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Warren students flourishing in Schuler scholarship program

Warren Township High School seniors participating in a privately funded college scholarship program are on pace to exceed lofty expectations, officials said.

Terry Broccolo, a regional director for the Schuler Scholar Program, gave the positive news as part of an annual report to the Warren District 121 board.

Students from the Gurnee high school who participate in the program often will be the first in their families to attend college, and would not be able to attain higher education without financial assistance, officials say. Schuler Scholars often move on to selective colleges after they graduate high school.

Of the 22 members of Warren's Class of 2015 who began as Schuler Scholars, 16 graduated from the academically rigorous program.

The Class of 2016 is on pace to do something special by graduating with one more student than it began with, said Broccolo. She said 22 began as Schuler Scholars and 23 should graduate with that distinction.

"You're going to end up with more students in that class than when you started, which is pretty unusual," she told the District 121 board.

Superintendent John Ahlgrim said it's not just the Schuler Scholar students who benefit from the academically focused program. The positive runoff includes students who are friends of the scholars.

"I love the impact that it (Schuler) has on our school culture as a whole," Ahlgrim said.

To qualify for the Schuler Scholar Program, students apply in eighth grade and are judged on a wide range of factors, including grades, test scores, essays, extracurricular involvement, teacher evaluations and interviews.

Warren has 97 Schuler Scholars. Of the scholars, 41 are Hispanic, 27 are Asian, 11 are black, 11 are listed as "other" and seven are white.

"We're certainly a diverse group," said the program's director for Warren, Laura Gabriel.

The program won praise from District 121 board member Liz Biondi.

"It's a great program," she said. "I really like it."

Investor Jack Schuler, a former Abbott Laboratories executive, started the scholarship program at Waukegan High School in 2001. Warren joined the program in 2008.

The program is also in Round Lake High School, Maine East High School in Park Ridge and Highland Park High School. Broccolo said Mundelein High School is expected to join Schuler for the 2016-17 school year.

Honor for Schuler Scholars founder:

Round Lake High Schuler Scholar students accepted into elite colleges

Scholar program expanding to Mundelein High

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