Recipient of the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for LaGrange County, Audri Martin of Westview Jr-Sr High School. (Photo Contributed)
Audri Martin of Westview Jr-Sr High School is the recipient of the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for LaGrange County.
Each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides 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 pursuing a bachelor’s degree at an Indiana public or private college or university.
Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are awarded for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.
“The scholarship committee was inspired by Audri’s dedication to leadership and service through 4-H and her wide range of extracurricular involvement. Her commitment to expanding opportunities for young people, combined with clear career goals and a strong entrepreneurial spirit, reflects the leadership and character the scholarship seeks to recognize,” said Beth Retterbush, Scholarship and LIFE Program Manager.
Martin will graduate with academic honors and is planning to attend Purdue University next fall, where she will pursue a pre-veterinary track. She also plans to continue running her show lamb business, AGM Genetics. Martin is the daughter of Ken and Tina Martin of LaGrange.
“I’ve grown up showing in 4-H,” Audri said, “So this scholarship is the first step in making it possible for me to fulfill my dreams in veterinary medicine and to pursue a job rooted in the livestock industry. I hope to help expand knowledge of small ruminant reproduction in Lagrange and advise local producers after I become a vet. I will forever be thankful to Lilly because it allows me to make my dreams a reality.”
An active leader throughout her high school career, Martin has served as an FFA member and president, National Honor Society vice president, senior class secretary, and student council senior class representative. She is also a saxophone player in both the Jazz and Concert Bands and earned a medalist designation in Instrumental Solo and Ensemble. In addition, she is a member of the Ski Club.
Outside the classroom, Martin has gained valuable work experience at Grogg Martin Auctioneers, Lambright Club Lambs, and AGM Genetics. She is a nine-year member of 4-H, an event organizer for Feed the Farmers, a Junior Achievement volunteer, a member of Shore Church, and a camp counselor for the Building the Basics Showmanship Camp.
In selecting LaGrange County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar, the selection committee considered academic achievement, leadership ability, service to others, employment history, extracurricular involvement, personal essays, and letters of recommendation.
The top five students who scored highest on their application were then invited to participate in a workshop day. Finalists returned for digital presentations and personal interviews conducted by the Lilly Scholarship Advisory Committee. After the field of applicants was narrowed, nominees were 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.
Finalists for the 2026 award include Lydia Jacobson of Lakeland Jr-Sr School and Briana Kaufman, Myra Miller, and Bentley Ryall of Westview Jr-Sr High School. Each finalist will receive the Lambright Leadership Scholarship, a $1,000 renewable award established by Kevin and Carrie Lambright. The scholarship may be renewed up to three additional years, providing recipients with total scholarship support of $4,000.
“It is a privilege for the Foundation to nominate a talented LaGrange student,” said Octavia Yoder, LCCF Executive Director. “We appreciate Lilly Endowment’s commitment to supporting young leaders and opening doors for their futures. With so many exceptional young scholars in our county, the committee faced a very difficult choice this year.”
Lilly Endowment created the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program for the 1998-99 school year and has supported the program every year since with grants totaling more than $505 million. More than 5,400 Indiana students have received the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship since the program’s inception.
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.
About the LaGrange County Community Foundation
The LaGrange County Community Foundation works to inspire generosity, leadership, and service by connecting donors to community needs. Through grants, scholarships, and partnerships, the Foundation helps build permanent charitable resources that strengthen LaGrange County now and for generations to come.
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