A Columbus North High School senior has won the 2016 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in Decatur County.
Abby Schabel, who lives near Sardinia, will receive full tuition for four years to the Indiana college of her choice, along with a $900 yearly stipend for required books and equipment.
Schabel has been accepted to Butler University and plans to major in prepharmacy. The estimated value of a four-year Lilly scholarship and stipend to Butler is about $162,000.
At North, Schabel has been a member of the yearbook staff, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Key Club, National Honor Society and serves as a peer tutor. She also was on the basketball team her freshman year. She has been active in community projects including the Decatur County Cheer Fund delivery, Alzheimer’s Walk, PAAL basketball volunteer assistant coach and Operation Christmas Child at the Community Church of Greensburg.
She is the daughter of Mark and Greta Schabel.
Schabel was selected from 75 applications submitted by high school seniors who live in Decatur County. Students, who are anonymous throughout the judging process, are ranked on academic performance, community and school activities, work experience and a written essay. Students with the highest scores become finalists.
Finalists are then judged on the essay, an oral presentation and interview.
After all the judging is completed, the finalists’ names were submitted to the Independent Colleges of Indiana Inc. for selection of the recipient. The organization is a nonprofit that represents 31 regionally accredited degree-granting, nonprofit private colleges and universities in the state.
Two other Columbus high school seniors also won Lilly Endowment scholars this year — Bryn Eudy of Columbus East and Karla Guerrero of Columbus Signature Academy — New Tech.
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The Lilly Endowment created the scholarships to help Hoosier students to reach higher levels of education. The Endowment awarded 142 scholarships this year to high school seniors.
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