Thursday, March 28, 2024

Seven Vienna High students named Illinois State Scholars

Il-State-ScholarsVienna High School principal Patrick Harner is pleased to announce that seven Vienna High School students have been recognized as 2012-13 Illinois State Scholars.

The prestigious award, given annually by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC), recognized 18,863 high school students from across the state as this year’s State Scholars.  Since 1979, over 582,000 Illinois students have been honored as State Scholars.

Illinois State Scholar winners rank in the top ten percent of high school seniors from 749 different high schools across the state.  Selection is based on SAT, ACT, and/or Prairie State Achievement Exam score, and/or class rank at the end of the junior year.  High school guidance counselors work in conjunction with ISAC to determine the winners.

ISAC recognizes the following Vienna High School students as 2012-13 Illinois State Scholars:  Keeley Harper of Vienna, Knichole Keeling of Cypress, Richard Kindhart of Grantsburg, AliceAnn Kotter of Vienna, Damon Leco of Vienna, Debora Smith of Belknap, and Dominick Tedeschi of Cypress.

“We’re pleased to honor this year’s Illinois State Scholars,” said Eric Zarnikow, ISAC executive director.  “Not only do they represent the best in educational excellence in Illinois, they also are key to the state’s future economic well-being.  The Commission applauds their success and salutes their families and the teachers at Vienna High School on this achievement.”

While the prestigious recognition does not include a monetary award, recipients are encouraged to cite the honor on applications for college admission and scholarships in addition to completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) after January 1 to determine eligibility for federal and state aid, including Illinois’ $387 million need-based Monetary Award Program (MAP).

“Each of the Vienna High School students should take pride in their accomplishment and what it says about their commitment to academic attainment,” Zarnikow concluded.

Originally formed as the Illinois State Scholarship Commission in 1957, the Illinois Student Assistance Commission provides students of all ages and backgrounds with the resources and support to help obtain financial aid for higher education.

A state agency, ISAC has paved the path to postsecondary education with innovative programs for over 50 years.  The commission continued its mission to make college accessible and affordable for Illinois students by administering over 182,000 grants and scholarships totaling over $417 million in FY 2011 alone.

The Commission provides educational funding via numerous programs such as the Monetary Award Program (MAP), the Illinois Veteran Grant and College Illinois! Prepaid Tuition Program.

Students and families have free access to a wealth of financial aid and college planning information at ISAC’s family of websites available at www.isac.org, www.collegechangeseverything.org, and www.529prepaidtuition.org.