and the president of the Voice Anti-Tobacco Club. She plans to major in Actuarial Science, which is a double-major in Mathematics and Applied Statistics with a minor in Management, at Purdue University.
“Although being near the top of your class is a requirement, selection for this scholarship is based largely around community service,” explained Erlewein. “Choosing one or two community service organizations or projects to devote your time to can be really beneficial to not only your selection for the Lilly Endowment Scholarship, but for other scholarships and your college application as well.”
Although neither Erlewein or Rush won the scholarship, being nominated is a huge honor. Congratulations to the finalists.
The MV Current 