Elgin Area School District U-46 celebrated 30 seniors during the annual Superintendent’s Scholarship reception and awards ceremony.
These members of the Class of 2025 are first-generation college-bound students, and each will receive a $2,000 scholarship from the U-46 Educational Foundation.
“These impressive students and their families understand the transformative power of education. Through their hard work and dedication, the students are ready to take on their next challenge,” said Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Johnson. “It’s important to not only celebrate our Superintendent’s Scholarship recipients but also to remind them of all the people who believe in them here in U-46. These students have bright futures ahead.”
The students, who are spotlighted in a video on the district’s YouTube channel, will graduate this month from the district’s five comprehensive high schools: Bartlett, Elgin, Larkin, South Elgin and Streamwood. They attended a reception on April 23 along with their families, principals, U-46 administrators and board of education members, and members of the U-46 Educational Foundation’s board.
Since the Superintendent’s Scholarship fund was established in 2012 through the U-46 Educational Foundation, approximately 340 U-46 graduates, including this year’s recipients, have been honored.
This year’s scholarships were funded by a grant from the Seigle Foundation and donors including KCT Credit Union, Studio GC, the Association of Elgin School Administrators, John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc., and K12 Insight.
Eligible seniors submitted applications for the scholarship this past winter. Each submitted application included the student’s high school transcript, a letter of recommendation, and a personal essay.
A panel of judges reviewed nearly 100 applications. The selected 30 students are bound for post-secondary institutions including Northwestern University, Stanford University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois Chicago, University of Wisconsin, Case Western Reserve University, Aurora University, and DePaul University.
During the scholarship reception, held at the U-46 Welcome Center, the students were encouraged to visit with administrators and supporters of the U-46 Educational Foundation to start establishing their professional network.
A week earlier, the students participated in a workshop led by Matthew Punnoose, a member of the U-46 Educational Foundation’s board, and Jason Pierce, an alumnus of Bartlett High School who now works at Google.
They instructed the students in the importance of building a strong personal and professional network, and guided the scholarship winners through setting up a LinkedIn profile.
The 30 Class of 2025 Superintendent’s Scholarship recipients are as follows:
• Bartlett High School: Jatziry Alba, Anthony Corona, Kyle Depakakibo, Melani Flores, Shaila Ochoa, Sara Sulemanjee and Emilia Tredota
• Elgin High School: Brianna Calderon, Julissa Chavez, Damaris De Alba Valdivia, Gael Flores, Lesley Gonzalez, Alondra Lechuga-Pita, Anahi Melendez, Wilebaldo Modesto Hernandez, Eric Nazario and Guadalupe Rivera
• Larkin High School: Dayanara Aguilar, Lara Amaro and Andrea Jimenez
• South Elgin High School: Mackenzie Klinger, Oscar Miranda, Ayush Patel, and Zuzanna Szelag
• Streamwood High School: Samantha Camarena, Jennifer Gaspar, Omar Lopez-Aguado, Leonor Nevarez, Sophie Saflarski, and Juliana Solis.
