When it comes to paying for college, scholarships are one of the many tools students can use. Each year the Superintendent’s Scholarship is awarded to a select group of seniors. The scholarship was awarded to seniors James Aquisto, Madalyn Dishman, Brooke Hineman, Haley Kelly, Autumn Ludwig, Nicholas Mitchell, and Veronica Walters.

The scholarship awards $1,000 to these seniors to put towards paying for college. With the help of funds raised through the Evening of Excellence, the Utica Community Schools Foundation for Educational Excellence makes this scholarship possible.

“I was so excited and honored that Doctor Johns picked me,” senior Veronica Walters said.

In order to apply, students had to fill out an online application and write an essay regarding their career goals and how they plan to achieve these goals.

“I’ve always seen the superintendent scholarship as something that would be an amazing accomplishment” senior Madalyn Dishman said. “So when I found out the dates to apply I was very excited and applied.”

A number of students were then chosen to move forward in the selection process, where they were required to do an interview. The interview was conducted by Superintendent Christine Johns.

“I was very nervous for my interview at first but I still felt that it went very well,” senior Brooke Hineman said. “It was very easy and quick, which helped with the nerves.”

The seven seniors selected to receive the scholarship were invited to a scholarship awards ceremony on Thursday, Apr. 11. The ceremony recognized the seniors as the 2019 recipients of the scholarship.

“My favorite thing was meeting the other kids from the district who won and hearing their accomplishments,” Walters said. “The food was also really good.”

One senior in particular received another award. In addition to the Superintendent’s Scholarship, senior Haley Kelly was presented with the Momentum Award. This award is awarded to females who possess the qualities of  young women leaders.

“I was really shocked, they didn’t tell us they were even giving out that award,” Kelly said. “It was pretty crazy, everyone stood and applauded the seven people that had won.”