Photo provided Lilly Scholarship winners Kevin Wittekind and Zoey Jernigan, center, holding certificates, are shown with CSA New Tech Principal Josh Giebel, Jen Morrill and Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. Superintendent Chad Phillips.
Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp. on Dec. 16 had a two-hour delay, so the day’s schedule was already a little different. When the schedule changed a second time for Columbus Signature Academy New Tech seniors Zoey Jernigan and Kevin Wittekind, it was because it was going to end up being a morning they would remember for the rest of their lives.
Representatives from Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County, BCSC officials and CSA New Tech staff last week stopped by Jernigan and Wittekind’s English class to notify them that they were the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars for Bartholomew County, paving the way for the pursuit of their post-secondary education.
The scholarship will provide Jernigan and Wittekind full college tuition and payment for required fees at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. The pair will also receive a special allocation of up to $900 per year for any required books and equipment for four years.
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are also able to participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), connecting current scholars and alumni with resources and opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities.
When applications first went out over the summer, Jernigan admitted she wasn’t sure what the scholarship was. Jen Morrill, a guidance counselor at New Tech, conveyed the opportunity’s importance, so Jernigan gave it a shot.
It goes without saying it ended up being a good idea.
“Receiving the scholarship is definitely the best thing that’s ever happened in my entire life,” Jernigan said. “… I’ve worked really hard to make sure that I do well in school so I could be able to get opportunities like this.”
There were two stages as part of the process, Wittekind explained, the initial application and then the finalist stage.
The first portion involved just filling out basic information including their GPA, school involvement in and out of school, family and financial background, similar to what they would include on the Common App.
The 59 applications Heritage Fund received was whittled down to 10 finalists who took part in the next stage— an interview with a selection committee of about 10 people.
Wittekind is typically pretty quick on his feet, he said, and normally doesn’t get nervous for those types of situations.
But he had some butterflies before the interview, although he said someone from Heritage Fund he spoke with helped calm his nerves a little bit.
But by the time the interview started: “I felt like every worry I had was just gone,” Wittekind said. “It just felt fun.”
Lilly Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character and leadership, and Jernigan and Wittekind are no different.
Both had to fill out prompts during the application process that asked about what they’re next steps will be and a more broad question.
Jernigan, also a 21st Century Scholar, is planning to attend Ball State and pursue behavioral forensic science, likening what she’d hope to do as what you may see on “Criminal Minds.”
The second prompt asked something along the lines of what applicants thought was most damaging to the world.
“I kind of went vague for it because I could go on and on,” Jernigan said. “I wrote about how people in the world have a lot of hatred, how there are many things making people feel that way, and basically, people should love more.”
“It was a very hippie response,” Jernigan said, laughing. “..I think that was a big part of their decision.”
The help of New Tech staff was instrumental in her receiving the scholarship Jernigan said, making sure to shout out Morrill, Principal Josh Giebel, as well as Pete Warren, Bridget and Joe Steele and Hope Alexander.
Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities. Once the interviews were finished, nominees were submitted for selection approval.
Because of New Tech’s class sizes, Jernigan and Wittekind both knew each other, and were aware they both were pursing the scholarship.
“Pretty much everyone knows each other here,” Wittekind said matter-of-factly.
Wittekind has already accumulated a staggering 60+ college credits, and estimated he will finish the year with more than 75. Some of those came from dual credit courses and free Ivy Tech classes he had taken over the summer, but 30 credits came from an Ivy Tech partnership where CSA students can go after an information technology pathway.
“With like 60-something credits, I’ve only spent like $2,000 on college,” Wittekind said.
The IT pathway goes well with a degree in electrical engineering Wittekind is intending to get. He’s already been admitted into Purdue University Fort Wayne and is waiting to hear back from the Purdue campus in West Lafayette.
On the reveal day, Wittekind’s morning began the way all transformative days begin— with a dentist appointment.
Wittekind was about to make the 50-minute drive back from the dentist in Shelbyville when he got a message letting him know that his classes’ lunch schedule had changed because they were going to have a visitor.
“I was like— ‘Who’s the visitor?’” Wittekind said, squinting his eyes suspiciously. It was Mr. Giebel, Morrill told Wittekind. By then, he knew something was up.
“I was just sat waiting, and, of course, that’s when the whole parade of people came in there.”
