Local students awarded Illinois State Scholar recognition

[December 12, 2008]  SPRINGFIELD -- The Illinois Student Assistance Commission is recognizing 19,331 high school students as Illinois State Scholars for 2009. The students hail from 798 schools in every corner of Illinois.

Illinois State Scholar winners rank in the top 10 percent of high school seniors. Selection is based on SAT, ACT and Prairie State Achievement Exam scores, and class rank at the end of the junior year.

"This is the Hall of Fame for Illinois students," said Andrew Davis, ISAC executive director, whose agency has overseen the Illinois State Scholars program since 1958. "Illinois State Scholars are among the best and the brightest in our state’s high schools. We salute them -- along with their partners in reaching for the stars: their families and teachers -- for this stellar achievement."

While the prestigious recognition does not include a monetary award, winners are encouraged to cite the award on applications for college admission and scholarships. And, to celebrate the golden anniversary of the Illinois State Scholars program, ISAC is giving each awardee a free18-month subscription to Encyclopedia Britannica Online. With more than 75,000 articles and 23,000 biographies, Encyclopedia Britannica Online is a valuable research tool.

"Competition for college admission and financial aid is tough and getting tougher. These Illinois State Scholars have shown that they take their education seriously and can hit the books, so I urge every Illinois college president to put Illinois State Scholars at the top of the list for admission," Davis said.

Davis also noted that despite the global credit crisis, Illinois students may apply for low-interest loans through ISAC’s lending arm by clicking on http://www.idapp.com/.

Area students who won this recognition:

From Lincoln Community High School:

• Emily Berglin

• Andrew Brinkman

• Kelli Brooks

• Kaylyn Engelhardt

• Michael Fleshman

• Cody Follis

• Kyle Frick

• Thaddeus Juilfs

• Amy Kelley

• Colleen Pech

• Samara Shane

• Doreen Sheen

• Leah Shirley

• Kaitlyn Stauffer

• Jessica Tieman

• Matthew Whalen

• Zeyi Zhang

From Hartsburg-Emden High School:

• Emma Cross

From Mount Pulaski High School:

• Michael Ely

• Kai Yin Ho

• Lisa Miller

[Text from file received from Illinois Student Assistance Commission; LDN staff]