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Archived on May 19, 2026
The Highland Community College Foundation distributed more than $390,000 to Highland students for the 2018 academic year with more than 300 people in attendance at its annual Scholarship Awards Ceremony on October 14 in the Student/Conference Center at Highland Community College, Freeport, IL.
Scholarships were awarded to 130 individuals from 120 various scholarship funds. More than $8 million has been distributed to Highland students since the Foundation was formed. The first scholarships were awarded in 1963 for a total of $4,000. Some scholarships are based on merit and financial need; others are awarded to students based on where they attended high school and what major they are studying.
The following scholarship recipients were recognized:
Apple River: Carolyn Karlow, Dorothy Yates Nursing
Baileyville: Megan Wellman, Illinois Community College System Foundation Healthcare
Byron: Sydney Jackson, Hobart Agriculture; Alexis Streff, Hobart Agriculture
Cedarville: John Havens, Eduard Buss Business & Technology
Chana: Athena Page, Betty & Ray Stamm Healthcare
Dakota: Cole Cramer, College Now; Casey Brokhausen, Philip Gordon Memorial; Brittany Knox, Eunice O’ Malia Memorial
Davis: Emilee Davis, VFW Post 998; Lauren Erickson, Eduard Buss Business & Technology; Peyton Heilemeier, Eduard Buss Humanities/Social Science; Leah Schmid, College Now; Brooke Sutherland, Eduard Buss Natural Science & Health; Colin Barker, Dr. and Mrs. Spencer K. Phillips; Emilee Davis, Newell-Leonard C. Ferguson Memorial; Alexis Martinez, Marion Byram
Elizabeth: Brittney Brown, Illinois Community College System Foundation Heath Trust; Rhett Geisz, Marjorie Kleckner Memorial
Florissant, Missouri: Lakeita Chappel, Larry and Jean Kahl Athletics
Forreston: Hali Daehler, H.G. Kable Memorial; Jordan Green, Davis/Balluff; Eli Metz, Hubert Kepner Memorial, J. Rosemary Shockey Memorial, James Schneiderman Memorial; Michael Wubbena, R.C. Miller Agriculture
Freeport: Luka Barisic, Stacy Hadjokas Memorial; Laura Dinderman, Ronald & Betty Norman Memorial; Jayden Downing, Eduard Buss Business & Technology; Benjamin Downing, Wid Hance Automotive; Ben Heise, Home School; Heather Hinkel, Eduard Buss Business & Technology, Women’s Education Fund; Jade Klinger, Eduard Buss Humanities/Social Science; Cassidy Mahan, Eduard Buss Humanities/Social Science; Carson Meyers, Lamplighter Chapter of American Business Women Association; Colton Neubauer, Eduard Buss Natural Science & Health; Chane Oosthuizen, Eduard Buss Business & Technology; Shelby Slick, Lamplighter Chapter of American Business Women Association; Michael Thruman, Freeport Rotary Vocational Education; Stacy Wittfield, Eduard Buss Business & Technology, Lamplighter Chapter of American Business Women Association; Ammber Ammons, Dorothy Yates Nursing; Alexis Aponte, Dr. and Mrs. Spencer K. Phillips; Alena Belleque, Ellen Stadermann Community Service; Lucas Boomgarden, Frederick & Alice Kirkman Memorial; Stacy Buman, Dr. & Mrs. Ozro Hill, Thomas E. Wallmo Memorial; Melissa Calvin, Edna Hayden Johnson Memorial, Marion Byram; Bryce Carlson, Philip Gordon Memorial; Christine Ceroni, Hubert Kepner Memorial, J. Rosemary Shockey Memorial; Miranda Cox, Betty & Ray Stamm; Stacey Dach, James Padfield Memorial; Laura Dinderman, Emmert & Florence Klaas Nursing; Shayna Drake, Charles Endress Memorial, Duke & Bev Herrling; Daniela Escobedo, Marion Byram; Isaiah Field, Rawson Engineering; Ben Heise, Raymond A. Klee Trustmark; Mackenzie Kavanaugh, Della Mae Coppernoll; Claire Kayes, Joseph S. & Bettye J. Mihina Nursing; Jade Klinger, Chris & JR Kuberski; Ashley Knopp, Craig A. Wilson Agriculture; Griffin Koester, Della Mae Coppernoll; Alexis Kraft, United Presbyterian Church; Jenna Krusey, Clarence W. Chapman Memorial; Allison Kundert, Stateline Area Crime Stoppers; Bailey Luy, Clarence W. Chapman Memorial; Dominic Mercado, Dr. & Mrs. Ozro Hill; Carson Meyers, Don & Florence Evans, Harlan & Jean Koberstein; Nathan Meyers, Newell-Leonard C. Ferguson Memorial; Brittney Mordini, Betty & Ray Stamm Healthcare; Chane Oosthuizen, Edna Hayden Johnson Memorial, Virginia Ames Cosmetology; Matthew Pfeiffer, Steve Mihina Mathematics-Science; Jenna Picha, Margaret & Clarence Mitchell; Erin Schrader, Joe & Jennifer Kanosky; Jenna Skarlupka, Michelle E. Berberet Memorial; Shelby Slick, Betty & Ray Stamm, Betty and Roger Dornink Memorial; Savanna Steele, Wesley I. Robinson D.V.M Memorial; Dajonna Taylor, Kutz Family Memorial; Thomas Tempel, Frederick & Alice Kirkman Memorial; Michael Thruman, James A. Davis Memorial; Robert Walker Jr., Steven Turner Memorial, Dr. & Mrs. Ozro Hill; Ronald Webb, Kutz Family Memorial; Shamiya Wilson, Edna Hayden Johnson Memorial; Stacy Wittfield, Edna Hayden Johnson Memorial; Elizabeth Woitynek, Newell-Leonard C. Ferguson Memorial; Autumn Yoder, Betty & Ray Stamm, Roger A. Hutmacher Memorial
