Austin Academic Achievement Awards & Scholarship Night

The Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation (RIMEF) celebrated the Rock Island High School Top Ten of each class at the Austin Academic Achievement and Scholarship Award night on Tuesday, May 9. RIMEF awarded a record $141,200 to the Class of 2023.

Fifty-seven accomplished Rock Island High School seniors received $36,000 in Austin Academic Achievement Award (AAAA) scholarships and $105,200 RIMEF named scholarships at the annual ceremony.

Top Ten Recognitions

 
Freshman: Lauryn Barker, Landyn Bowker, LaRayah Carroll, Francesca Guyette, Zaynah Hassan, John Sel Htoo, Emily Ignatius, Owen Klapperich, Haleigh Laud, Gabriel Mahn, Fedora Noya, Claire O’Hern-Maidak, Eh Dah Soe, Jackson St Amand, Averi Vroman
 
Sophomores: Elaina Adlfinger, Hussein Alhamdan, Carson Banks, Bibi Barikzay, Madison Carroll, Alexander Churchill, Nathaniel Cruz-Oliveros, Chase Curry, Max Davis, Zoe Ehlers, Alexis Gahimbare, Lauren Gottcent, Mia Hixson, Karsen Horton, Stella Houk, Ywa Tar Hay Htoo, Benjamin Huisman, Naomi King, Mu Phlay K’Tooe Soe, Yessenia Leos-Ochoa, Abbagale Lieber, A’rion Lonergan-Shinskia, Isabella Marceleno, Kevin Mayares, Elizabeth McCoy, September Naing, Grayson Perion, Lily Phares, Pedro Ramirez, Lyric Rice, Linda Rose, Olivia Samuelson, Mylie Shook, Sophia Stout, Madison Wangler, Tyler Whipple, Kiana Williams

Juniors: Presley Behrens, Jackson Bennett, Leah Conner, Eva Essman, Lucette Feigley, Riley Levan, Asa Mahn, Almir Matias, Alivia Stanley, Chloe Turner
 
Seniors: Julian Anderson, Daxon Ashpaugh, Vix Dang, Stephen Dillender, Ella Hansen, Riley Hawotte, Madelyn Maidak, Keller Mathews, Kaylee Plohr, Natalie Pothoven, Lucas Rettig
 

Department Scholarship Awards

 
Rock Island High School Department Awards were given to seniors who excelled in a particular subject area. First place received a $1,500 scholarship and second place received $1,200 scholarship.
 
Business: Kennedy Maombi, Emily Myers
Career and Technical Education: Olivia Wiese, Dominic Baker
EL - English Learners: Klae Kpor, Maryrose Abuke
English: Natalie Pothoven, Daxon Ashpaugh
Fine Arts - Performing: Kassandra Miller, Brennan Hampton
Fine Arts - Visual: Madelyn Maidak, Vaida Gunasheva
Math: Ella Hansen, Nathan Hendrickx
Science: Vix Dang, Keller Mathews
Social Studies: Emma Jasper, Nathanial Gottcent
World Languages: Riley Hawotte, Aiyanna Lacey                                   

 

Scholarship Awards: 
 
Nell Althoff Family Memorial Scholarship - $2,500 each
Recipients: Emma Jasper, Riley Jones, Montzerrat Meza-Pena, Brandon Poulos
 
Charles O. Austin Leadership Scholarship – $2,000
Recipient: Madelyn Maidak
 
Bally’s Quad Cities Scholarship – 3 awards
Recipient, $3,000 award: Vix Dang
Recipient, $2,000 award: Kaylee Plohr
Recipient, $1,000 award: Stephen Dillender
 
Carole S. Barkan Scholarship – $1,000
Recipient: Amiyah Woods
 
Boeye Family Scholarship – $1,000
Recipient: Mackenzie Meirhaeghe
 
Grant W. and Virginia M. Brissman Scholarship - $4,000
Recipient: Dylan James
 
Class of 1961 Scholarship – $1,000 each
Recipients: Dominic Baker, Monyonnoh Carr, Maricela Churchill, Mizero Gerald, Tamiah Jamison, Niyitunga Jeanvier, Alyce Jett-Ryan, Austin Kowalik, Juanita Lopez, Kennedy Maombi, Nevaeh Robinson-Cunningham, Gavin Quinones
 
