For Maddy Rhodes, Thursday morning started out like any other day at school. That is, until the senior Student Assembly member was called down to the office to discuss a near-catastrophe surrounding the planning process of this year’s Winter Formal (she was told that Southside Elementary School was no longer available the night of the dance).

However, when she arrived down in the office, Rhodes was surprised with a room full of family and faculty, who told her she was the 2018 recipient of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship from the Bartholomew County Heritage Fund.

“It’s just so surreal; when I walked in I was so confused I didn’t know what was going on,” Rhodes said.

The Lilly provides full-tuition, required fees and a $900 book stipend for eight semesters of study. Requirements for this include possessing at least a 3.5 out of 4.0 GPA, being able to demonstrate a significant involvement in their school and community and planning on attending an accredited public or private university or college in the state of Indiana.  

Out of 86 applicants, only ten were named finalists.

“I started bawling [when I got the call] just because it was just so surreal, because the Lilly is full-tuition, even if I didn’t win it I knew they were giving me a thousand dollars just for being a finalist. There was no lose-lose situation in this at all,” Rhodes said.

Out of the ten finalists, only two received the full scholarship and Rhodes was one of the lucky recipients. The Heritage Fund was impressed by the amount of work Rhodes has done for the community outside of school.

“[Rhodes is] as hard a worker outside of school we’ve ever seen; this girl busted her butt,” Heritage Fund representatives said. “We love your story; we love your desire to forge your own path to make a difference and help change the world.”

After receiving the scholarship, Rhodes was able to address those who had come to support her. She was able to reflect on the struggles she has overcome in her past, including the death of her father when she was younger, and thank the East staff for all they have done for her and the entire school in the past.   

“I just want to thank everyone, especially people who wrote my letters of recommendation, and my parents and my entire family, they’ve all been really supportive,” Rhodes said. “Mr. Newell is absolutely amazing alongside our counseling center. I know you guys never get enough thanks but here’s me thanking you and I appreciate all of your guys’ help.”

Rhodes was also able to thank her mother, Michelle Templin, who was told the news the night before over a phone call with Principal Mark Newell.

“She was really my motivation for everything because she probably went through everything five times as worse as I did,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes is now able to join the ranks of East graduates who have won the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship in years prior.

“I’m just so grateful and just these past few years have been so rough, so knowing that the hard work I put in, someone recognized it. And I hope that everyone, even kids younger than my age, can just see this as even if you go through rough times, there’s nothing you can’t get as long as you work hard and are humble about everything,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes plans on attending IUPUI next school year due to its connections to surrounding hospitals and internship possibilities, majoring in Biology and minoring in Psychology before attending medical school.