Many of us recently saw what it’s like to dream big and then achieve it. The raw emotion of West Noble High School senior Julian Campos when he was ceremoniously honored with the Lilly Endowment a few weeks ago told a story of years of dreaming can come true.
So fast forward to this week, and Campos now has a new tale to tell. A new cherry on top of his collegiate sundae, so to speak.
Our 2026 Lilly Endowment recipient is also a winner of the prestigious 2026 Evans Scholarship!
The benefits from the Lilly scholarship is immense, which in Campos’ case pays tuition for four years at any accredited college or university in the state of Indiana. Campos has chosen the University of Notre Dame to major in accounting. Pretty big chunk of change!
Now, as an Evans Scholar, Campos adds the financial ability to have his room and board, as well as textbooks and school materials, to be covered under the Evans Scholarship, up to $125,000.
Whoa.
“I knew I wanted to go to Notre Dame, and I knew I had a shot at the Lilly. So when I got the Lilly, I was really hoping the Evans was a possibility because I wanted that room and board also paid,” said Campos, sitting in the same Oasis room at the high school where he was celebrated for the Lilly scholarship. “When I did find out that I got (the Evans Scholarship), I don’t want to say I expected it, but it was more of I earned it.”
It wasn’t even a humble brag on Campos’ part describing the emotions he and his family had learning about the Evans win. As he put it, “When you don’t get it, they send a little envelope and a letter saying sorry. When you win it, there’s a big package with all the materials in it. When that showed up, we knew.” But this wasn’t just a float out some paperwork and see what happens type of deal, earning an Evans Scholarship takes years of work.
To be considered for an Evans Scholarship, Campos had be a caddie at a participating golf course, in which case the closest course was Tippecanoe Lake Country Club in Leesburg. He began that process three years ago, met (and exceeded) his requirements, and was nominated by the TLCC staff. Once the finalists were in place, there was a round of interviews, and then the waiting game began again.
“They had a record number of people apply for this, hundreds, so it’s not just something you go and do,” noted Campos. “I got through all the interviews, and then there was a waiting period of a couple weeks. There’s a lot of waiting. But once we got to the final round, they said it would be two weeks but it was only three days.
“The good part about applying for the Evans, you go and do an interview, and half the people know you because they know the country club that you’re from. They know about you and your reputation. They have your résumé. It’s conversational, and I felt like I knew more of what to expect.”
While many of his classmates are still deciding on what they want to do in four months when they complete West Noble’s commencement, Campos already has all the heavy lifting out of the way. The campus at Notre Dame has a dorm just for Evans Scholars, which is where he will live. At this point, about all he’ll have to worry about out of his own wallet are gameday tickets and some Chick Fil-A.
“I’m most excited to just not worry any more,” Campos said. “My junior year, I’m very worried about my grades and classwork, and then all of the application processes started. Now I’ve got the financials out of the way, I can just enjoy the rest of my senior year. I am also starting to network. I’ve already made a couple friends that will be at Notre Dame in the fall.”
During his Lilly announcement, Campos mentioned that his community, both at West Noble and in Ligonier, mattered most. He again reiterated how the Evans and Lilly scholarships show that hard work, no matter your background, does pay off. And he represents a proud Hispanic community who have helped him through this.
“The soccer team here, they all told their families about the Lilly. My parents, who work in factories here in town, they have people coming up to them because they saw the Facebook posts and are congratulating them,” stated Campos. “They are curious on the Lilly; what it is and how I got it. I think for me to get it, it was a big outreach for myself and my family. Now, I’m sure they’ll ask about the Evans in the same way. For a Hispanic member of this community to get it, maybe someone sees that and encourages their kid to try to get it. I want to be that light for them.”