Arlington Heights Memorial Library Foundation names four winners of its Scholarship for the Trade
The Arlington Heights Memorial Library Foundation recently announced the winners of its 2024 scholarship for District 214 students who are hoping to attend trade school. This is the second year the foundation has offered this scholarship. Last year, two John Hersey High School graduates were named winners.
“Our goal is to reach young people in the community — specifically the makers who have benefited so greatly from our community Makerplace — and encourage them to use their skills in the trades,” said Lauree Harp, founder and chair of the foundation. “We are so grateful to everyone who has donated to our scholarship fund, and we are honored to help these bright students continue their education.”
This year’s winners include four graduates of three District 214 schools. Peter Buehler graduated from Buffalo Grove High School and plans to study pipe fitting and welding at Harper College. Connor Cruz, a Rolling Meadows High School graduate, also plans to attend Harper College and enroll in the HVAC program. Mary Grace Luczak, a John Hersey High School graduate, will study cosmetology at Capelli Salon Academy. And Fillip Reytikh, another John Hersey High School graduate, plans to study welding at Harper College.
“Hersey, and District 214 overall, have so many great opportunities for students to build skills and explore options in the trades while in high school,” said Christopher Chiakulas, a postsecondary counselor at John Hersey High School. “Thanks to the Arlington Heights Memorial Library Foundation’s Scholarship for the Trades, students in our community can continue to build on these skills in college with less of a financial burden, helping them fulfill their ultimate goal of a career in the trades. This is such a great opportunity for an often-overlooked group of students.”
The foundation, which supports the Arlington Heights Memorial Library and Makerplace, hopes these scholarships will inspire and promote education in the skilled trades. This year, the foundation offered four $2,500 scholarships, including a scholarship funded by friends and family of the late Arlington Heights resident and maker Jeffrey Moroney. These scholarships were open to District 214 students and alumni who are 17 to 25 years of age and interested in pursuing a career in the skilled trades that require advanced training other than a four-year bachelor’s degree, such as plumbing, carpentry, electrical, HVAC, machining, welding or cosmetology.
The foundation will begin accepting applications for the 2025 scholarship early next year.
For information on the scholarship and its criteria, visit www.ahmlfoundation.org/scholarship.
For information on the Arlington Heights Memorial Library Foundation, visit www.ahmlfoundation.org.
The Arlington Heights Memorial Library Foundation is a not-for-profit, 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization that provides funds to help develop and sustain a world-class library. The Foundation provides support to the Arlington Heights Memorial Library by securing financial and in-kind donations. Donors who have a strong belief in the importance of a healthy, vibrant library have the opportunity to donate funds to our nonprofit, tax-exempt private organization.