Eureka IL – Eureka High School Principal Richard Wherley is pleased to announce that 19 students have been recognized as “2012 Illinois State Scholars”.
The prestigious award is given annually by the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) which is recognizing 17,093 high school students from across the state as this year’s State Scholars.
Illinois State Scholar winners rank in the top ten percent of the state’s high school seniors from 897 high schools in all 102 counties. Selection is based on SAT, ACT and/or Prairie State Achievement Exam scores, and/or class rank at the end of the junior year. High school guidance counselors work in conjunction with ISAC to determine the winners. At least a half million Illinois State Scholars have been recognized in the past 48 years. The 19 students receiving the award this year are:
Congratulations Eureka High School Illinois State Scholars
Anderson, Joseph
Cottrell, Kurt
Craig, Nathaniel
Cuffe, Emily
Fehr, Rachel
Frank, Abram
Garber, Erica
Hartman, Jacey
Hinrichsen, Kyle
Hunt, Andrea
Kuntz, Joseph
Noe, Quinton
Peters, Liesl
Ryan, Connor
Scherer, Chase
Schumacher, Seth
Swords, Gabriel
Zehr, Bradley
Zhuang, Thompson
While the recognition does not provide a monetary award, winners are encouraged to cite the award on applications for college admission and scholarships.“Competition for college admission and financial aid is tough. Illinois State Scholar awardees have earned a real edge by hitting the books and getting good grades,” said ISAC Chairman Don McNeil. “These 19 Eureka High School students are shining examples that hard work pays off”.
McNeil urged high school students and their parents to visit ISAC’s website (www.collegezone.com) for more information about the many college financial assistance programs available. The innovative site also offers career counseling services, a planning timeline, virtual campus tours and online applications.
Created in 1957, ISAC is the state’s central provider of college aid. The agency oversees the successful Monetary Award Program (MAP), as well as the new MAP Plus program, Illinois Veteran Grant program, and service-related programs to encourage more students to pursue careers in teaching or nursing. Last year, ISAC issued 185,000 grants totaling $400 million and guaranteed $1.24 billion in loans to 232,631 students. Its 529 prepaid tuition program – College Illinois! – has allowed Illinois families to prepay more than $1 billion in tuition and fees.
