December 8, 2016 at 10:15 p.m.
Lilly wins Lilly
Lilly wins Lilly
When she realized what was happening, Lilly Rogers immediately covered her mouth with her left hand, stunned.
Surreal was the way she would later describe that moment, when she put down the silver container of El Camino’s El Tio Nachos Especial that was in her right hand in order to shake hands with The Portland Foundation vice president Rex Journay.
Journay was there to honor Rogers, a Jay County High School senior, as the foundation’s 2017 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.
“I don’t really I know what to say right now,” said Rogers after sharing tearful hugs with family. “Thank you so much.”
Rogers was selected from a field of 39 applicants, who must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be eligible. The process includes an application and essay question, after which four finalists were chosen. Those students then participated in interviews with The Portland Foundation’s selection committee and had to write an impromptu essay.
The field was then narrowed down to two. Their information was submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana for selection of the recipient.
Journay noted that Rogers’ perseverance to succeed stood out among the applicants.
See Lilly page 2
Continued from page 1
The scholarship covers full tuition and $900 annually for books at any Indiana college. Rogers plans to attend Indiana University.
“At a young age I just fell in love with IU and that’s just where I’ve always wanted to go,” she said, adding that it was the only school she applied to. “Once I went down to the campus I knew for sure there was no place else.”
She plans to major in nursing or go follow the pre-med track.
“I haven’t fully decided, which I know I won’t until I get down there and actually experience the hospitals,” she said. “I hope to be somewhere in the emergency department and helping with trauma situations.”
Rogers, who is ranked 14th in her class with a 4.11 grade point average, is one of 142 Lilly scholarship recipients statewide. She was a four-year starter at goalie for the JCHS girls soccer team, helping lead the Patriots to back-to-back sectional championships during her freshman and sophomore seasons.
She is also involved in National Honor Society, bowling, German club and track. She volunteers as a coach with youth soccer programs in Jay County.
After getting a chance to catch her breath following the surprise announcement, she still couldn’t stop smiling.
“I was not expecting it at all,” said Rogers. “I’m definitely really happy. I’ve worked all my life just to get through, so it really makes me happy.”
Still, her fellow finalists — Katie Carpenter, Jacob Geesaman and Erika Kunkler — were on her mind.
“At the same time I feel bad,” she continued, “because I know everyone else has worked just as hard as me.”
The scholarship covers full tuition and $900 annually for books at any Indiana college. Rogers plans to attend Indiana University.
“At a young age I just fell in love with IU and that’s just where I’ve always wanted to go,” she said, adding that it was the only school she applied to. “Once I went down to the campus I knew for sure there was no place else.”
She plans to major in nursing or go follow the pre-med track.
“I haven’t fully decided, which I know I won’t until I get down there and actually experience the hospitals,” she said. “I hope to be somewhere in the emergency department and helping with trauma situations.”
Rogers, who is ranked 14th in her class with a 4.11 grade point average, is one of 142 Lilly scholarship recipients statewide. She was a four-year starter at goalie for the JCHS girls soccer team, helping lead the Patriots to back-to-back sectional championships during her freshman and sophomore seasons.
She is also involved in National Honor Society, bowling, German club and track. She volunteers as a coach with youth soccer programs in Jay County.
After getting a chance to catch her breath following the surprise announcement, she still couldn’t stop smiling.
“I was not expecting it at all,” said Rogers. “I’m definitely really happy. I’ve worked all my life just to get through, so it really makes me happy.”
Still, her fellow finalists — Katie Carpenter, Jacob Geesaman and Erika Kunkler — were on her mind.
“At the same time I feel bad,” she continued, “because I know everyone else has worked just as hard as me.”
Surreal was the way she would later describe that moment, when she put down the silver container of El Camino’s El Tio Nachos Especial that was in her right hand in order to shake hands with The Portland Foundation vice president Rex Journay.
Journay was there to honor Rogers, a Jay County High School senior, as the foundation’s 2017 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.
“I don’t really I know what to say right now,” said Rogers after sharing tearful hugs with family. “Thank you so much.”
Rogers was selected from a field of 39 applicants, who must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher in order to be eligible. The process includes an application and essay question, after which four finalists were chosen. Those students then participated in interviews with The Portland Foundation’s selection committee and had to write an impromptu essay.
The field was then narrowed down to two. Their information was submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana for selection of the recipient.
Journay noted that Rogers’ perseverance to succeed stood out among the applicants.
See Lilly page 2
Continued from page 1
The scholarship covers full tuition and $900 annually for books at any Indiana college. Rogers plans to attend Indiana University.
“At a young age I just fell in love with IU and that’s just where I’ve always wanted to go,” she said, adding that it was the only school she applied to. “Once I went down to the campus I knew for sure there was no place else.”
She plans to major in nursing or go follow the pre-med track.
“I haven’t fully decided, which I know I won’t until I get down there and actually experience the hospitals,” she said. “I hope to be somewhere in the emergency department and helping with trauma situations.”
Rogers, who is ranked 14th in her class with a 4.11 grade point average, is one of 142 Lilly scholarship recipients statewide. She was a four-year starter at goalie for the JCHS girls soccer team, helping lead the Patriots to back-to-back sectional championships during her freshman and sophomore seasons.
She is also involved in National Honor Society, bowling, German club and track. She volunteers as a coach with youth soccer programs in Jay County.
After getting a chance to catch her breath following the surprise announcement, she still couldn’t stop smiling.
“I was not expecting it at all,” said Rogers. “I’m definitely really happy. I’ve worked all my life just to get through, so it really makes me happy.”
Still, her fellow finalists — Katie Carpenter, Jacob Geesaman and Erika Kunkler — were on her mind.
“At the same time I feel bad,” she continued, “because I know everyone else has worked just as hard as me.”
The scholarship covers full tuition and $900 annually for books at any Indiana college. Rogers plans to attend Indiana University.
“At a young age I just fell in love with IU and that’s just where I’ve always wanted to go,” she said, adding that it was the only school she applied to. “Once I went down to the campus I knew for sure there was no place else.”
She plans to major in nursing or go follow the pre-med track.
“I haven’t fully decided, which I know I won’t until I get down there and actually experience the hospitals,” she said. “I hope to be somewhere in the emergency department and helping with trauma situations.”
Rogers, who is ranked 14th in her class with a 4.11 grade point average, is one of 142 Lilly scholarship recipients statewide. She was a four-year starter at goalie for the JCHS girls soccer team, helping lead the Patriots to back-to-back sectional championships during her freshman and sophomore seasons.
She is also involved in National Honor Society, bowling, German club and track. She volunteers as a coach with youth soccer programs in Jay County.
After getting a chance to catch her breath following the surprise announcement, she still couldn’t stop smiling.
“I was not expecting it at all,” said Rogers. “I’m definitely really happy. I’ve worked all my life just to get through, so it really makes me happy.”
Still, her fellow finalists — Katie Carpenter, Jacob Geesaman and Erika Kunkler — were on her mind.
“At the same time I feel bad,” she continued, “because I know everyone else has worked just as hard as me.”
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