West Dundee teen honored with Visitor's Center scholarship

The Dundee Township Visitor's Center, in conjunction with Dundee Township Rotary Foundation, awarded a $1,500 scholarship to Dundee-Crown student Samantha Kowalczyk of West Dundee. She will be attending University of Illinois in Champaign to study business.

"Thank you so much, this will help a lot," Kowalczyk said after receiving the award at the Dundee Township Rotary's annual awards banquet on May 12. Fifteen scholarships totaling $36,500 were awarded to college-bound students at the event.

Kowalczyk is a super honor roll student and was named an Illinois State Scholar for academic excellence. She is a member of the National Honor Society and is a member of Beta Club, French Club, Orchestra, and plays second base for Dundee-Crown's softball team. Kowalczyk volunteers for FISH Food Pantry, serves on the peer ministry team for her church and enjoys taking weeklong mission trips during the summer.

"It is our hope that Samantha will not only be able to use this money to further her education, but then someday she'll be able to give something back to her home community in the form of expertise or leadership," said Visitor's Center board President Stephen K. Pickett.

The Visitor's Center scholarship was established in 2008 by the Dundee Township Visitor's Center, a nonprofit organization located at 319 N. River St. in East Dundee. In addition to serving as a bicycle trail rest stop and clearinghouse for tourism information in and around Dundee Township, the Visitor's Center also hosts the Old Dundee Farmers Market every Saturday, May through October.

Pickett said funds for the scholarship came from Visitor's Center donations and booth fees from the Dundee Township Farmers Market. "We don't receive any other funding, other than use of the building and grounds, which the village of East Dundee owns and generously lets us use," he said.

"We awarded our first scholarship last year, and it's our hope to be able to continue and even expand the effort in the future," said board member Paula Lauer. "The farmers market has been a great asset because not only does it add to the ambience and attractiveness of our community, but as it's grown, it's enabled us to give back to the community and participate in things like this scholarship program or just reach out to other organizations who are doing what they can to support our same mission."

The Visitor's Center has donated funds to other community organizations including $2,500 for landscaping to the Save the Silo fund at Raceway Woods and $500 to the Dundee Township Historical Society for a new furnace.

For information about the Visitor's Center and the farmers market, including photos, upcoming events and contests, visit www.dundeedepot.com.