Not kidding

“You have got to be kidding.”

Seth Wilson repeated the phrase a few times Tuesday morning when he walked into the TV studio at Jay County Junior-Senior High School.

They were not kidding.

Wilson’s shocked response came as he realized he had been selected as The Portland Foundation’s 2021 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.

He said he had an idea of what was going on when he was called down to the TV studio, but the moment of walking in, seeing his parents Kelly and Jennifer and getting the official news still hit him hard.

“I was very surprised,” Wilson said. “It was just a very incredible moment.”

He saw it as the pay off for years of hard work and going through the process of applying for various scholarships this year.

“Having one, especially like this one, pay off in the end, especially this one, is just incredible, especially given the great candidates that I was up against,” he added.

As the Lilly scholar, Wilson receives full tuition to any Indiana college of his choice for four years as well as $900 per year for books and equipment.

About 15 minutes after he was announced as the winner, word had spread, and his fellow finalists — Lilly Hedges and Lucas Lyons — made a special visit to the TV studio to congratulate their classmate.

The three finalists — they were chosen from 20 applicants based on criteria including academic excellence, financial need, school/community activities and response to an essay question — participated in interviews with The Portland Foundation’s selection committee and completed an impromptu essay.

“Seth stood out both in his poise … and also his essay,” said Tammy Hanlin, president of The Portland Foundation’s board of directors. “He’s a very well-written, very well-spoken young man.”

Doug Inman, president of The Portland Foundation, joked after hearing Wilson’s interview with WPGW Radio’s Rob Weaver that he might one day be Governor Wilson.

Wilson, who is ranked second in his class with a 4.203 grade point average, plans to study computer science in college at either Indiana University or Butler University. He said he chose the major because technology touches every part of our lives.

“I’m looking for a place that offers a great program and will provide me with all of the resources and opportunities that I will need to succeed in the future,” said Wilson. “And I think that those two schools especially would be very good when it comes to things like internships, when it comes to research opportunities, and just providing me with the resources I need to succeed.”

Wilson has been a member of the Jay County High School Marching Patriots for four years, serving as low brass section leader and a member of the leadership team. Also at JCHS he is a member of the boys golf and cross country teams, is active in German Club and is a member of the National Honor Society.

He was a member of Boy Scout Troop 202 for 11 years, earning the rank of Eagle Scout in 2018. His project involved cleaning much of the Kelly Baggs Nature Trail that connects to Hudson Family and Weiler-Wilson parts in Portland and putting up signs and markers to make them more user-friendly.

Wilson is also the youth representative on the Jay County Drug Prevention Coalition Board.

He is one of 143 Lilly scholars statewide.

“This is an incredible honor to have received this award,” Wilson said. “I am truly blessed for the community that I’ve been a part of that has been willing to give me so much and so many opportunities to succeed. And I really hope that I can use the skills I gain in college to pay that forward one day.”