ELGIN - School District U-46 celebrated 30 seniors during the annual Superintendent’s Scholarship reception and awards ceremony. These members of the Class of 2025 are first-generation college-bound students, and each will receive a $2,000 scholarship from the U-46 Educational Foundation.

“These impressive students and their families understand the transformative power of education. Through their hard work and dedication, the students are ready to take on their next challenge,” said Superintendent Dr. Suzanne Johnson. “It's important to not only celebrate our Superintendent’s Scholarship recipients but also to remind them of all the people who believe in them here in U-46. These students have bright futures ahead.”

The students, who are spotlighted in this video, will graduate this month from the District’s five comprehensive high schools: Bartlett, Elgin, Larkin, South Elgin and Streamwood. They attended a reception on April 23 along with their families, principals, U-46 administrators and Board of Education members, and members of the U-46 Educational Foundation's Board.

Since the Superintendent's Scholarship fund was established in 2012 through the U-46 Educational Foundation, approximately 340 U-46 graduates, including this year’s recipients, have been honored.

This year’s scholarships were funded by a grant from the Seigle Foundation and donors including KCT Credit Union, Studio GC, the Association of Elgin School Administrators, John B. Sanfilippo & Son Inc., and K12 Insight.

Eligible seniors submitted applications for the scholarship this past winter. Each submitted application included the student’s high school transcript, a letter of recommendation, and a personal essay. A panel of judges reviewed nearly 100 applications. The selected 30 students are bound for post-secondary institutions including Northwestern University, Stanford University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois Chicago, University of Wisconsin, Case Western Reserve University, Aurora University, and DePaul University.

During the scholarship reception, held at the U-46 Welcome Center, the students were encouraged to visit with administrators and supporters of the U-46 Educational Foundation to start establishing their professional network.

A week earlier, the students participated in a workshop led by Matthew Punnoose, a member of the U-46 Educational Foundation's board, and Jason Pierce, an alumnus of Bartlett High School who now works at Google. They instructed the students in the importance of building a strong personal and professional network and guided the scholarship winners through setting up a LinkedIn profile.

The 30 Class of 2025 Superintendent's Scholarship recipients are as follows:

Bartlett High School

Jatziry Alba

Anthony Corona

Kyle Depakakibo

Melani Flores

Shaila Ochoa

Sara Sulemanjee

Emilia Tredota

Elgin High School

Brianna Calderon

Julissa Chavez

Damaris De Alba Valdivia

Gael Flores

Lesley Gonzalez

Alondra Lechuga-Pita

Anahi Melendez

Wilebaldo Modesto Hernandez

Eric Nazario

Guadalupe Rivera

Larkin High School

Dayanara Aguilar

Lara Amaro

Andrea Jimenez

South Elgin High School

Mackenzie Klinger

Oscar Miranda

Ayush Patel

Zuzanna Szelag

Streamwood High School

Samantha Camarena

Jennifer Gaspar

Omar Lopez-Aguado

Leonor Nevarez

Sophie Saflarski

Juliana Solis

School District U-46 serves families in 11 communities: Bartlett, Elgin, Hanover Park, South Elgin, Streamwood and Wayne, as well as portions of Carol Stream, Hoffman Estates, St. Charles, Schaumburg, and West Chicago. In total, the District encompasses 90 square miles within the Fox River Valley, approximately 45 minutes west of downtown Chicago, and includes communities within Cook, DuPage and Kane counties. Nearly 34,000 preschoolers through 12th graders attend the 55 District schools and programs. To learn more, visit the U-46 website, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.