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Twenty-Five Illinois Students Awarded Prestigious Horatio Alger State Scholarship
The Brinson Foundation, Doris K. Christopher and Illinois Giving Club Members Provide $5,000 Scholarships to Teens for Overcoming Adversity

Washington, D.C. (May 29, 2008) – The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is pleased to announce that it has awarded 25 scholarships to deserving high school students in Illinois. Each Scholar will receive $5,000 to fund their college education. The state honorees were selected for the Horatio Alger State Scholarship Program because they made academics a priority while facing and overcoming great obstacles in their young lives.

Horatio Alger Association Immediate Past Chairman Dennis R. Washington said, “We are proud to present this award to the students of Illinois who have demonstrated integrity and determination despite significant challenges. We envision great futures for these teens.”

The State Scholarship Programs, ranging from $2,500 to $10,500, are sponsored by Horatio Alger Members and friends of the Association. In 2008, the program awarded more than 900 scholarships to students throughout the country.

The Illinois scholarships are made possible by The Brinson Foundation, Doris K. Christopher and the Illinois Giving Club Members: Dean L. Buntrock, William F. Farley, Andrew J. McKenna, Patrick G. Ryan, Terrence J. Giroux, Barbara Keebler, and Michael Giroux. 

Gary P. Brinson, Dean L. Buntrock, Doris K. Christopher, William F. Farley and Patrick G. Ryan are Horatio Alger Members.

“With the help of Gary Brinson, Doris Christopher and the Illinois Giving Club Members, more young people will have a real chance at success beginning with a higher education,” Washington added.

Horatio Alger Scholars are provided with numerous resources to ensure a successful college career.Each student receives:

• Financial aid guidance to assist in selection of and preparation for college.
• Access to the Association’s Web site where students can create online profiles, search for fellow scholars, update their personal information, submit disbursement requests, and direct questions to the Association.
• Access to a toll-free information line to speak to program coordinators for assistance with questions about their scholarships and other educational programs.

The 2008 Illinois recipients are:

• Julian A. Alvarado of Lombard, Montini Catholic High School
• Autumn T. Anthony of Chicago, Curie Metropolitan High School
• Jalisha M. Bond of Crete, Crete-Monee High School
• DaMonica N. Boone of Chicago, Martin Luther King Jr. High School
• Jemel G. Calvin of Hammond, Morton Senior High School
• Braden B. Christian of Harrisburg, Harrisburg High School
• Michelle A. Cole of Chicago, School of Entrepreneurship
• Christina L. Crider of Chicago, Lane Technical High School
• Janet De La Torre of Summit, Argo Community High School
• Jeremy A. Fain of Decatur, Douglas Macarthur High School
• Bonnie Halberstadt of South Holland, Seton Academy
• Herbert C. Harper, Jr. of Chicago, Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences
• Taylor D. Hartman of Moline, Moline Senior High School
• Timothy  Henry of Chicago, Gordon Technical High School
• Stephanie Hernandez of Chicago, Cristo Rey Jesuit High School
• Elizabeth M. Howze of Effingham, Effingham High School
• Monika Karpowicz of Hoffman Estates, J B  Conant High School
• Krystal M. Lewis of Chicago, Prosser Voc Academy Prep Center
• Denise Mercado, Chicago, Notre Dame High School for Girls
• Alyssa N. Montalto of Lombard, Montini Catholic High School
• Jackeline E. Portocarrero of Chicago, Walter Payton College Prep School
• Diana Sanchez of Chicago, Chicago Discovery Academy
• Nazmeem Sultana of Chicago, Schurz High School
• Kailey Walker of Murphysboro, Murphysboro High School
• Niger S. Washington of Zion, Zion Benton Township High School 

Scholars are encouraged to remain connected with the Association throughout their lifetime.

About the Horatio Alger Association:

Founded in 1947, the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans continues to fulfill its mission of honoring the achievements of outstanding individuals in our society who have succeeded in spite of adversity and of encouraging young people to pursue their dreams through higher education. The Horatio Alger Association offers three annual scholarship programs: the National Scholarship Program and state scholarship programs available to high school seniors in all 50 states, and the Horatio Alger Military Veterans Scholarship Program for U.S. veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts. The Association awards more than $12 million annually in college scholarships and has given over $62 million to deserving students since 1984. For more information about the scholarships, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

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