The Montgomery County Community Foundation is pleased to announce that Madison Altman has been named the recipient of a full-tuition, four-year scholarship as the 2019 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar.
Madison will receive full-tuition to any accredited public or private nonprofit college or university in Indiana. In addition, a $900 stipend for required books and equipment will be made available to her each year. She is the daughter of Bob and Laura Altman and a senior at North Montgomery High School.
Upon being notified of her award, Madison stated, “I am very honored to receive this scholarship. This opportunity opens up many more options for my future. I still have a big decision ahead of me as to where I will be attending, although I do know that I will be studying pre-medicine and hope to one day return to the community.”
An active student both academically and athletically, Madison has been involved in a number of organizations during her time at NMHS. She is a member of Sunshine Society, National Honor Society, and will soon be a 10-year member of 4-H. Madison is also a four-year member of the NMHS girls’ basketball and track and field teams.
Last year, Madison was selected as a Hoosier Girls State Delegate and named a Rising Star of Indiana by the Indiana Association of High School Principals. She has spent time volunteering as a mini 4-H mentor, youth basketball coach, and tutor at Northridge Middle School. If you’ve visited Dari-Licious the past few summers, you have probably seen Madison working there as well.
To be considered for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, students must be a resident of Montgomery County, have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.85 on a 4.00 scale, and be in the top 10% of their graduating class at an accredited Montgomery County high school. As one of 16 local applicants for the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship, Madison participated in a highly selective review process that evaluated each student’s application.
The criteria used to select scholarship finalists are based on academic achievement, student activities and leadership, and two essay responses. Finalists are required to appear before the Board of Directors of the Montgomery County Community Foundation for two interviews. Concluding the process, the scholarship committee narrowed the field of applicants to one nominee and two alternates. These finalists’ names and applications were submitted to the Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for final selection.
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.
To date, more than 4,600 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarships have been awarded, totaling just over $395 million in tuition and book stipend payments.