RCCF Names Five Lilly Scholarship Finalists

One of the five will win the full-tuition scholarship.

(Ripley County, Ind.) - The Ripley County Community Foundation has announced the five finalists for the prestigious Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. 

The scholarship program drew 54 applicants from Ripley County's Class of 2026. 

The field of candidates, through an anonymous process, was narrowed to five finalists: Ella Carpenter, Bridget Lohmueller, Shivam Patel, Ethan Rahschulte, and Rachel Suttmann.

A 10-member committee, made up of representatives from five public school corporations serving Ripley County, scored applicants on academic performance, citizenship, leadership, and personal attitude based on their community involvement, school activities, and work experience.

"We are proud to recognize these five students for their remarkable accomplishments and dedication,” stated Ripley County Community Foundation Executive Director, Amy Streator. “Their achievements are a testament to hard work and the importance of community involvement."

Meet the Finalists:

Ella Carpenter, daughter of Kevin and Amy Carpenter, a senior at Batesville High School. Throughout her high school career, she has been actively involved in National Honor Society, Student Council, Batesville Kiwanis Student Leadership Academy, Tennis, and served as Varsity Captain for Soccer. During her junior year, Ella volunteered in Peru, providing childcare support at a women’s shelter.

Bridget Lohmueller, daughter of David and Carol Lohmueller, is a senior at Oldenburg Academy. Her high school involvement includes Academy Ambassadors, Adopt-A-Sis, National Honor Society, and Soccer, where she served as a Varsity Captain. Bridget also participated in the Notre Dame Summer Scholars program. Her junior year, Bridget studied abroad in Spain for 5 weeks through the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Language.

Shivam Patel, son of Ketan and Vinal Patel, is a senior at Jac-Cen-Del High School. He has participated in National Honor Society, Student Council, Robotics Club, and Rube Goldberg, where he received several achievements and earned multiple accolades. Outside of school, he is a member of Ripley Youth Outreach where he served as President, and he participated in Taekwondo where he received his 1st and 2nd Degree Black Belt and the Outstanding Student Award.

Ethan Rahschulte, the son of Scott and Rebecca Rahschulte, is a senior at Batesville High School. His extracurriculars include Cross County and Track & Field, earning Varsity letters all four years, Student Council, Show Choir, Principal Advisory Group, Drama Club, and served as Vice-President of the National Honor Society. Ethan is also active in Boy Scouts, receiving Super Nova Bronze and Silver Awards, and was on the Mission Team. Ethan also participated in the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Language, studying abroad in Spain the summer of his junior year.

Rachel Suttmann, daughter of Michael and Anne Suttmann, is a senior at Oldenburg Academy. She has served as the President of Student Council, and participated in Innovation Council, National Honor Society, Academy Ambassadors, and the Adopt-A-Sis Program. Rachel was Volleyball Team Captain and received the Indiana 1A All District Team, a State Qualifier in Discus in Track & Field and will continue her Basketball career in college. Rachel also played the trumpet in the orchestra all four years.

Next Steps

Finalist scores have been submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, which will determine the scholarship recipient. The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides full tuition for four years to an Indiana College of the recipient’s choice, plus a $900 per year book stipend. The remaining four finalists will each receive a $2,000 scholarship from the Ripley County Community Foundation for their freshman year, followed by the Grateful Family Scholarship in their sophomore year, and the Jane Deiwert Scholarship in their junior year.

Since the 1997-98 school year, Lilly Endowment Inc. has provided over $486M in grant support for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program. Administered statewide by Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. with local support from Indiana community foundations, nearly 5,300 Indiana high school graduates have been awarded the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship.