12 Dec Chloe Jordan is the 2026 Miami County Lilly Endowment Community Scholar
The Miami Community County Foundation is pleased to announce that the recipient of the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship (LECS) for Miami County: Chloe Jordan of Maconaquah High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are recognized for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.
“Chloe Jordan is an outstanding student whose leadership, service, and work ethic shine through in everything she does. Her dedication to her school, community, and future goals makes her a remarkable representative of Miami County,” said Shannon Berger, Scholarship Coordinator of Northern Indiana Community Foundation.
Chloe Jordan, the daughter of Anthony and Kristi Jordan, is a highly involved student whose leadership and commitment span athletics, agriculture, and community service. A ten-year member of Miami County 4-H, she has served in multiple officer roles, earned numerous champion and showmanship awards, and actively mentors younger members. She is also a three-sport varsity athlete in cross country, swimming, and track, serving as team captain and earning multiple All-Conference and Academic All-Conference honors. At school, Chloe is active in FFA, where she will serve as chapter president, as well as Fellowship of Christian Athletes, French Club, National Honor Society, and Sunshine Society. Her community service includes extensive involvement in 4-H Junior Leaders and volunteer work through two church youth groups.
Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides full tuition, required fees, and up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years of full-time undergraduate study leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Scholars also join the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects them with resources and opportunities to lead on campus and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI).
In nominating Miami County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar, the LECS committee considered community service, school activities, work experience, and more. After narrowing the field of applicants, nominees were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), the statewide administrator of the program, for final selection.
We would like to recognize the following students as finalists for this year’s LECS: Hannah Early and Isabella Farnham. “The committee had a very difficult decision to make, as each student is truly exceptional. Each finalist will receive a $1,000 scholarship to be sent to the school of their choice. While they may not be selected as the Lilly Scholar, our county is incredibly fortunate to have such impressive students representing Miami County as they head off to college,” commented Berger.
Since its inception in 1997–98, Lilly Endowment has supported this program with tuition grants totaling more than $505 million, benefiting over 5,400 Indiana students. The program’s primary purposes are:
• To raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana.
• To increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations play.
• To encourage and support Lilly Scholars’ engagement with Indiana leaders to improve quality of life statewide.
About Miami County Community Foundation:
The Miami County Community Foundation is an affiliate of the Northern Indiana Community Foundation, Inc., a 501 (c) (3) public trust. The mission of the Community Foundation is to improve the quality of life in our communities by assisting donors in fulfilling their charitable wishes. We do this by building endowment funds for our communities with contributions, both large and small.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.:
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in Eli Lilly and Company. The Endowment supports community development, education, and religion, with a special commitment to Indianapolis and Indiana.
About Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI):
Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for Indiana’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year graduation rates and produce 30% of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20% of its undergraduates.