- Mound Westonka High School
- MWHS Home
Students Receive $227K in Community Scholarships
Mound Westonka High School senior scholarship winner Melissa Drill watched the virtual Scholarship Awards Night presentation on YouTube Wednesday night.
May 21, 2020 — Mound Westonka High School hosted the annual Scholarship Awards Night on May 20, when 62 scholarships worth over $227,900 in scholarship money from 40 different donors were awarded to 57 members of the 2020 graduating class. Although the event looked different this year, a video presentation of the scholarship awards ensured the recognition and celebration of recipients and donors alike.
“We are excited to celebrate our seniors, who have shown excellence over their five years at the high school, as well as the incredible generosity of our community donors,” said Principal Mark McIlmoyle, who invited viewers on YouTube to “collectively pause” and celebrate the hard-working scholarship recipients.
While the awards ceremony and social usually offers a connection between the scholarship donors and the senior award winners, McIlmoyle assured both groups that opportunities will be made available for recipients and donors to meet and interact with one another.
“The excitement of the students receiving the scholarships is matched only by the excitement of the donors,” he added.
Scholarships were awarded as follows:
Cheryl (Woolley) and John Dale Scholarship – Gage Olson; Westonka District 277 Foundation Col. Brown Scholarship – Mikayla Schlosser, Mikaela Morris, Rebecca Nachreiner and Connor Prok; Warren Stickney Memorial Scholarship – Kelly Goldberg; Spring Creek Scholarship for Arts & Humanities – Rowan Fischer-HoeftI; Northwest Tonka Lions Scholarship – Grace Hanson; Yost/Haddorff/Leopold Scholarship – Melissa Drill and Isaiah Dempsey; Thomas and Phyllis O’Malley Scholarship – Olivia Martel; Westonka District 277 Foundation Bill Gillespie Memorial Scholarship – Sarah Malchow, Bekah McCann, Charles Nelson and Monique LaCroix; Northwest Tonka Lions Irv Stevenson Scholarship – Ariel Grymala; Val Chabot Memorial Scholarship – Sonja Hoversten; Ridgeview Foundation Health Care Scholarship – Kate McGown;
Westonka Jaycees Scholarship – Michael Andrev and Samantha Otto; Al and Alma’s Leadership Scholarship – Zachary Hayes; James J. Jackson Memorial Scholarship – Morgan McFadden; Mound Westonka Rotary Scholarship – Rebecca Nachreiner; Mound Westonka Rotary Interact Scholarship – Amelia Proulx; Mary Esther Corl Memorial Scholarship – Elissa Groe; John Rasmussen Memorial Scholarship – Adam Nobs; Brian Chase Memorial Scholarship – Zachary Hayes; Mound Masonic Lodge #320 Scholarship – Olivia Schaper; Larry Exel Basketball Memorial Scholarship – Samantha Otto and Connor Prok; Kyle D. Simonson Memorial Scholarship – Olivia Martel.
Tyler Russell Hill Sunshine Scholarships - Science: Lily Hames, History: Adam Born, Foreign Language: Chloe Kantola, DECA: Emily Moore, Football: Jack Bullock, Rugby/Hockey/Soccer: Blake Harmer; Crime Prevention Fund – Hampton Velarde and Maria Morande; WEM Teachers’ Union Scholarship – Emily Oberdeck; American Legion Auxiliary Unit #398 Scholarship – Medical: Ava Chonia, 2-Year/Technical – Cassidy Jenkins; Class of 1967 Scholarship – Ari Zahasky; Sue Riley Memorial Scholarship – Gace Biglow; Orono-Westonka Soccer Club Scholarship – Callie Copeman; Mound Fire Department Auxiliary Scholarship – Emma Mack; Long Lake Fire Department Scholarship – Alexander Flemal; Tonka Built Scholarship – Daniel Neve;
MWHS National Honor Society Scholarship – Joe Schwob and Bailey Kahmeyer; Westonka Administrators Scholarship – Trey Madsen; Robert Photography Scholarship – Ivy Anderson; MWHS Student Senate Scholarship – Elexis Jolicoeur and Robert Brustad; Knights of Columbus Mound Council 6005 Scholarship – Callyn Tice and Arthur Witschorik; Minnesota Lakes Bank Scholarship – Sophia Cherba; Wiser Insurance Agency Scholarship – Noah Alvig; Fred Hanley Memorial Scholarship – Zachary Babb; Marty Gilbertson Educational Office Employees Scholarship – Rachel Christensen; Jon Scherven Memorial Scholarship – Tristan Kaye; Wollner Family Cross Country Scholarship – Brett Bowman.
“We will miss these incredible young people at our school,” said McIlmoyle. He encouraged the graduates to stay positive and added, “We are proud of you.”
McIlmoyle also thanked the donors for their incredible generosity. “These students are outstanding representatives for the scholarships they have received,” he said. “Thank you for setting a wonderful example for them.”