Elgin Academy names 2008 Illinois State Scholars
Nine Elgin Academy students recently were recognized as 2008 Illinois State Scholars.
The students are: Kate Burnham of Geneva; Jacqueline Diaz de Leon and Sally Moseley, both of Elgin; Joe Kozlowicz of Carpentersville; Lindsay Oriold, Daniel Vecchiolla and Turner Wadington, all of St. Charles; and Marysia Watson and Malory Wodka, both of Schaumburg.
Illinois State Scholar winners rank in the top 10 percent of the state's high school seniors from 711 high schools in the state. Selection is based on SAT, ACT and/or Prairie State Achievement Exam scores and/or academic performance.
"Having nine state scholars out of a class of 34 students shows the strong academic program at Elgin Academy, as well as the exceptional quality of our students," said Seth Hanford, Upper School director.
"Illinois State Scholars are among the best and brightest in our state's high schools," said Andrew Davis, executive director of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. "We salute them, along with their partners in reaching for the stars: their families, teachers and staff at Elgin Academy for this stellar achievement."
The prestigious award is given annually by the ISAC. While the recognition does not provide a monetary award, winners are encouraged to cite the award on applications for college admission and scholarships.
Elgin Academy is a private, non-sectarian high school in Elgin. It is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools. It also offers an accelerated program for preschool through eighth grade students, with a total enrollment of approximately 500 students. All of its seniors are admitted to top four year colleges and universities.
Created in 1957, Illinois Student Assistance Commission is the state's central provider of college aid. The agency oversees the Monetary Award Program, Illinois Veteran Grant and service-related programs to encourage students to pursue careers in teaching or nursing. Last year, ISAC issued 185,000 grants totaling $448 million and guaranteed $1.2 billion in loans. Its 529 prepaid tuition program -- College Illinois -- has allowed more than 27,000 Illinois families to prepay more than $1 billion in tuition and fees.