Local Student Wins Prestigious Lilly Endowment Scholarship in Dubois County

Dubois County Community Foundation announced on December 18 that Raynie Schnell of Northeast Dubois Jr Sr High School is the 2026 recipient of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Dubois County. Schnell, the daughter of Lee and Danielle Schnell of Celestine, was chosen from an applicant pool of 160 students across the county's four high schools. After the local applicant pool was narrowed, nominees were submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana for final selection.

Schnell plans to major in Animal Science with a pre veterinary medicine concentration and to pursue veterinary school after graduation. Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides tuition, required fees and up to nine hundred dollars 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 which connects them with resources and opportunities to lead on campus and in their communities. The scholarship program and the Lilly Scholars Network are supported by grants from Lilly Endowment to Independent Colleges of Indiana.

The selection was competitive, with a local acceptance rate of less than one percent among applicants. Lilly Endowment created the program for the 1997 to 1998 school year. Since the program began, Lilly Endowment has supported it with tuition grants totaling more than five hundred five million dollars, benefiting over five thousand four hundred Indiana students. The program aims to raise educational attainment in Indiana, increase awareness of the roles community foundations play, and encourage scholars to engage with leaders to improve quality of life statewide.

For Dubois County the award carries direct economic and civic implications. The scholarship reduces the financial barriers to a professional degree and retains a high achieving student within Indiana colleges while providing leadership development that often translates into greater community involvement. Schnell's focus on veterinary medicine aligns with local needs for animal health services in rural communities, and her participation in the Lilly Scholars Network may foster connections that benefit local organizations and schools in the years ahead.