The Community Foundation of Noble County is honored to announce a new scholarship fund to benefit West Noble High School seniors. The Bob and Joyce Friesner Memorial Scholarship Fund was created by the children and grandchildren of Bob and Joyce.

The scholarship is for a West Noble High School senior attending a 4-year accredited college or university as a full-time student with a GPA range 3.00 to 3.80 with preference given to students entering teaching, medical, health science, nursing, school counseling, and/or social work. The award will be offered for the first time in May 2024. Applications will be online late November 2023 to mid-January 2024 at the community foundation’s website www.cfnoble.org.

Bob and Joyce Friesner served as mentors to many young people in Noble County and whose lives impacted hundreds of others. Both Bob and Joyce were teachers who inspired students and they were dedicated to their success.

Bob was born in Middlepoint and had five brothers, Ohio and graduated from Van Del High School. While in high school, Robert played both basketball and baseball. He attended Findlay College and received a teaching degree which led him to West Noble High School. Joyce was born in Maryland to a family of six but moved several times before landing in Van Wert, Ohio. She graduated from Van Wert High School and completed her Bachelor’s degree at Goshen College and received her Master’s degree from the University of St. Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

Bob and Joyce were married in November 1958. Together, they raised three daughters: Sherry, Deb, and Kate. Joyce was able to balance motherhood with college to receive her teaching degrees. Their family grew to include son-in-laws and four grandchildren who they loved dearly. They loved spending time with their grandchildren and taught them candy-making, Uno, fishing, and how to read.

Both Bob and Joyce taught at West Noble Schools. Bob’s years in the classroom teaching U.S. History gave him much joy, and he did a great job keeping students’ attention. However, those less attentive students were brought back to his history world with a flying eraser. He was instrumental in establishing West Noble’s outstanding cross country program, “The Long Blue Line” which saw both individual and teams compete at the state level. He also coached wrestling, track, and taught Driver’s Ed. He then retired in 1999 after 39 years of teaching.

Joyce taught many grade levels including kindergarten, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth grade. Joyce’s firm but gentle, manner touched the lives of hundreds of students over the years. In her words “They were all a joy to teach, and I learned much from the students.” Joyce continued to be a “learner” all her life. She taught for 31 years and retired in 1999. Both she and Bob continued to remain close to many faculty friends after their retirement.

Bob and Joyce loved their students as family. They encouraged their students and athletes to hold themselves to a high expectation. Together, Bob and Joyce left a lasting impact on hundreds of West Noble students, and encouraged all to imagine the best for themselves. This scholarship fund was created to further their legacy of mentorship and high expectation in both the classroom and on the sports field.

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The Community Foundation of Noble County is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2023 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship for Noble County – Ryan Norden of East Noble High School. Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are known for their community involvement, academic achievement, character, and leadership.

Norden intends to study Biology to become a pediatrician at the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 2023. Some of his activities in high school include Riley Week/Student Council, Diocesan World Youth Day/Diocesan Youth Leadership Team, Claws for a Cause, Stuffed Animal and Blanket Drive, Gifts for Nurses and Christmas Bureau/Interact Club, Blood Drive/Student Council, Confirmation Retreat/Diocesan Youth Leadership Team, International Festival and MYAC Website/Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, Student Council Treasurer and Vice-President, Bi-Phy-Chem Club/Science Olympiad, Rotary Youth Leadership Award, Golf, Varsity Athlete and Varsity Scholar Award, YMCA youth referee and golf instructor, Cobblestone Golf Course employment, National Honor Society and Kendallville Redevelopment Commission student member.

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 undergraduate students studying on a full-time basis 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 to Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI) and Indiana Humanities.

In nominating Noble County’s Lilly Endowment Community Scholar, consideration was given to well-rounded seniors through their academics, community service, volunteerism, extracurricular activities, work experience, and leadership roles. This year’s 30 applicants provided recommendation letters from two references and submitted three essays, which were evaluated by the community foundation scholarship committee of six Noble County citizens, who interviewed the top 10 finalists.

After the field of applicants was narrowed down, nominees were submitted to the statewide administrator of the Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program, ICI, for the selection of scholarship recipients.

Those finalists will receive a $1,000 scholarship from the Community Foundation of Noble County. Those students are:
Rachel Becker – East Noble High School
Max Bender – East Noble High School
Addison Dills – East Noble High School
Grant Flora – West Noble High School
Hailey Holbrook – Churubusco Junior/Senior High School
Miriam Kline – Churubusco Junior/Senior High School
Eva Refeld – Churubusco Junior/Senior High School
Austin Shepherd – Lakewood Park Christian School
Bethany Trinklein – West Noble High School

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 in excess of $486 million. More than 5,000 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.