Class of 1963 “First in the Family Scholarship” - $1,000 each
Recipients: Nelie Ninahzwe, Montzerrat Meza-Pena
 
Class of 1965 Scholarship - $500
Recipient: Mizero Gerald
 
Stanley H. Coin Business Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Riley Hawotte
 
Donald E. Devinney Business and Business Education Scholarship - $8,000
Recipient: Emily Myers
 
Barbara Fackel AVID Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Aline Niyogusenga
 
“Failure is Not an Option” the Candice Hinze Williams Scholarship – $1,000
Recipient: Brennan Hampton
 
Ben D. and Nancy K. Brown Farrar Scholarship - $2,000
Recipient: Kennedy Maombi
 
Jim and Doug Franz Memorial Scholarship: $1,500
Recipient: Madelyn Maidak
 
Rick Gilliland Scholarship - $500
Recipient: Aiyanna Lacey
 
Ray and Elva Haberthur Memorial Scholarship - $2,000
Recipient: Natalie Pothoven
 
Hass Family Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Mackenzie Meirhaeghe
 
Heart of a “Rock” - $1,000
Recipient: Gavin Quinones
 
Amy Helpenstell Liberal Arts Scholarship – $1,000
Recipient: Mackenzie Meirhaeghe
 
Jerry and Sue (Farrow) Horton Scholarship – $1,000
Recipient: Dominic Baker
 
Derek James Jackson Art Scholarship - $500
Recipient: Chanel Colvin
 
Timothy Joannides Family Foundation Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Maricela Churchill
 
Tyler John Memorial Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Nathaniel Gottcent
 
Judith A. Katz Scholarship - $4,000
Recipient: Julian Anderson
 
Donavin J. Keim Scholarship – $500
Recipient: Darius Tongo
 
Knights of Pythias Scholarship – $1,000
Recipient: Camryn Milefchik
 
R. Decker Magee Memorial Scholarship - $500
Recipient: Jake Brandt
 
The Marler Clark Science Scholarship - $2,000
Recipient: Keller Mathews
 
Mollie Montgomery Scholarship - $2,000
Recipient: Anjilika Barikzay
 
Herb Niemann Scholarship - $1,200
Recipient: Lucas Rettig
 
R. Dale Owen “Be the Light” Memorial Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Ntiebuwayo Leya
 
Charlie White/Richard Klatt Purple Tuna Creativity Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Vaida Gunasheva
 
Darrell and Mary Anne Reynolds Scholarship - $2,000 each
Recipients: Rafael Lopez, Dustin Moreno
 
Miles W. Rich Family Scholarship - $4,000
Recipient: Ethan Smithson
 
Jayovontae “Jaree” Roberts Scholarship - $500 each
Recipient, Education: Riley Jones
Recipient, Music: Nathaniel Gottcent
 
Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation Scholarship - $1,000 each
Recipient, 4-year College: Jake Brandt
Recipient, 2-year College: Aiyanna Lacey
Recipient, Vocational School: Isabelle Roelens
 
Rock Island-Milan Education Foundation Merit Scholarships - $500 each
Recipients: Jace Bennett, Alexis Carroll, Stephen Dillender
 
Fred Houlton “Service Above Self” Rock Island Rotary Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Ella Hansen
 
Rock Island Township Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Gavin Quinones
 
Chet and Louise Schultz Scholarship - $2,000
Recipient: Brandon Poulos
 
Schwiebert Family Scholarship - $2,000
Recipient: Lucas Rettig
 
William and Saralie Shallman Memorial Scholarship - $2,500
Recipient: Nee Pwe
 
Terry Stephens Memorial Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient, Softball: Alexis Carroll
 
Elizabeth Kennel Williams Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Venansia Annuarite
 
Women’s Computer Science, Math, & IT Scholarship - $500
Recipient: Amiyah Woods
 
Rosemary Woodward Scholarship - $1,000
Recipient: Monyonnoh Carr
 
DW Young Memorial Scholarship - $4,000
Recipient: Kayla Rice