The Hendricks County Community Foundation is excited to announce the recipients of the 2024 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship:
Tiba Altower, Plainfield High School
Aahan Bajpai, Brownsburg High School
Haydan Gabbard, Cascade High School
Tiba Altower is the daughter of Alhadi Altower and Amna Omar. She is the student body president, co-editor-in-chief of the school newspaper, and co-president of the Muslim Student Association. Tiba enjoys literature and mathematics, and she plans to study computer science and journalism in college. She also hopes to give back to the community through volunteering and involvement, both during and after university.
Aahan Bajpai is the son of Piyush and Kashish Bajpai. He is the president of Brownsburg High School’s National Honor Society and HOSA chapters, a scout, and part of the speech and debate team. Aahan hopes to attend Purdue University or the University of Notre Dame to study biology as a pre-medical student. He aspires to open his own clinic in the future, allowing him to give back to the community that shaped him.
Haydan Gabbard is the daughter of Jason and Isabella Gabbard, and is a class officer at Cascade High School. She just ended her final varsity golf season and will be starting her 15th year of recreational league softball. Additionally, she has a keen interest in both local and national politics and had the opportunity to represent Hendricks County at the ALA Hoosier Girl State Program this past summer. Haydan is looking forward to studying secondary education with a special interest in Spanish and Political Science at Butler University this fall.
The Hendricks County Community Foundation received more than 400 scholarship applications from Hendricks County students. After the applications were reviewed, 10 students were chosen to be interviewed. Finalists included:
Eyob Asfaha, Brownsburg High School
Bayleigh Cottrell, Cardinal Ritter High School
Kirandeep Kaur, Avon High School
London Moore, Cascade High School
Mason Munn, Avon High School
Mariam Olagunju, Avon High School
Ahtziri Pelayo-Pelayo, Avon High School
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership. Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years. The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities.
Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-99 school year and has supported the program every year since with grants totaling in excess of $505 million. More than 5,200 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program’s inception.
For more information, call 317-268-6240 or visit hendrickscountycf.org
