Big congratulations are in order to two Class 101 students who were recently awarded the Lilly Endowment Scholarship in Monroe County. In fact, they were the only two students in the county to receive the significant scholarship, and we couldn’t be prouder.

Each year, Class 101 advisors help students navigate the application process to receive the prestigious scholarship, and for good reason: the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship covers the full cost of tuition to any college or university in the state of Indiana!

Students who receive the scholarship are awarded full tuition, required fees, and a book stipend for four years. The scholarship is awarded to students, who compete based on their county, in each of Indiana’s 92 counties. To date, we have been notified that five Class 101 students have been selected as 2023 Lilly Scholarship recipients.

This year, Anson Reynolds and Dominic D’Onofrio were the two Lilly Scholarship winners in Monroe County. They kindly agreed to answer a few questions so we could feature them (can you tell how proud we are?)

Q&A with Anson

Where were you when you learned you won the Lilly Scholarship, and how did it make you feel?
When I walked into the conference room, the first thing I saw was a camerawoman snapping away. The
room was filled with the principals and guidance counselors who have helped me throughout high
school and members of the Community Foundation who are choosing to invest in me over the next
four years. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity the Lilly scholarship offers. I am over the moon
about being chosen- it’s surreal!

What is the most exciting part of winning this scholarship?
I’m honored that the community foundation is choosing to validate my work and support my vision for
my future. I want to work with humanitarian organizations to make education accessible to all.
Receiving this scholarship isn’t just an investment in me, it’s an investment in the students I want to
help throughout my career. I’m excited to have the freedom in college to focus on my studies, gain
skills and experience, and share my love of learning with the world.

The Lilly Scholarship is often given to students who give back to their communities. In what ways have you given back or been involved in your community?
Anson is very involved in her community and in an effort to summarize a few pages of impressive
activities, we’ll share that she has dedicated her time to faith-based leadership and involvement, sports,
and a multitude of school clubs in addition to ENL Tutoring, Boost Volleyball Camps, volunteering as a
VITAL English As A New Language Volunteer, and volunteering with the Monroe County Juvenile
Probation Youth and Family Work Group.

How did Class 101 help you in the Lilly scholarship application process?
Class 101 gave me a dedicated space to work on my application. Shout out to Kellan, Kim, and Big Tiff for
helping me with my essays! Class 101 has always been a safe space for my questions and a source of
invaluable advice and deadline reminders. Without them, my Senior year would have been filled with
anxiety and missed deadlines.

Q&A with Dominic

Where were you when you learned you won the Lilly Scholarship, and how did it make you feel?
I was in English class when my drawing teacher walked in and said he needed to take me to the office. I
wasn’t suspecting anything because I figured there was some form I needed to do for my drawing class.
However, when I walked into the office, I immediately saw my family, my cross country coach, the
principal and counselor, and members of the scholarship committee with balloons and smiles. Right
after I saw them, I was at a loss for words. I was speechless. It was one of the moments in my life where
time slows down and everything hits hard and clear right at the same time. All the hard work paid off in
one moment that I could not have imagined happening in that way.

What is the most exciting part of winning this scholarship?
The most exciting part about this scholarship is that I will be able to study architecture at my dream
school, Notre Dame. Before winning the Lilly, it was unclear if I would be able to do a 5 year program at
an expensive school like Notre Dame. But now, being an accepted student with the Lilly Scholarship,
studying architecture at Notre Dame is my dream come true.

The Lilly Scholarship is often given to students who give back to their communities. In what ways
have you given back or been involved in your community?
A big part of why I have become the person I am today is because I have been a part of many
supportive communities. The incredible experiences I had growing up in Bloomington have inspired
me to be directly involved in many ways, including being an assistant basketball coach at St. Charles
school, serving as the BHSN Habitat for Humanity President, working as a volunteer intern at Habitat
for Humanity, and umpiring youth baseball. While I spend a lot of time and energy on these service
activities, I truly love doing each one of them.

How did Class 101 help you in the Lilly scholarship application process?
Class 101 definitely played a huge supporting role in the application process. With the Lilly Scholarship,
Class 101 encourages every eligible student they have to apply, which is a testament to how much care
they put into every individual student they have. Working with each student, they help edit essays,
brainstorm ideas, and walk each student through how the application works one-on-one. This
individual support enables each student to shine in ways they might not see or realize.

When I was doing my first-round application, I was struggling with choosing what activities I should
include. Class 101 gave me direct suggestions on what activities they believed would set me apart.
Because of the scholarship’s extremely selective nature, I truly believe that guidance like this set me
apart and helped me advance each round. Because of how well they know their students, the
incredible success with Lilly this year and in prior years is no coincidence. The success their students
have is a direct result of the passion Class 101 puts into supporting and mentoring each person they
work with. Nowhere else could I have found the experience they bring to mentoring students applying
for the Lilly Scholarship.

Congratulations to Anson and Dominic, and thank you for taking the time to chat with us!

Need help applying for scholarships?

We’d love to help your student! Our expert advisors assist students in identifying and applying for scholarships. Many of our students are selected as Lilly Scholarship Finalists and Winners or receive various top scholarships throughout the state and country. We would love to help your student navigate the competitive arena of scholarship applications and help you and your family pay less for college.

Thanks for reading,

Win more scholarships with Class 101.

To schedule a free consultation, reach out to us at one of our locations:
Class 101 Brandon, FL | Class 101 Carmel, IN | Class 101 Bloomington, IN