(La Porte County, IN) - Colton Barnes of South Central High School and Bailey Chavis of Michigan City High School are the 2025 recipients of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for La Porte County. It's one of the most prestigious and generous distinctions that a Hoosier high school student can earn. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.
A committee formed by the Unity Foundation of La Porte County narrows down the candidates and makes recommendations to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), which gives out the awards on behalf of the Lilly Endowment. Unity Foundation Director of Operations CC Payne praised the accomplishments of both recipients:
“Bailey and Colton embody the spirit of community and true leadership that the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship seeks to honor. Colton impressed the Scholarship Committee with his dedication to community service, particularly with his role in the Shine the Light Project, which creates inclusive opportunities in theater for people of all abilities, and his leadership in various school organizations like Robotics and National Honor Society. His passion for nursing and serving others reflects his commitment to making a meaningful impact in the world.”
“Meanwhile, Bailey showcased extraordinary leadership as a student government officer, class president, and athlete across multiple sports. Her work as a student commissioner for Michigan City’s Sustainability Commission and as a volunteer at Tannehill Soup Kitchen highlights her dedication to improving her community and addressing critical issues like food insecurity.”
“Both Bailey and Colton are shining examples of the positive change young leaders can achieve.”
Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees, and up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years. The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university.
This year’s recipients expressed their gratitude for the honor:
“The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship will enable me to further pursue an education that will allow me to provide for my community to a greater extent. It is with great pride and gratitude that I am able to call myself a Lilly Scholar,” said Barnes.
Chavis shared, “I am so unbelievably honored, and I cannot fully express how grateful I am to be chosen to represent both my school and the Unity Foundation as the recipient of this scholarship. It is the great privilege and responsibility of my life to be engaged in my community, and I am so excited that I will be able to continue this work.”
Maggi Spartz, Unity Foundation President added, “The Unity Foundation staff and volunteers invest a lot of time reviewing the applications, choosing and interviewing the finalists in person. The scores are tallied the two highest scores are referred to ICI. The quality of the candidates makes this task very hard, yet makes us all proud of what our high school students are achieving!”
The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program was established 27 years ago. Since then, grant funding in excess of $490 million has supported more than 5,300 Indiana students who have received scholarships through the program.
The Unity Foundation of La Porte County has served donors, nonprofits and local communities since 1992, managing $45 million in assets and more than 350 charitable funds, and has distributed more than $25 million through direct grants and scholarships. For more information on how Unity Foundation serves as a catalyst for social and economic vitality in La Porte County, please visit uflc.net or call 219-879-0327.
