William “Bodie” Harsin named 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Recipient

Five Jefferson County students ranked in the top ten percent of their classes were selected as finalists for the 2025 scholarship

The Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Jefferson County – William “Bodie” Harsin of Madison Consolidated High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership, and are awarded a full tuition scholarship to the Indiana four-year college or university of their choice.

Bodie plans to major in Finance and minor in Accounting at either Indiana University Bloomington or the University of Notre Dame. He is the son of Kyle and Amanda Harsin of Madison. Among many accomplishments, Bodie is ranked in the top of his class and is involved in the National Honor Society, plays for the Varsity Tennis and Baseball teams, and participates on the Student Athletic Council.

Upon learning of the award, Bodie commented, “I am overjoyed and grateful to be given the great honor to represent my community as the Jefferson County Lilly Endowment Scholar! I would like to thank God for giving me this opportunity, along with the Community Foundation, Lilly Endowment, and my friends and family who have built me up during this process.”

Five Jefferson County students ranked in the top ten percent of their classes were selected as finalists for the 2025 scholarship. In addition to Harsin, the remaining finalists were William Livingston (Madison Consolidated), Kelly McClure (Shawe Memorial), Lincoln Sheets (Madison Consolidated), and Emma Wynn (Madison Consolidated). These four finalists will each receive a $1,500 Community Foundation Scholar Award from the Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County for their efforts and achievements.

In determining Jefferson County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar nominee, consideration was given to strong academics, school and community involvement, and character by the review committee. After the field of applicants was narrowed down, the nominee was submitted to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI), the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, which approves the final selection of scholarship recipients.

Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides for full tuition, required fees and a special allocation of up to $900 per year for required books and required equipment for four years. The scholarship is for full-time undergraduate students leading to a baccalaureate degree at any eligible Indiana public or private nonprofit college or university. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars may also participate in the Lilly Scholars Network (LSN), which connects both current scholars and alumni with resources and 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 Inc. to ICI and Indiana Humanities.

Lilly Endowment Inc. created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1997-98 school year. Since then, grant funding totaling in excess of $490 million has supported more than 5,300 Indiana students who have received scholarships through the program.

The primary purposes of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program are: 1) to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana; 2) to increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities; and 3) to 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.

Since 1991, the Community Foundation of Madison and Jefferson County has worked to build a strong, vibrant community by helping donors provide perpetual funding for the people, projects, and passions of Jefferson County, Indiana.

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 their pharmaceutical business, Eli Lilly and Company. Although the gifts of stock remain a financial bedrock of the Endowment, it is a separate entity from the company, with a distinct governing board, staff, and location. In keeping with the founders’ wishes, the Endowment supports the causes of community development, education and religion. Although the Endowment funds programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion, it maintains a special commitment to its founders’ hometown, Indianapolis, and home state, Indiana.

Since 1997, Independent Colleges of Indiana has administered the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program statewide with funding provided by Lilly Endowment. Founded in 1948, ICI serves as the collective voice for the state’s 29 private, nonprofit colleges and universities. ICI institutions employ over 22,000 Hoosiers and generate a total local economic impact of over $5 billion annually. Students at ICI colleges have Indiana’s highest four-year, on-time graduation rates, and ICI institutions produce 30 percent of Indiana’s bachelor’s degrees while enrolling 20 percent of its undergraduates.