Group Photo - Damon Montgomery 2020 Cass County Lilly Endowment Community Scholar

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Cass County Community Foundation names Montgomery as 2020 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Recipient

Last Updated on December 15, 2019 by cassnetwork

The Cass County Community Foundation is pleased to announce that Damon A. Montgomery, a senior at Pioneer High School will receive a full tuition, four-year scholarship as the Cass County Community Foundation 2020 Lilly Endowment Community Scholar. He will receive not only full tuition to the Indiana college of his choice but also a $900 stipend each year for required books and equipment.

Damon is the son of Grant and Teresa Montgomery. He plans to attend Taylor University to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Biology Science Education followed by a masters at Purdue University with the ultimate goal of returning to the community and pursuing a high school teaching career in advanced sciences and coaching.

Damon is well known in his school and the community as a leader, prolific in academics and athletics. He has received the high honor roll designation every semester throughout his high school career and is a member and President of National Honor Society. He has led his classmates as Class President his sophomore, junior and senior years, served as a member of student council throughout all four high years of high school, and is currently Council President. He is also active in his church, 4-H, Pep Club and volunteers for local nonprofits.

Damon has been a leader on the Pioneer varsity track team where he has excelled in the pole vault event, being named Cass County Champion three years. He is also a lifeguard and played football.

Damon is the 11th recipient from Pioneer High School and the 39th Lilly Scholar for Cass County since the program began in 1998.

The Cass County Community Foundation received 28 applications for the 2020 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program. Applicants were required to have a 3.5 or higher GPA plus submit other nomination materials. All identifying details, such as student’s name, gender, and school name, were removed from the applications prior to review. Six finalists were selected based solely on the criteria, which include academic ability, achievements, activities and citizenship. The finalists then participated in further review, which included writing an impromptu timed essay, followed by a face-to-face interview session with the selection committee. After completing the review process, the CCCF Lilly Scholarship Committee submitted the applications of the 2020 nominee and alternates to the Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for final selection of the recipient. Each of the other five finalists will receive an award directly from the Cass County Community Foundation in recognition of their outstanding, high achievement.

ICI is a non-profit corporation that represents thirty regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state.

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, not-for-profit and civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities throughout the state.

Including the 23rd cohort, 4,769 full-tuition scholars have been awarded and over $405 million in scholarship tuition has been provided through the LECSP since the program’s inception in 1998.

For more information on this award or the Cass County Community Foundation, please call 574-722-2200.

SOURCE: News release from Cass County Community Foundation

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