12 Dec Emma Dahlquist Receives Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship
Emma Dahlquist, a Rochester Community High School graduating senior, has been named the 2018 Fulton County Community Foundation Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.
Emma will receive a four-year, full-tuition scholarship to an Indiana college or university of her choice and a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment.
Emma is the daughter of David and Cheryl Dahlquist and plans to attend the Depauw University. For her field of study, she is considering Chemistry (Pre-Medicine), Theatre, and Psychology.
Emma participates in Tri-Epsilon (Theatre). She has acted in numerous plays, and she held a lead role in several. She is also a member of Manitous Advanced Chorus and Harmonia Women’s Choir, National Honor Society, and the Peers Educate Peers Project. She participated in an internship in Speech Pathology at Rochester Middle School and the Radiology Department at Woodlawn Hospital. She is also a graduate of Fulton County Youth Leadership Academy.
Emma was selected for the prestigious Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship from a field of twenty applicants by the Fulton County Community Foundation Scholarship Committee.
This was the second year during which applications were due in September, whereas in previous years they were due during the spring semester. This change was made in an effort to identify Lilly Scholars earlier in the school year so that recipients have more time to decide which college or university to attend.
During the selection process, the applications are ‘blinded,’ meaning that the identities of the applicants are removed. The Committee scores applicants on academic performance, volunteer and paid work, school activities and honors, as well as essays. Of the twenty applicants, five finalists were selected for a final review. These finalists were asked to write an impromptu essay and had a personal interview with the Scholarship Committee. The Committee narrowed the field to one nominee as their recommendation. Finalists’ applications are submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for the final selection of the recipient.
ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents thirty-one regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.
The scholarships are the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education. Indiana ranks among the lowest states in the percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree.
The students who were finalists and interviewed for the scholarship were Maria Hunting, Abigail McCarter, and Sarah Schaller of Rochester Community High School, and Cheyene Oldfather of Tippecanoe Valley High School.