SHS senior receives Lilly scholarship

SHS senior receives Lilly scholarship

For two days, Scottsburg High School senior Jordan Shuler had to keep a big secret: he was named the Scott County Community Foundation 2016 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.

“I had to go on as if I didn’t know anything about it,” Shuler said. “I was completely shocked and awed I was getting it. I didn’t expect.”

As the Scott County Community Foundation 2016 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar, Shuler will receive a full-tuition scholarship to an Indiana college of his choosing and a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment.

“It means a lot,” said Shuler, who the son of Greg Shuler and Cherie Shuler, a teacher at Lexington Elementary School. “Now, my mom doesn’t have to worry about paying for college. I can come out of college with no debt.”

In the fall, Shuler will be attending Grace College, a private, Christian college near Warsaw. He plans to major in accounting and sports management.

“I would be more comfortable in a small environment. I don’t like super big. I didn’t want an IU,” Shuler said about why he chose Grace College. “I wanted to be around people like me, who share my values.”

Before receiving the Lilly Scholarship, Shuler received a merit scholarship from Grace College, but it did not cover the entire cost of education, like the Lilly scholarship provides.

“I will come out of college with no debt,” said Shuler, who is the oldest of three children. “I will be able to buy a house sooner. I will be able to do a lot of things sooner because I don’t have loans to worry about.”

To be considered for the Lilly Scholarship, Shuler put in hours of hard work and dedication into his academics, his community, and his extracurricular activities.

He is in the top 10 percent of his graduating class; is a member of the SHS golf, tennis, and academic teams; is a member of the Scott County Community Foundation Youth Grantmaking Council; participates in Band of Warriors, Model United Nations, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes; and attends First Christian Church in Scottsburg.

“It must have been a tough choice for the committee,” Shuler said about the five Lilly Scholar finalists in Scott County. “There were very qualified people.”

According to the Scott County Community Foundation, the recipient of the Lilly Scholarship is chosen based on financial considerations, community involvement, work and extracurricular activities, academics, and two essays that were submitted with the application process. Five Scott County students were chosen as finalists and were interviewed. One winner and two alternates were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana Inc., nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited colleges and universities, for final confirmation.