December 2016 News

2017 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Ritika Mehta, senior, has been named a recipient of the 2017 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship. The scholarship grants full tuition to any accredited public or private college/university in Indiana as well as covering fees and providing an annual stipend for required books and equipment. Ritika has a 4.0 grade point average, and she plans to study finance and marketing possibly at IU Kelley School of Business or Notre Dame.

Ritika is the daughter of Rajeev and Rashmi Mehta. She is a volunteer and youth coordinator for the South Asian Muncie Association (SAMA). For several years, she has organized activities for younger children and choreographed and performed dances for the annual SAMA event. This has been a compliment to her practice of Kathak (Indian Classical Dance) which she has done for six years. Ritika is also a member of Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA), Model United Nations, Academic Super Bowl, Environmental Club and Student Parliament. She has won multiple awards in the Science Olympiad and in essay contests.

In selecting Delaware County Lilly Endowment Community Scholars, consideration is given to student activities and achievements, community and civic service, academic ability, and the potential for leadership. Ritika was chosen out of an applicant pool of 76 impressive candidates from high schools across Delaware County. After the field of school nominees was narrowed to two, the finalists’ names were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana, Inc. (ICI) for approval. ICI is a nonprofit corporation that represents 31 regionally accredited degree granting, nonprofit, private colleges and universities in the state. The scholarships are a result of a statewide Lilly Endowment initiative to help Hoosier students reach higher levels of education.