Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne Announces 2025 Allen County Lilly Endowment Community Scholars

The Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne has announced the five recipients of the 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Allen County. 
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are recognized for their exceptional community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership. To be eligible, Allen County students must demonstrate successfully overcoming an obstacle, show financial need, academic performance, and community involvement, and provide a personal statement of goals. 

Community Scholars for Allen County are:
•    Prestin Salyer from Homestead High School
•    Alexandra Cabrera Wayne High School 
•    Ka Bya Lay Northside High School 
•    Alanya Brentlinger New Haven High School
•    Hayden Couey Leo Jr/Sr High School 

“These scholars stand out not only for their academic excellence but also for their ability to persevere through life’s challenges,” said Brad Little, Chief Executive Officer of the Community Foundation of Greater Fort Wayne. “Their achievements reflect extraordinary determination and strength, and it’s an honor to support their educational journeys. Each year, we are reminded of the profound impact these scholarships have on shaping bright futures for the recipients, their families, and our community.”

Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides full tuition, required fees, and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years. 

The scholarship supports full-time undergraduate studies leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Recipients also have the opportunity to participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), connecting scholars and alumni with resources and l opportunities to be active leaders on their campuses and in their communities.  Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities.

In selecting the recipients, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program Nominating Committee evaluated applicants based on their Qualities. The nominees were then submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), the program's statewide administrator, which approved the final selections.

Since its inception during the 1997-98 school year, the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program has awarded over $490 million to support more than 5,300 Indiana students.

The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are to:

1. Help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana
2. Increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their
communities
3. Encourage and support the efforts of current and past Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to
engage with each other and with Indiana business, governmental, educational, nonprofit and
civic leaders to improve the quality of life in Indiana generally and in local communities
throughout the state

To see photos and video of the 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars, visit the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CFGFW.