Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Eric Williamson likes to bake bread, but it’s the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship that’s giving him the dough to study aerospace engineering at Purdue University.
Kosciusko County Community Foundation Executive Director Suzie Light announced this morning that Williamson, a Warsaw Community High School senior, was one of two Kosciusko County students who will receive four-year, full-tuition scholarships to the Indiana colleges of their choice as Kosciusko County 2018 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.
The other scholar is Wawasee High School senior Isaiah Metcalf.
“I was totally surprised. I’ve been hoping I would get it, but this was a total surprise,” Williamson said afterward.
He said he was getting tense because he remembered the announcements were made around this time last year.
“I was expecting an announcement. It’s almost on the exact same date,” he said.
His parents are Glen and Laurie Williamson, Warsaw. They were “totally surprised” by today’s announcement.
Laurie said she was “a little overwhelmed. Very proud. He’s worked hard. He is a good, hard worker.”
“And a good kid,” Glen said.
At the time of his application, Williamson was ranked No. 12 in his graduating class.
His school activities have included cross country, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, National Honor Society, Mathletes, and track and field.
His community activities have included his church’s youth group, Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, Octagon Club and Purdue Engineering Expo. Williamson logged over 140 hours of community service, with activities ranging from yard work for the elderly to helping teach English to nonnative speakers. He also has a part-time job at Martin’s Super Market.
His references described him as compassionate, courteous, honest, reliable and kind.
The Kosciusko County Community Foundation recommends recipients of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship to Independent Colleges of Indiana for final selection. Committee members do not have access to student names when reviewing the applications. Scholarship selection criteria include academic excellence, community service, extracurricular involvement, work experience, references and essay response.
ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.
The scholarships are a result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by three members of the Lilly family through gifts of stock in their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Co. The endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion.
