Published: April 09, 2008 12:32 am            

Program great gift to the state

Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Lilly Community Scholarships.

Logansport High School seniors Natasha Bergstedt and Jacob Weinstein learned last Monday that they would receive full four-year scholarships to the Indiana college of their choice.

In Howard County, Northwestern’s Blaire Bell and Kokomo’s Sean Sullivan got the word they, too, were Lilly Scholars.

All, of course, are outstanding students.

Sullivan, son of Kathleen Sullivan, is a member of the National Honor Society, Student Council, speech and debate teams, Rotary Interact, and a reporter for the school newspaper. He’s also a four-year member of the soccer team and is on the track team.

Bell, daughter of Kim Bell and Scott Bell, was co-captain of the volleyball team and captain of the softball team. She is a member of the Student Council and S.A.D.D. and secretary of the Sunshine Society. She plans on studying pharmacology at Butler University.

Bergstedt, daughter of Doug and Suzette Bergstedt, is president of the student council and Latin Club, is a member of the National Honor Society and is involved in 4-H, Girl Scouts, gymnastics and soccer.

Weinstein, son of Dr. Todd and Roberta Weinstein, is a member of the National Honor Society, Key Club and Spanish Club. He is a four-year member of the Berries basketball, football and baseball teams, and is a youth referee and volunteer with Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Bergstedt plans on majoring in psychology at the University of Notre Dame. Weinstein wants to major in either business or education at DePauw University.

The community scholarship program — which resulted in 216 scholarships statewide — is a great gift to the state of Indiana. It’s part of Lilly Endowment’s statewide initiative to increase the percentage of Hoosier students reaching higher levels of education. The state now ranks toward the bottom in terms of the percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree.

That’s obviously an issue that needs to be addressed, and with its generous scholarship program, the Lilly Endowment clearly is doing its part.

        

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