Lilly Scholarship winners announced

Three Ripley County students will receive full four-year scholarships as the Ripley County Community Foundation 2004 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.

Michael Cole, Zachary Frey, and Christina Lawburgh will receive not only full tuition to the Indiana College of their choice, but also an $800 stipend for required books and equipment.

Cole is the son of Wendell and Rebecca Cole of Versailles. He is a senior at South Ripley High School and plans to attend Hanover College. Frey is the son of Jim and Betty Frey of Batesville. The Oldenburg Academy senior plans to attend Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology to major in bio-medical engineering. Lawburgh is the daughter of Jean Prather of Versailles and James Lawburgh. She is a senior at South Ripley High School and plans to attend Indiana University to major in biochemistry.

The scholarship committee is composed of Ripley County residents representing all areas of the county. The committee is not aware of whose application they are viewing as names and schools of students applying for the scholarships are removed from applications. At the interviews of the finalists, the students are only introduced by their first names, allowing for as much objectivity as possible.

There were 56 applicants for these scholarships in Ripley County this year drawing from six high schools. Eight outstanding students are chosen as finalists for these prestigious awards. After the Ripley County Community Foundation scholarship committee narrowed the field to eight, the finalists names were submitted to the Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for the selection of the recipients.

ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited, degree granting, nonprofit private colleges and universities in the state. The scholarships are the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach
higher levels of education. Indiana ranks among the lowest states in the percentage of residents over the age
of 25 with a bachelor's degree. There were 363 scholarships awarded state wide.

Each Ripley County finalist not receiving one of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships will be awarded one of the Ripley County Community Scholarships of $1,000.

Those receiving the 2004 Ripley County Community Foundation Scholarships are: Ryan Ahlrich, Jac-Cen-Del High School, son of Richard and Cinda Ahlrich of Osgood;
Lisa Feller, Batesville High School, daughter of Don and Martha Feller of Batesville; Amy Records, Batesville High School, daughter of Randy and Teddie Records of Batesville; Adam Vogel, South Ripley High School, son of Ralph and Lois Vogel of Versailles; and Nicole Wittmer, Oldenburg Academy, daughter of Robert and Mary Wittmer of Batesville.

MARY MARGARET MOORHEAD PHOTO

Christina Lawburgh and Michael Cole, both seniors at South Ripley High School, were honored Tuesday when they received the news they were the 2004 Ripley County Community Foundation Lilly Endowment Community Scholars. Cole is the son of Wendell and Rebecca Cole of Versailles, and Lawburgh's parents are Jean Prather of Versailles and James Lawburgh.