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. The Endowment funds significant programs throughout the United States, especially in the field of religion. However, 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.

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Community Foundation Offers Matching Gift Opportunity

The Community Foundation of Noble County (CFNC) is offering a matching gift opportunity…an important ingredient in the Philanthropic Stone Soup that they are cooking up.

The CFNC Board of Directors is offering matching dollars for gifts made to endowment funds held at the Foundation. Beginning November 1, 2022 and running through May 1, 2023, the Foundation will match $1 for $1, up to $5,000 per fund. The Foundation has a total of $50,000 to contribute to the match, so the earlier donations are made, the more likely they are to qualify for the match.

CFNC has been on a mission throughout 2022 to create a great recipe for tomorrow in Noble County. The classic folktale, Stone Soup, illustrates that perfectly! A thriving community is created only by everyone pitching in, and generous donations to the Foundation benefit our community every day.
The CFNC match is an important ingredient in the Philanthropic Stone Soup receipt, but it’s not the only one.  Year-end gifts to the endowment funds, fund representatives, grants committees and all the things that come together to address a variety of local needs to establish funds that make a difference. Just like in Stone Soup, there is tremendous impact when we pool our resources—impact that benefits the whole community!

To be a donor to endowment funds held at the Community Foundation of Noble County, go to https://cfnoble.org/product-category/fund/ and select a fund or funds that speak to your interests or values. Once you have chosen where you would like your money to go, head over to https://cfnoble.org/donate-now/ where you can make a donation online. Or mail a check made payable to the Community Foundation of Noble County with the fund name in the memo. Mail checks to CFNC PO Box 127, Kendallville, IN  46755. You’ll receive a “thank you” for your donation via USPS mail or instantly from the online portal, which you can use to file for a tax deduction, if eligible. The match will be automatically applied to qualifying endowment funds, until all funds are exhausted.

At the Community Foundation of Noble County, we are passionate about making Noble County an even better place to call home. Since 1991, area residents have been turning to the Community Foundation of Noble County to make their philanthropic giving as effective as possible, as we see it as our mission to serve as a catalyst for positive change. The Community Foundation of Noble County is a public charity 501 (c) 3 entity.

As a group of invested community members, we identify local current and emerging issues and stimulate resources to address those needs, helping our region prepare for the future. We then leverage gifts and bequests from generous donors like you to drive positive change through grants in such areas as arts and culture, education, health and human services, civic affairs, and other charitable areas of interest.
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The following students have been selected to interview for Noble County’s 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship on Tuesday, October 15, 2024  Interviews will begin at 6 pm.

2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship – Top Honors Interview
Tuesday, October 15, 2024, at 6 PM
Students Arrive Between 5:30 pm – 5:45 pm at 6 pm at the Community Foundation of Noble County, 103 W. Third Street, Ligonier IN 46767

Students selected to interview:

Mia Becker – West Noble High School
Elijah Delashmit – East Noble High School
Samuel Hoover – Central Noble Jr/Sr High School
Ethan Jansen – East Noble High School
Adam Marker – Central Noble Jr/Sr High School
Haylee McCann – East Noble High School
Ashley Myers – Bishop Dwenger High School
Olivia Tibbs – East Noble High School
Silvia Venturi – West Noble High School
Robert Warren III – East Noble High School

Students should arrive between 5:30 pm and 5:45 pm. Please do not enter the building sooner than 5:30 pm.

• Students should dress appropriate for the interview as if it is for a job. Interviews will start at 6 pm with the six judges.  Interviews may last until 9 pm. If you have a school obligation that evening, please let Jennifer know as soon as possible. I will do my best to accommodate your need to leave early.
• Enter the building on the North entrance.
• Be yourself.
• Light snacks/sandwiches will be available before or after for students. However, feel free to eat something before you arrive.
• Please bring a photo/senior photo with your name, contact information, college major, college choice (if known) with you. If you do not have one, a photo will be taken during the evening. If you forget to bring one, that is okay. You can mail or email it to Jennifer at Jennifer@cfnoble.org.

Direct questions to Jennifer Norris, Dir. of Communications and Scholarships at Jennifer@cfnoble.org or by calling 260-894-3335.