Two students have been named recipients of four-year, full tuition scholarships as the Community Foundation of Boone County 2012 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.

Scott Mohler and Becky Wornhoff will receive full tuition to the Indiana college of their choice and a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment.

Scott is the son of Lisa and Paul Mohler.  He will graduate from Western Boone Jr. Sr. High School and attend Purdue University in the fall to study Engineering.  An honor student, Scott’s many activities include four years of varsity soccer, lead roles in Western Boone musicals, Key Club, National Honor Society and serving as yearbook editor.  A 4-H member since third grade, Scott also lends his time to organizations such as Otterbein United Methodist Church and Western Boone Soccer Camp.  In 2007, at the age of 13, Scott opened a photography business and counts repaying his father for his start-up funding among his proudest accomplishments.  Scott was thrilled to be selected, stating “It’s great to do things for the community, not expecting anything in return, but being rewarded for it and knowing that people have recognized my contributions.”

Becky, daughter of Michele Thomas and Steve Wornhoff, will graduate from Lebanon High School and enter the University of Notre Dame in the fall as a Biology major.  Chosen as Prom and Homecoming Queen last year, Becky is also Captain of the varsity soccer and Brain Game teams.  Other activities include swim team, Key Club, Student Council, National Honor Society and mentoring.  Outside of school, Becky is an accomplished pianist and is active with St. Joseph’s Church and Lebanon Youth Soccer Association.  “I’ve wanted this scholarship to go to Notre Dame since fourth grade,” Becky tearfully explained.  “This is just a dream come true for me.”

Scott and Becky were chosen from more than 50 Boone County students who applied for the prestigious scholarships.  After CFBC’s scholarship committee interviewed nine finalists, it narrowed the field to the two nominees and alternates, and the finalists’ names were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for selection of the recipients.  “It was a very difficult decision with so many fantastic candidates.  These kids made it really tough for us, but in the end Scott and Becky exemplified all that the Lilly Scholarships represent.  We look forward to seeing the great things they will do in the future,” commented Mark Ransom, Lilly Scholarship Committee Chair.

ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state

The scholarships are the result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education.  Indiana ranks among the lowest states in the percentage of residents over the age of 25 with a bachelor’s degree.  There were 142 scholarships awarded statewide. 

March 26, 2012

              Community Foundation Supports Expansion of Services at Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding

CBFC provides $9,000 for transition support

 When Luke, 10, arrived for the first day of summer camp at Morning Dove Therapeutic Riding, he made no eye contact and dragged behind his family, scowling.  Luke, who has Autism Spectrum Disorder, quickly informed the staff that his summer was being wasted, he did not like horses, did not want to be on a team with a girl and that no one was to talk down to him.  His first friends at camp were barn cats.

Then Luke met his horse, Bella, who immediately rested her muzzle on his shoulder and sighed.  For the next eight weeks, Luke was her advocate, as well as the advocate for another horse who was injured.  He explained to his human friends what his horses were feeling and asked for help to make them feel better.  For Luke, shifting from anger and sadness to taking care of another and sharing a quiet, easy friendship was life-changing.  During his final presentation to campers and parents, Luke announced that he was surprised that he had actually liked camp very much, and that he was sad it was ending.  His parents told Morning Dove that Luke had finally found a place that made him feel good about himself.

Luke and countless others will benefit from a recent $9,000 grant awarded by the Community Foundation of Boone County to Morning Dove, which offers equine programs to a wide range of participants with physical, mental and/or emotional disabilities.

Luke and Bella

The organization recently moved from Whitestown to Zionsville, allowing for a major expansion of its programs, which, in addition to the summer program for children on the autism spectrum, include therapeutic riding lessons, hippotherapy and a veteran’s program.

“CFBC is pleased to provide support during this transitional time, allowing Morning Dove to immediately begin serving an additional 30 students each session,” said CFBC Executive Director Mike Caldwell.  “This 40% increase from previous enrollment levels makes it possible for more Boone County residents to benefit from Morning Dove’s impressive programs.  We look forward to seeing the organization continue to grow and flourish.”

ABOUT CFBC

The Community Foundation of Boone County is a public charity providing grants to non-profits in Boone County so they may carry out their mission. Since 1991, the foundation has granted over $17 million back to Boone County by connecting people who care to causes that matter to them. Our staff, board members and volunteers work together to ensure donors achieve their philanthropic goals by matching their charitable interests with the community’s needs.

 ###

Groups to tackle literacy issues

Reprinted with permission of The Lebanon Reporter
March 3, 2012 by Sarah Lang

Three local agencies were awarded a total of $93,400 from the Community Foundation of Boone County Friday in an effort to raise the county’s literacy level.

The nearly $100,000 check was presented to the Lebanon Public Library, the Arc of Boone County, and Indianapolis-based Indy Reads Friday morning at the community foundation in Zionsville.

“This is a great opportunity for Boone County,” said Indiana Supreme Court Justice Steve David, president of the foundation’s board. “We’re very pleased to be able to do something entirely different and fund three different ventures, adventures.”

This grant process was unique, David said, because the foundation board came together to brainstorm about what it could do to impact literacy in the county. Instead of reviewing grant requests, it asked organizations to submit requests.

And instead of awarding just one, it selected all three.

“And we can impose obligations of collaboration,” David said. “We’re bringing together the best that they all have. And the result is something much better than if we chose any one of them.”

