GREENFIELD — Eight county high school students have been chosen as finalists for the Lilly Endowment Scholarship.
Each year, two Hancock County seniors are chosen to receive a full-ride scholarship to an Indiana university of their choice. The scholarships, 143 in all throughout the state, are among the most prestigious such community awards in the state.
The finalists include two students from each county high school: Logan Overman and Nolan Hemminger-Jones of Greenfield-Central; Ellie Griesmeyer and Paige Wickard from Eastern Hancock; Anthony Fleming and Tessa Freeman from Mt. Vernon; and Benjamin Blachly and Emma Nobbe from New Palestine.
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Applicants for the scholarship must be in the top 15 percent of their graduating class and plan to pursue a four-year degree at an Indiana public or private university. The primary consideration in choosing the finalists, and the two ultimate winners, is their contributions to community service.
Applications were reviewed by third-party professional readers through community foundations, which help administer the program. The eight finalists are interviewed by a panel of volunteers assembled by the Hancock County Community Foundation, who will submit their recommendations to Lilly Endowment for approval.
The two winners will be announced in December.
All of the finalists are deeply involved in community initiatives.
New Palestine High School student Benjamin Blachly, an aspiring engineer, has already used his skills to help Hope Center Indy, an organization that assists women exiting sex trafficking. Blachy helped Hope Center manager Brian Thomas design a hydroponics system for the facility’s greenhouse that will help grow fruits, vegetables and flowers.
“His life experience and education gave him the ability to understand and assist in designing the system we implemented in the Blooming Hope Greenhouse,” Thomas said. ”It has been a joy working with him this summer. Volunteers sometimes do not communicate well with us, but he has done an outstanding job of keeping me up to date on his activities within the greenhouse and has made suggestions on how to fix problems as they arise.”
Blachly also volunteers with the Hancock County Public Library and the New Palestine High School Tennis Camp.
Mt. Vernon High School student Anthony Fleming has served as class president along with a number of other extracurricular activities, while also making time to volunteer at Hancock Hope House. Fleming serves on the organization’s executive youth board, which raises funds and awareness for the shelter.
“His dedication, passion and leadership skills show in his service to our community while excelling in the classroom,” said Cindy Miller, Hope House administrative assistant. “He is a very dedicated young man that attends all the meetings and fundraisers during his time on the board. He has made service to others a priority in his life.”
Fleming said he does not do community service work for the recognition, but that having a full-ride college scholarship would be “an amazing opportunity to better give back.”
Mt. Vernon High School student Tessa Freeman’s community service has been focused on the issue of mental health. Freeman spearheaded the establishment of Mt. Vernon’s Mental Health Week through work with student government. She also volunteers at Hancock Regional Hospital three times a week and helped start the student organization Champions Together, which provides a way for students with disabilities to participate in sports.
“I want other kids to understand that mental illness is just as normal and treatable as physical illness,” Freeman said. “I want everyone, young or old, to know that mental illness does not define them.”
Freeman has also been a member of the community foundation’s Y-GIVE Youth Philanthropy Board for the past two years.
Eastern Hancock High School student Ellie Griesmeyer has volunteered with a variety of service organizations, including Kenneth Butler Memorial Soup Kitchen, Hancock County Humane Society and FUSE Inc. As an instructor in the FUSE Adaptive Swim Program, Griesmeyer helps participants with disabilities learn to swim and to be comfortable in the water.
As a student in the Royal Leadership Academy class at Eastern Hancock, Griesmeyer helped create a mentorship program that gives students the chance to shadow professionals in the workplace.
Greismeyer said it was a surprise to be chosen as one of the top eight contenders for the award.
“I think it’s such an honor to even be a finalist for the scholarship,” she said.
Greenfield-Central High School student Noah Hemminger-Jones has a significant volunteer role with the Friends of the Hancock County Public Library. Since 2016, he has assumed the responsibility of sending out membership reminders and cards, as well as creating and updating the organization’s member database.
Hemminger-Jones also volunteers with the Hancock County Food Pantry.
New Palestine High School student Emma Nobbe has completed several significant community service projects through her membership in the Girl Scouts, including leading the renovation of a campsite that is now used by other scouting groups; mentoring younger Girl Scouts; and volunteering at the humane society.
Nobbe also serves as a volunteer greeter at Indian Creek Christian Church. She said she enjoys “providing a warm welcome for anyone who comes into our church and helping new members or visitors find their way.”
Greenfield-Central High School student Logan Overman is involved in leadership roles in several service organizations. To earn the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts, he implemented a project to restore and enhance a memorial flag display at his church.
As a chapter chairman for the National FFA Organization, Overman has participated in canned food drives, clothing drives and community education. He was elected to serve as an eight-county, 23-chapter district officer for 2019-20.
Eastern Hancock High School student Paige Wickard has taken a direct approach to helping feed Hancock County families in need. Last year, she donated 290 one-pound packages of hamburger from a bull calf that she raised from one of her show heifers to a Healthy365 program distributing locally grown meat and produce. Wickard, who is a nine-year member of 4-H, is planning to donate another calf this year.
Wickard also serves on the Service Committee of the Eastern Hancock Honor Society. Her 2018-19 service project was to provide a full Thanksgiving meal to three families in the school district identified by the counselors at the elementary, middle school and high school. This year, she hopes to present this project to the entire Honor Society as a group service project.
Wickard said receiving the scholarship would make a major difference in her ability to pay for college. She said she spent a week-and-a-half filling out the substantial application and “freaked out” when she heard she had been named as a finalist.
The Lilly Endowment, founded by the family behind pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly and Company with donations of company stock, is one of the wealthiest charitable organizations in the world. It provides grants to a variety of causes, focusing primarily on community development and education, almost exclusively in Indiana.