W.A.C.O. Awards 2015 Scholarship Winners

The Woodfield Area Children's Organization awarded three $1000 scholarships to students from local high schools at its May 11th meeting. W.A.C.O. is proud to play a role in the success of these students. Each of them has excelled academically in high school, and has devoted considerable time to community service. All three students plan to continue to do volunteer work throughout their college years.

Tim Stricker of Rolling Meadows High School won the Michael O'Malley Memorial Scholarship. While in high school, Tim has logged more than 300 community service hours. He plans to attend Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida and hopes to fly for the U.S. Navy, or to work as a humanitarian aviator by delivering supplies wherever needed in the world.

Tamanna Phadke of Schaumburg High School has been awarded the Bill Kelly Memorial Scholarship. Tamanna will study business with an emphasis on accounting at the University of Illinois. She has volunteered at W.A.C.O.'s Christmas Shopping Tour sophomore-senior years and has done a huge amount of other volunteer work as well. Tamanna is also accomplished on the French horn and in performance poetry.

W.A.C.O. awarded Gina Pfister of William Fremd High School the John Bestmann Memorial Scholarship. Gina hopes to earn a bioengineering degree at the University of Illinois. She plans to use her degree to help people in third-world countries. While in high school Gina tackled the problem of overcoming the stigma associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and getting veterans to seek treatment. This resulted in her designing a treatment program for vets with PTSD that also allows them to train their own service dogs.

W.A.C.O. is proud to support these fine students as they pursue their goals through higher education and hope. To learn more about W.A.C.O. visit www.waco4kids.org.