Mike Caldwell, foundation executive director, said he hopes to look back on this a year from now and see a reason to continue to fund the initiative.

“My hope is you have such a powerful story and results to back it up that we need to continue funding it,” he said to the agency’s representatives who gathered Friday morning for the meeting. “Our main goal is to raise literacy rates here, and I feel like you are three great partners.”

M. Travis Dinicola, executive director of Indy Reads, said he will be hiring a new part-time employee to work in Boone County — the first venture out of Marion County for the organization. He has already been advertising for the position, and said he’s had many qualified applicants.

“Indy Reads is thrilled to be able to bring this to Boone, and it’s so innovative on behalf of the community foundation,” Dinicola said. “We’re looking forward to this so much. I think we have an exciting year ahead of us.”

Marcia Clutter of Arc said they will be developing a new pre-GED program for those people who struggle with current GED programs because their literacy level is not high enough to handle it. It will be for people Arc serves, but will also be open to the public. The next step is to hire a board certified instructor and an assistant, she said.

“This has been on our wish list for many years,” she said. “It’s going to be a great advancement. Nothing like this has been offered before.”

Kay Martin, director of the Lebanon Public Library, said the money will enhance the youth literacy programs it already has in place — from pre-school to teen — and will also be used to help develop some new young-adult programs.

“It will not only help with continuing literacy but to keep the love of reading alive,” she said. “We’re going to add things we haven’t been able to in the past because we didn’t have the budget. It will make everything we do better.”

Jane Myers, library board member, said she is excited to work with Indy Reads for the first time.

“To have a partner like them is wonderful,” she said. “It’s great to see this fluidity with all the literacy programs. It will encourage partnerships to use all our expertise and people. It will all come together.”

The staff of the community foundation will continue to be involved, David said. They will receive updates on the work the organizations are doing.

“Don’t be afraid to try something different; the goal is for you to run with it,” he said at the meeting. “We want this to be a model program, trying to give people more of an opportunity to succeed.”

The Community Foundation of Boone County Announces the Dr. Higgins Scholarship
For Student Pursuing a Medical Degree

The Community Foundation of Boone County is pleased to announce a new scholarship opportunity for students pursuing a medical degree.The Dr. Higgins scholarship will be available for a student entering medical school in the fall of 2012 or who is enrolled currently.  The amount of the scholarship is valued at $10,000 per year renewable up to four years.  It is awarded from a fund established at the Community Foundation in memory of Dr. Otis C. and Blanche D. Higgins, and may be used at any medical school in the U.S. for a Boone or Tippecanoe County resident.

Click here to apply.  The deadline to apply is May 15, 2012.  Questions can be directed to tiffany@communityfoundationbc.org or 317.873.0210

Kara Conflenti

My name is Kara Conflenti, and I am a recipient of the James Holman & Pauline Neel Carr Scholarship. I graduated from Zionsville Community High School in June of 2008 with an Academic Honors diploma. In high school, I was an active member of the National Honor Society and National French Honor Society. I earned a total of four varsity letters through my participation in cross country and track and field. I began enrollment as a full-time student in the Purdue University School of Nursing in August of 2008. My interest in pursuing a career in nursing developed throughout my high school years. Through volunteer work and shadowing experiences, I came to realize that nursing is the perfect profession for me.

I have had countless opportunities for personal and professional growth as a Purdue University student. Upon completion of my senior cross country season at ZCHS, I knew that I wanted to compete at the collegiate level. I walked on to the Purdue University Women’s Cross Country and Track and Field teams, and I am now a two-time varsity letter-winner. I was named team captain of the Women’s Cross Country team last fall, received awards for having the highest grade-point average on our team, and received Academic All-Big Ten Honors. Competing in the Big Ten Conference has been an invaluable experience, and I am looking forward to a successful senior year.

I have truly enjoyed being a student in the Purdue University School of Nursing. I recently received an award for being the only junior-level nursing student with a 4.0 GPA. Every semester I have been at Purdue, I have been on the Dean’s List, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, and received Semester Honors for my academic accomplishments. I am so excited to graduate from Purdue University this spring with my Bachelor’s of Science degree in Nursing.

I am blessed to have had job experience in the medical field throughout my college education.  After completion of my freshman year, I was hired at St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis as a patient care technician on a medical-surgical floor, and I have held the position for the past three years. My job at St. Vincent has provided me with countless opportunities to improve upon my clinical skills and become immersed in the medical field.

I am looking forward to a bright future! This past summer, I spent six weeks in Los Angeles as a Summer Nurse Extern in the UCLA Health System. The externship program was voluntary. Throughout the program, I had amazing opportunities and experiences to explore several fields of nursing care, including the emergency department, intensive care units, and operating rooms. I am overjoyed to share that I have been offered a job in the medical intensive care unit at Santa Monica UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital upon graduation from Purdue. I plan to move to Los Angeles next fall, and begin my career as an RN in the UCLA medical intensive care unit.

I am thrilled for my senior year at Purdue University. I am a Senior Scholar Student in the School of Nursing Center for Nursing Education and Simulation, where I assist my peers in the development of their clinical skills and assist the staff in the maintenance of the laboratory facilities. My classes are interesting and thought-provoking. I am currently in season for cross country, and training is going very well.

The main piece of advice that I can offer a graduating high school student is to fully commit yourself to whatever you do. Recognize your goals and aspirations, and do everything you can to work towards them. Hard work, commitment, and dedication to success do not go unnoticed. Always put yourself in the position to be successful.