Photo by Diane Cox
Alton High School seniors Savanna Durr, Maika Miller and Maddy Miller received an Alton Educational Foundation scholarship for college education costs.
ALTON — The Alton Educational Foundation has awarded more than $100,000 in grants and scholarships for students and staff in the Alton School District by raising funds for programs without the use of tax dollars.
AHS seniors Savanna Durr, Maika Miller and Maddy Miller received a $500 scholarship after completing an application, providing references and showing a record of community service, school involvement and academic responsibility.
“I am so thankful for receiving this scholarship,” Durr said. “There is no way I would be able to go to college without scholarships and grants. It’s just too expensive without earning scholarships these days. I’ve had to consider my game plan to attend college since I was a freshman and work hard to reach it.”
Graduating with a 4.4 grade point average and ranking 21st in the 2016 class, Durr will seek a two-year criminal justice degree from Lewis and Clark Community College before transferring to SIUE to pursue further education.
Maika Miller reached for the stars through the Alton High School theater department and is an avid singer and musician, playing the violin with the AHS school and concert orchestra.
Maintaining a 3.79 grade point average, Miller looks forward to a future at SIUE in musical theater and pre-med.
“I searched for scholarship opportunities on the guidance website and found the Alton Educational Foundation scholarship was available,” she said. “It’s so helpful that the school has that resource. I’m really thankful to the AEF for granting me this scholarship. Every dollar counts with college, so words can’t express how much I appreciate them.”
Maddy Miller didn’t just dance her way through high school at AHS, although she did dance her way to the National Dance Championships in Florida with the Alton dance team during her senior year. Earning a 4.0 grade point average, she said she is looking forward to her future at Bradley University.
“My guidance counselor suggested I apply for the Alton Education Foundation scholarship,” Miller said. “I had no idea what I wanted to do when I started high school; I just knew I wanted to be a good student and dance. I didn’t really make a decision on my future until my senior year. I look forward to pursuing physical therapy at Bradley.”
As the state budget continues to be a concern for the education system, the tax-exempt, nonprofit foundation plans to help more students in coming years through donations from residents and businesses.
Anyone interested in making a donation can visit altoned.org to become a member for as little as $5. Donations can be mailed to the Alton Educational Foundation at P.O. Box 514, Alton, IL 62002-0514. For information, email contactus@altoned.org.
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