Two Students Awarded 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship
The Community Foundation of Howard County is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Howard County: Ethan Kelser of Kokomo High School, and Jacob Trueblood of Taylor High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are recognized for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.
Ethan Kelser will be graduating from Kokomo High School with an Academic Honors diploma, and plans to attend Purdue University to study environmental engineering.
Jacob Trueblood will be graduating from Taylor High School with an Academic Honors diploma, and plans to pursue a degree in biology from Indiana University Bloomington.
"We truly appreciated the opportunity to get to know Ethan and Jacob,” said Joe Dunbar, Chair of the Lilly Scholarship Committee at the Community Foundation of Howard County. “Our committee reviewed a remarkable group of applicants, and these recipients really rose to the top for their dedication, character, and commitment to their future goals. We are proud to support their next steps and excited to see the impact they will have on Indiana communities.”
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 Howard County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholars, the committee considered academic achievement, extracurricular activities, and financial need. After narrowing the field of applicants, nominees were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), the statewide administrator of the program, for final selection.
“Recipients of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship are very carefully considered, as we look for applicants that truly exemplify the qualities and abilities of a student driven to succeed,” said Todd Moser, President of the Community Foundation of Howard County. “Lilly Endowment entrusts Indiana’s community foundations to administer this program, which gives our Foundation further opportunity to connect with the youth in our county and support their futures.”
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 Community Foundation of Howard County:
The Community Foundation of Howard County Inc. was formed as a not-for-profit public charity in March 1991. The Foundation seeks to serve donors and make grants to benefit the citizens of Howard County. For more information about the Community Foundation, contact Todd Moser, President, at 765-454-7298 or todd@cfhoward.org. The website www.cfhoward.org contains information about making gifts to endowment funds, scholarships and grantmaking.
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.