2009 Lilly, DCF Scholarship Recipients
NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Fred McCarter (812) 539-4115
For Immediate Release
2009 Lilly Endowment, DCF Scholarship Recipients Announced
Martin Declines Scholarship For Full-ride At UC
Lawrenceburg, Ind., APRIL 28, 2009 – Two Dearborn County high school seniors recently learned they are recipients of the prestigious Lilly Endowmenet Community Scholarship (LECS). Receiving the full-tuition scholarship awarded by the Dearborn Community Foundation (DCF) was a welcome surprise for both students, but for one it was a bit more surprising.
The 2009 LECS recipients are Christopher Ochynski of Bright and Taneesha Parker of Greendale. Ochynski and Parker receive a full-tuition scholarship to the Indiana college of their choice along with an $800 stipend for required books and equipment.
Ochynski learned of the honor on April 1 when Foundation staff and members of the board of directors and scholarship committee notified him and his family during a surprise visit to their home. Parker received the surprise of a lifetime 16 days later on April 17, when a group of DCF staff, board and committee members awarded the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship to her during a surprise morning visit to Lawrenceburg High School.
Parker, who was one of the six LECS finalists in Dearborn County, had learned just weeks earlier that Ochynski and Julie Martin of Manchester Township had been awarded the two Lilly scholarships allotted for Dearborn County. What Parker didn’t know is that Martin subsequently received a full-ride scholarship to the University of Cincinnati to study Architecture. Martin was notified shortly after being awarded the Lilly scholarship that UC had offered a full scholarship. The Lilly scholarship must be used at an Indiana college, so after much consideration, Martin chose to accept UC’s offer and declined the Lilly scholarship.
When Martin, a student at Oldenburg Academy, declined the Lilly Scholarship, the Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) scholarship guidelines for the Lilly Scholarship kicked into gear. The guidelines call for DCF to also select a first and second alternate in case a student, like Martin, chooses to decline the scholarship. Parker was the first alternate approved by the DCF Board of Directors in March based on her scoring in the Lilly Scholarship selection process.
Annually, 216 Lilly Scholarships are awarded in Indiana and, according to ICI, Parker is among about 10-15 students annually who are awarded the Lilly Scholarship after other students choose to decline it. The most common reason for a student to decline the Lilly Scholarship is because they have chosen to attend an out-of-state college.
Parker, a senior at Lawrenceburg High School (LHS), will attend Indiana University in Bloomington to study Psychology and Law. Learning she won the scholarship nearly three weeks after being told she did not win the scholarship was overwhelming and surreal, she said.
“It’s great,” Parker said. “It’s the best thing in the world. I worked very hard. It was a goal of mine. I looked forward to it and, now, I got it! It just goes to show you that everything works out.”
Martin, a senior at Oldenburg Academy, is the daughter of Susan and Rex Martin. She said was surprised to be awarded with the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in the first place. She also understood that declining the Lilly scholarship and accepting the UC offer would allow another Dearborn County student to receive a full-tuition scholarship.
“I’m so grateful and honored to have been chosen for the Lilly scholarship,” Martin said. “I am really happy for Taneesha. I understand that she is a very deserving student and I am excited that she will be able to attend IU with the help of the Lilly scholarship. We have both been so fortunate to receive such great scholarships.
Ochynski, a senior at East Central High School, is the son of Brigitte and Walter Ochynski. He will attend Purdue University to study Electrical Engineering. At East Central, Christopher was a member of the National Honor Society, Math Club, Academic Team, Web Team, Marching Band, Percussion Ensemble, German Club and Spanish Club. He participated in the Hoosier Boys State summer camp and in the Academic SuperBowl. He also remained busy with a job.
“This is a great honor with only two of these scholarships awarded in our county,” Ochynski said. “It’s also a big help to my family. … I’m ecstatic. This is great!”
At LHS, Parker, the daughter of Eugenia Parker and Teddy Parker, was a member of the French Club, Sunshine Society, Key Club, Pep Club, Yearbook Staff, Academic Team, Cadet Teaching. She also participated on the cheerleading squad and played tennis. She also remained busy with a job.
Martin, the daughter of Susan and Rex Martin, during her time at Oldenburg Academy was a member National Honor Society, Foreign Language Club, student government, Math Club Art Club, Tri-Music Honor Society, Recyclones Recycling Club and Book Club. She also was a member of the varsity track team, and was a competitive pianist. Community activities include involvement in the Adopt-A-Sister Program and serving as a Sunday School teacher and helper. She also remained busy with a job.
The purpose of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program is to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana and to further leverage the ability of Indiana’s community foundations to enhance the quality of life of the state’s residents, said Fred McCarter, Executive Director of the Dearborn Community Foundation.
“At first, it was surprising that a student would decline the Lilly Scholarship,” McCarter said. “It is gratifying, however, to learn that all three of these fine young people are receiving full-tuition scholarships. Christopher, Taneesha and Julie were selected among an excellent group of applicants for the Lilly scholarships. Our community should be very proud of these fine honor students and the other four finalists for this prestigious award.”
DCF administers the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship (LECS) Program in Dearborn County for Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment, Inc. A five-member scholarship committee and the DCF staff annually review each application during Phase I of the scholarship process. During Phase I, committee members know applicants only by a number assigned to them. Each committee member assigns scores to each applicant based on an essay written to address a specific question. DCF assigns additional scores based on history of parental college education, financial need, cumulative grade point average, and number of family dependants.
Based on the highest total scores during Phase I of the process, six Lilly finalists are chosen, two from each school corporation area in Dearborn County. In late February, the finalists complete Phase II of the selection process, which consists of a personal interview with the scholarship committee and the writing of an impromptu essay on a specific topic.
The scholarship committee then selects two nominees to receive the two scholarships allotted to Dearborn County, based on highest cumulative scores from Phase II of the scholarship process. The Foundation board of directors approves the two nominees and the nominees’ information is then sent to ICI, a non-profit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited degree granting, non-profit, private colleges and universities in the state. A panel of Indiana public and private college representatives, community foundation members and graduate scholarship recipients review the nominations and forwards its endorsement to DCF in late March.
Other Four Lilly Finalists Receive DCF Scholarship
The four remaining finalists are recognized as 2009 Dearborn Community Foundation Educational Grant recipients. Each student receives a $1,000 educational grant paid directly to the student’s school. The grant is renewable for up to four years of secondary education at the college or university of the student’s choice. The Foundation is pleased to award the 2009 educational grants to: Rachael House of South Dearborn High School; Chelsea Koons, Lawrenceburg High School; Hannah Griffin, South Dearborn High School; and Alaina Hartman, East Central High School.
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