Students Receive $1,000 College Scholarships

The Joliet Region Chamber of Commerce announced that 40 students, including 19 Joliet Public Schools District 86 students, from Joliet area schools will receive a $1,000 Hawk Joliet Education Scholarship to encourage them to plan for college at an early age.  Students in grades 4-8 who maintained a grade point average of 3.75 or above on a 4.0 scale and demonstrated service to their school or community were nominated by their school principal for the award.    

This year’s District 86 winners were: T.E. Culbertson Elementary: Adilene Pantoja Gonzalez (5^th grade); M.J. Cunningham Elementary: Logan Spengler (5^th grade); Dirksen Junior High: Jai Ayan Hill (8^th grade); Eisenhower Academy: Brenden A. Scovel (5^th grade); Farragut Elementary: Eusebio A. Hernandez (5^th grade); Forest Park Individual Education (I.E.) School: Aniyah Franklin (4^th grade); Gompers Junior High: Keila Nicolas Ramirez (8^th grade); Hufford Junior High & I.E. Program: Linda Lazo (8^th grade); Thomas Jefferson Elementary: Madilyn J. Bregar (5^th grade); Edna Keith Elementary: Nicole Aguilera (4^th grade); A.O. Marshall Elementary: Braiden A. White (5^th grade); Pershing Elementary: Faye Dowling (5^th grade); Sator Sanchez Elementary: Kierston Pruitte (4^th grade); Carl Sandburg Elementary: Cecilia Adetola Omokunmi (5^th grade); Isaac Singleton Elementary: Yesteni Hernandez (4^th grade); Taft Elementary: Elayna Duran (5^th grade); Lynne Thigpen Elementary: Damien Leal Alejandre (4^th grade); Washington Junior High & Academy Program: April Ortiz (8^th grade); and Woodland Elementary: Diego Pinto (5^th grade).

The Joliet Region Chamber Education Committee established the Joliet Region Education Scholarship Fund in 2014. Sponsors of this year’s program included Hawk Joliet Cadillac-Chevrolet, ExxonMobil, Citgo, and Joliet Grade Schools Foundation for Educational Excellence.