Galena: Sean Hartness, Wid Hance Automotive; Magdalyn Finazzo, Frederick & Alice Kirkman Memorial
German Valley: Alicia Gray, Bauer Family; Brooklynn Hollis, Louis Fauser/Bankers Mutual Life
Lanark: Jared Wilczynski, Dr. & Mrs. Ozro Hill
Lena: Nathanael Bayer, Eduard Buss Business & Technology, Home School; Laurel Flynn, Eduard Buss Business & Technology, Lamplighter Chapter of American Business Women Association; Asa Lake, Eduard Buss Forensics; Jordan Lee, Eduard Buss Business & Technology; Noah Peight, Gene Haas Foundation; Abby Strominger, College Now; Gretchen Heitkam, Harold D. Walkup; Alec Aurand, Eduard Buss Forensics; Cole Oberle, James A. Davis Memorial; Marissa Runkle, Goodwill Industries, Harold Lee Offenheiser; Allison Weegens, Robert & Lois Harlan; April Woolcock, Eduard Buss Forensics
London, United Kingdom: Naomi McKenzie, Larry and Jean Kahl Athletics; Mya-Laryce Tomlin-McKenzie, Larry and Jean Kahl Athletics
McConnell: Emily Diffenderfer, Eduard Buss Women in Engineering, Lamplighter Chapter of American Business Women Association
Milledgeville: Shelby Judd, Buss Dairy Judging Agriculture, Hobart Agriculture
Monroe, Wisconsin: Jenel Moise, Eduard Buss Natural Science & Health
Montreal, Canada: Babacar Cisse, Larry and Jean Kahl Athletics
Mt. Morris: Danielle Hagemann, Del Scheider Agriculture, Highland Chapter #108 of Pheasants Forever
Nora: Carter Kubat, Ennenga/Holm Memorial
Orangeville: Kelsey Bollon, Krug-Phillips Memorial; Dylan Dietmeier, 1st Farm Credit Services; Austin Guy, Newell-Leonard C. Ferguson Memorial; Jamie Watson, Dr. & Mrs. Ozro Hill
Osijek, Croatia: Luka Barisic, Larry and Jean Kahl Athletics
Pearl City: Tyra Clark, Eduard Buss Natural Science & Health; Gwen Heimerdinger, Ray & Jeanie Searby; Taylor Hillman, Newell-Leonard C. Ferguson Memorial; Kyle Mellnick, Forreston State Bank; Matthew Werkheiser, Rawson Engineering
Pecatonica: Aaron Ackerman, Northwest Illinois Deer Collectors Club; Tierra Boss, H.G. Kable Memorial
Ridott: Zowie Kauffman, Charlotte A. Zartman; Baylee Manus, James Schneiderman Memorial
Rock City: Wade Flack, Gene Haas Foundation; Ryan Miller, Eduard Buss Natural Science & Health; Oksana Zavolokoff, Eduard Buss Humanities/Social Science; Miranda Goeke, George Kinney; Ryan Miller, Wesley I. Robinson D.V.M Memorial; Ethan Trampel, Marion Byram
Rockford: Carli Reeverts, Eduard Buss Business & Technology, Hobart Agriculture; Kristina Dismuke, Edna Hayden Johnson Memorial, Maureen Baldwin Cosmetology; Krystle Hardiman, Edna Hayden Johnson Memorial
Savanna: Katie Hoffman, Craig A. Wilson Agriculture
Shannon: Cassidy Loberg, Home School; Madalyn Lukowski, College Now; Adrianna Hensgen, Harry A. Warthen, Illinois Community College System Foundation Health Trust; Anthony Murphy, William A. Trunck Memorial; Nichole Potempa, Leonard C. & Mildred F. Ferguson Foundation Nursing
Stockton: Heather Musser, Lamplighter Chapter of American Business Women Association; Mikayla Baysinger, Dick & Irma Dittmar-Ames Memorial; Haylie Ford, Betty Shaffer Memorial; Paige Fuchs, Newell-Leonard C. Ferguson Memorial; Michelle Johnson, Eduard Buss Forensics, Fredrick & Alice Kirkman Memorial; Jessica Miller, Richard Ames Memorial Computer Science, Harold Lee Offenheiser; Heather Musser, Ken & Marien Stein; Ramsey Schulz, Mr. & Mrs. Robert P. Wurtzel Memorial
Thomson: Natalie Wilkinson, Hobart Agriculture
Vrhnika, Serbia: Ziga Habat, Larry and Jean Kahl Athletics
Warren: Crystal Bartell, Joyce Cain-Stauffer Memorial Healthcare, Women’s Education Fund, American Business Women’s Association-TLC Chapter; Zachery Sperry, R.C. Miller Agriculture; Madison Tesmer, Ennenga/Holm Memorial
Winslow: Sydni Aebly, Eduard Buss Business & Technology, Home School; Katelyn Chapman, Women’s Education Fund, Mary Gregory Warthen; Noah Trumpy, Fehr-Graham & Associates