CGA’s Addison Dollahan earns 4-year Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship

Dollahan, who plans to major in biology with the intent of attending medical school, said she plans to either attend Butler University or Purdue University. She was one of 147 students statewide awarded scholarships to attend any four-year college or university in Indiana.

“It’s so great to know that I can get into a college I wanted and go for free, especially because I plan to pursue medical school,” Dollahan said.

The scholarships are awarded by the recipient’s home county. Dollahan said she was concerned that not attending a school in Hamilton County might hurt her chances. She said her parents, Stacey and Steve, encouraged her to apply and she was pleasantly surprised.

“After years of hard work in her personal and academic life, Addison will undoubtedly be an incredible member of the 2025 Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program Cohort,” said Morgan Meyer, scholarship officer for the Central Indiana Community Foundation. “We are so excited for her and the four other Hamilton County LECSP Scholars to begin their college careers after working so hard to earn this amazing opportunity.”

Dollahan, who also plans to minor in theatre, found out she had been awarded the scholarship while she was in her honors in music class and many of her music and theatre teachers, her counselor and her dorm mom were there to share in the moment.

“The moment was so special because the adults who mean so much to me and support me every day were there,” she said. “Their support, along with my parents, is how I got here.”

Stephanie Hall, an associate director of college advising at Culver, nominated Dollahan for the scholarship, calling her “an outstanding candidate.”

"Addison is a diligent, well-rounded student with remarkable leadership, creativity and commitment strengths. In her roles within the Dungeons and Dragons Club and theatre tech team, she demonstrates exceptional dedication and attention to detail, leading as a game master and a tech captain. Academically, she is a curious and responsible learner, consistently completing assignments carefully and contributing thoughtfully to discussions," she said.

Her teachers also endorsed her scholarship.

“Addison is exceptionally intellectually curious, always eager to explore and delve deeper into areas that spark her interest,” said mathematics instructor Kasey James. “She consistently participates actively in classroom discussions, offering insightful contributions that enrich the learning experience for everyone.”

Humanities senior instructor Joshua Brown praised her love of reading.

“Addison reads, and I mean she really, truly reads. She reads drowsily. Or dreamingly. She lingers on a page and reads it slowly. Or lovingly. And in a world of increasing library illiteracy, Addison is a beacon; this kid knows her way around the stacks,” he said. “In our yearlong humanities class — American Studies with AP Language & Composition — this passion jumped out and dazzled. She travels with books, both literally and figuratively. She doesn't just carry books around, but she is carried away by these books.”

Dollahan said she loves to read the classics. She is now reading “The Odyssey” by Homer. She said her favorite book is “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky.

“It’s a really beefy book and it was really hard to read, but I think it has a very valuable story to tell. The more you look into it, the deeper it actually gets, which occurs often in Dostoevsky novels,” she said. “I never go into a book with the intention of just reading it. I always try to look for different symbolisms and things I can dig out of it.”

Dollahan is a member of the Leadership Committee for Africa and has taken Global Pathways Spring trips to Ireland and Italy and plans to go to New Zealand this spring. She also is in the Culver Concert Band and is captain of the Culver theatre tech team and is president of the Culver Book Club. She also was a member of the Culver speech and debate team and the rowing team as a freshman.

She said she enjoys Dungeons and Dragons because she loves telling stories.

“It’s just amazing to put smiles on other people’s faces,” she said.

The Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship Program is designed to help raise the level of educational attainment in Indiana, increase awareness of the beneficial roles Indiana community foundations can play in their communities and encourage efforts of Lilly Endowment Community Scholars to engage with each other and with state leaders to improve quality of life in Indiana.