Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The 2026 Kosciusko County Lilly Endowment Community Scholars are not only Warsaw Community High School seniors, but also have known each other since third grade at Lincoln Elementary School.
Kosciusko County Community Foundation CEO Stephanie Overbey announced Titiksha Gorhe and Ian Parrott as this year’s recipients of the full-ride scholarship by the main staircase of WCHS Monday afternoon, with school officials and both sets of parents present.
In introducing Overbey, WCHS Principal Troy Akers said, “Nothing can make it a better week before leaving on the Christmas holiday break than an announcement - a very special announcement. One that we have an opportunity for each year, but today’s opportunity has turned into reality for not one WCS student, but two.”
He then brought Titiksha and Ian out.
Overbey said, “It’s my pleasure to announce that Titiksha Gorhe and Ian Parrott are the 2026 Lilly Endowment Community Scholars.”
She explained each Lilly Endowment Community Scholarship provides full tuition, fees and an allocation for books and equipment for four years of full-time undergraduate study at any eligible Indiana public or private university in the state of Indiana. The Kosciusko County selection process is blind, which means the committee does not have access to any identifying student information. The award is based on student criteria, including academic excellence heavily emphasized with community service, extracurricular involvement, work experiences, references and essay responses.
Titiksha will graduate in the spring with honors. Overbey said Titiksha plans to major in neuroscience.
“In your application, you said that ‘learning about the nervous system greatly fascinated me because there’s still so much to discover. A sense of mystery and opportunity for ongoing research, fueled by interest in becoming a neurosurgeon, I want to dedicate my life to bringing hope back into people’s lives, allowing them to lead the healthy life they deserve,’” Overbey said to Titiksha.
During her educational career, Titiksha participated in HOSA - Future Health Professionals, the Environmental Club, Hope & Hygiene Foundation (which she founded), Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Conference, Envirothon, Harvard Pre-Med Summer Academy, KEY Club, Student Organ Donation Advocates, varsity diving, ballet, Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council and the Science Academic Super Bowl.
Titiksha’s references describe her as “an exemplary worker who takes initiative.” She is devoted, honest and gives back to the community.
One of her references said, “I have never met a more motivated and hard-working student. This applicant is driven to make the world around her a better place.”
Like Titiksha, Ian is also a diver for WCHS. He will graduate with academic and technical honors and plans to major in electrical engineering.
In his application, Overbey said, Ian wrote, “‘Some of my favorite memories are with my three D’s. I always wanted to be able to make something that could bring people the same kind of imaginative experience. The beauty of engineering is that you can make a difference in so many ways no matter where you go. I plan to explore the countless options at Purdue University.’ And now you’ll do so on a full-ride scholarship.”
During his educational career, Ian played the cello in the South Bend Youth Symphony and participated in the Business Professionals of America, His Majesty’s Puppeteers, Kosciusko Youth Leadership Academy, National Honor Society, Club Diving, Indiana International School of Diving, Warsaw Community Church Youth Group, Phi Theta Kappa, Tiger Leadership Council, Inclusivity Council, school orchestra and the diving, pole vault and soccer teams.
One of his references said, “This student sets very high standards for himself and then works extremely hard to achieve them. He balances demanding athletic training, work responsibilities ... academic preparation and community involvement, while maintaining excellence in each area.”
Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert said, “I am so proud of both of you. Congratulations! This is a huge honor for each of you and for our school, so congratulations. We know that it is an investment in your future. A big thank-you to the Community Foundation that runs the Lilly Scholarship here for our local community. And, parents, congratulations! You have done an excellent job with your kids, helping them to get to this point because we know it takes a lot of support behind the scenes.”
Ian was at his apprenticeship at Medartis when he got called back Monday to the high school. He said they didn’t tell him anything about why he needed to come back, but then he looked at his phone and got a bunch of other texts.
“I kind of put two and two together,” Ian said. He suspected what it might be, he hoped what it might be, but he wasn’t sure.
“This is what I have been anticipating and waiting for and just kind of nervous about for the whole month, honestly, so it’s a great relief. It’s pretty awesome,” he stated.
Ian’s parents, Ross and Becca, are ecstatic.
“It’s a huge relief that he can go to school without worrying about financial burden of going and getting his education. He can focus on that. It’s great,” Ross said.
Becka said they had savings for a state school, “but, things that weren’t even an opportunity for our financials - like, he could go to Notre Dame, if he gets in. That wasn’t an option for us so this, we didn’t even think about it or talk about it. Now, this opens up so many opportunities for him and just take the stress away so we can use the money saved for his room and board, and, potentially, with him working, we could, hopefully, be debt-free at the end of his education.”
Becca said they have watched Ian and Titiksha since they were in third grade together at Lincoln Elementary School.
“And, what they’ve done, you can ask third-grade teacher in GT and all the way up, it’s been amazing. They’re the hardest workers, almost maladaptive perfectionists. The hardest workers you could ever be. They take themselves so seriously, so it’s so rewarding to see that their hard work and their efforts have paid off in such a real way,” she stated.
Eventually when he begins his career in electrical engineering, Ian said he wants to start some sort of mentorship program or be the head of one because there’s been so many times in his life that having a mentor has helped him.
“With this RAMP, Work-Based Learning thing, with my work at Lake City Gymnastics, I love teaching, all my church camps that I go to, mentorship is definitely in my future, I know that,” Ian stated.
Titiksha said she was really surprised. She was in a class when the teacher got a call and wrote two passes for her.
“My whole class looked at me. So then I was like, ‘Oh, ok.’ So, my whole class kind of figured it out,” she said. “I am just really happy and I’m really glad that I have that financial burden lifted off my parents as well because that is a lot. I do hope to go to med school, which is know is super expensive, so having my undergrad paid for is amazing.”
Her parents, Pradnya and Devendra Gorhe, are very happy for their daughter.
Devendra said, “I can not describe it. It’s amazing, like all the hard work that she has done, it’s great. We are very happy. It can not be described.”
Pradnya said, “She worked always hard. She loves starting her school, academics, everything. So we are so happy. Whatever she did from since she was a child, we feel like she worked hard.”
Devendra said the scholarship is like a big burden off their shoulders.
“Because, as she said, she does want to go to the medical school and become a doctor, which is very expensive. I was like trying to tell her, it’s not just like eight years. It’s eight years and then you have residency and all that stuff. It’s like 10-12 years. It’s going to be a lot more expensive. We were all like, ‘How do we plan for all of this?’ And so getting these undergraduate paid for is a big help in getting there and becoming a doctor,” he stated. “Very grateful to the Community Foundation and all the schools, the staff. It’s amazing.”
Kosciusko County Community Foundation Inc. is a public charity whose mission is to bring caring people and charitable endeavors together to inspire generosity and strengthen communities, according to a provided news release. The Community Foundation grants over $4 million annually in the areas of education, health, arts and culture, recreation, civic projects, environment and human services. Gifts made to the Community Foundation are tax-deductible. For more information, visit www.KCFoundation.org, call 574-267-1901 or visit 102 E. Market St., Warsaw.
Lilly Endowment Inc. is an Indianapolis-based private 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.
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.
