The Community Foundation of Whitley County is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Whitley County – Cadence Henderson, a senior at Columbia City High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.
In her recommendation letter for Henderson, Columbia City High School teacher Stacy Keener wrote “I can confidently say that this young woman is in the top 1% of students I have had the pleasure of teaching during my 25 years as an educator. As both her English teacher and her English academic team coach for the past four years, I have seen firsthand what an amazingly dedicated and hardworking young woman she is. I am truly amazed not only at the dedication and work ethic possessed by this young woman, but also the natural desire to learn and grow that she demonstrates on a daily basis. Despite her academic course load, work hours, and numerous extracurricular involvements, I have witnessed her go above and beyond what is required of her to get work done on time and at an unparalleled level of excellence. During her junior year, she steadfastly remained one of the top AP Language and Composition students in her grade.”
Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides full tuition, required fees, and up to $900 per year for required books and equipment for four years of full-time undergraduate study leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Scholars also join the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects them with resources and opportunities to lead on campus and in their communities. Both the scholarship program and LSN are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI).
Henderson, the daughter of Reichel Henderson and the late Jeremy Henderson, will be pursuing a degree in education. “I have always had an early and innate love of history and
learning. I am extremely passionate about working with children and teaching. There is nothing more rewarding than the ‘lightbulb’ moment when you know the kids finally understand and grasp the concept. I truly believe that I will always be teaching in some capacity throughout my life. It is imperative that students understand how events of the past are affecting current events and how to be a functioning member of our democratic society. I know every student that comes through my classroom won’t be as excited to learn about history as I am but knowing that I can engage them with the content and expand their knowledge fills me with so much excitement,” said Henderson.
While a student at Columbia City High School, Henderson enrolled in the Education Professions class where she developed her own personal mission statement for teaching. Using a quote from Reverend Jeffery R. Holland, Henderson writes “And if those children are unresponsive, maybe you can’t teach them yet, but you can love them. And if you love them today, maybe you can teach them tomorrow”.
In nominating Whitley County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar, the committee considered scholarship, financial need, work history, community service, school activities, and interview performance. After narrowing the field of applicants, nominees were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), the statewide administrator of the program, for final selection.
“This year we had 40 qualified applicants participate in Whitley County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship selection process,” said September McConnell, Chief Executive Officer of the Foundation. “The committee narrowed the applications to three finalists who participated in the interview phase.”
Other finalists, in alphabetical order:
• Addison Reed, Churubusco High School
• Jillian Wright, Churubusco High School
Each of the finalists will receive a scholarship made possible by the Community Foundation of Whitley County.
Since its inception in 1997–98, Lilly Endowment has supported this program with tuition grants totaling more than $505 million, benefiting over 5,400 Indiana students. The program’s primary purposes are:
• To raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana.
• To increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations play.
• To encourage and support Lilly Scholars’ engagement with Indiana leaders to improve quality of life statewide.
About Lilly Endowment Inc.:
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private philanthropic foundation created in 1937 by J.K. Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and J.K. Jr. through gifts of stock in Eli Lilly and Company. The Endowment supports community development, education, and religion, with a special commitment to Indianapolis and Indiana.
About Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI):
Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for Indiana’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year graduation rates and produce 30% of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20% of its undergraduates.
