OCCF Names 2020 Lilly Endowment Scholarship Winner

The winner is Rising Sun High School senior A.J. Boes.

A.J. Boes. Photo provided. 

(Rising Sun, Ind.) - The Ohio County Community Foundation is pleased to announce that, James (AJ) Boes, member of the 2020 graduating class of Rising Sun High School, has been selected as the recipient of Ohio County’s 2020 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. As a Lilly Endowment Community Scholar, AJ will receive full tuition to the Indiana College or university of his choice. The scholarship also covers required fees and up to $900 per year for books and required equipment. AJ is the son of James and Shanda Boes of Rising Sun.

During his high school career, AJ has participated in the following sports: Track, Cross Country (where he was the team captain), Soccer, Golf and served as the Girls Basketball Manager. He is the Vice President of Honors Society and Science Club. Also, he is a member of the Rising Sun High School SADD Club, Spanish Club, Drama Club, Prom Committee, FCA and Academic Team. AJ is a member of the Noah O’Bannon Post 59 Sons of the American Legion. Recently, AJ was chosen to represent his school at the Versailles’s Pumpkin Show as a candidate for king. He was elected to attend Hoosier Boys State his senior year. He has participated in the Dearborn County Leadership in Law Internship Program and has served as an Indiana Senate Page the past three years. AJ has served as the President of his class all four years of high school.

AJ is an active volunteer in the community. He has logged over 325 hours of community service hours by volunteering for the following Ohio County organizations; Rising Sun Main Street, Ohio County Department of Child Services, Ohio County Auditor, Ohio County Treasurer, Ohio County Clerk of Courts, City of Rising Sun, American Legion Post 59, Rising Sun Church of Christ, Rising Sun Ohio County Community School Corporation PTO, Ohio County Historical Society, Rising Sun High School Alumni and the United Sidecar Association.

AJ plans to attend the University of Notre Dame or Butler University this fall to study Finance. He has aspirations of becoming a corporate lawyer and a politician in the future. “As a means to help my college endeavors, I am entirely grateful to be awarded the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. I couldn’t have done this without my family and friends, but most of all, my community, which I will forever be indebted to. Words cannot express my gratitude, and I cannot wait to represent my community in various capacities. And finally, to the Ohio County Community Foundation and Lilly Endowment, Inc.: thank you!”

The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state. This year is the 23rd cohort of the awarding of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship statewide. To date, 4,769 full-tuition scholars have been

awarded and over $405M in scholarship tuition has been provided through the LECSP since the program’s inception in 1998.

The Ohio County Community Foundation is proud to administer the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Ohio County. This past fall, eight scholarship applications were submitted from the senior class of Rising Sun High School. The committee uses a blind process to evaluate the applications which means the committee does not know whose applications they are evaluating. The scholarship selection includes three processes: the application, a written essay and a personal interview. The scores are based on the scholarship criteria which include academics, financial need, activities (extra-curricular, sports activities and employment), community volunteer activities and a written essay. Five finalists were selected based on their application score and were interviewed individually by members of the selection committee. The selection committee then forwards the nominees information to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. which then makes the final selection of the recipient.

Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation that represents 30 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.

The Ohio County Community Foundation Staff, Board of Directors and Scholarship Selection Committee would like to congratulate James (AJ) Boes for being named the 2020 Ohio County Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.

The Ohio County Community Foundation is located at 330 Industrial Access Drive, Rising Sun. For information concerning the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship or other scholarships administered by the Ohio County Community Foundation, please call 812-438-9401, email sscott@occfrisingsun or visit our website at occfrisingsun.com.