Morris Community High School honors seniors

MORRIS — One of the traditions of the end of the school year at Morris Community High School is Honors Day, a day in which the entire school congregates to pay tribute to students that have distinguished themselves throughout time as a Redskin.

Like so much in early 2020, Honors Day had to take a different form this year, but the MCHS administration, faculty and staff found a way to honor those deserving students by posting a video on YouTube that announced various award winners, as well as honoring those faculty and staff members that will retire at the end of the school year and the dedication of the 2019-2020 yearbook..

"We are very fortunate to provide many scholarships to various students, based on the generosity of many families and organizations in the Morris community," District 101 Superintendent Dr. Craig Ortiz said to open the video. "Thank you to the many donors and groups that have made these scholarships possible. In a typical year, we would have several outside presenters join us on this day to help us honor our students. This year we have respectfully requested to present these awards on behalf of the various donors and groups."

Winners of the various scholarships and awards, along with the dollar amounts when announced, are as follows:

Exelon Nuclear Dresden Generating Station Scholarship ($1000) – Marissa Trobl

Spirit of FRU Scholarship – Tony Pethtel

Honor S. Trotter Teacher Education Award ($2000) – Paige Thorson

Norma Peel Kenney Scholarship – Chloe Gallo

Rosalie S. Paulson Scholarship ($1000) – Meganne Johnson

Jessica Bennett Scholarship – Anja Huettemann

Morris Police Benevolent Society ($500 each) – Owen Jungles and Anthony Pethtel

Morris Rotary Scholarship ($1000 each) – Kayla Aitkenhead, Robert Bates, Rori Griffin, Sophie Mennenga, McKenzie Pilch, Marissa Trobl

Arthur Gore STEM Memorial Scholarship — Marissa Trobl

Corsello-Prenzler Art Scholarship – Kaylee Benson

Morris Warriors Troy Shannon Scholarship – Scott Dale

Home for the Holidays Scholarship ($1000 each) – Sophie Mennenga and Caleb Hobbick

Grundy County 40 ET 8 Voiture 1195 Nursing Scholarship ($500) – Anja Huettemann

Morris Quarterback Club Award ($500 each) – Scott Dale and Zach Reddinger

American Legion Service Award – Hannah Barth and Eli Davy

Joe B. Laughary Scholarship – Haley Aukland

MCHS Student Council Always a Redskin Scholarship ($500 each) – Sophie Mennenga and Barry Amiano

John Martin Steele VFW Post 6049 Post Auxiliary Academic Scholarship ($1000) – Caleb Hobbick

John Martin Steele VFW Post 6049 Academic Scholarship ($1000) – Marissa Trobl

The Ryan Bernickus Memorial Scholarship ($1000) – Matt Lopez

I Care International ($1000 each) – Sophie Mennenga and Isabelle Hess

Janice M. Wendling Education Scholarship – Kaylee Roether

Mark A. Wendling Engineering Scholarship – Terri Silva

Morris Color Guard First Responder Scholarship ($500) – Owen Jungles

School Citizenship given by Lions Club ($2500 each) – Macy Rodgers and Barry Amiano

Robert & Melissa Ciota Scholarship – Hannah Barth

Helen & Eugene L. Funk Scholarship – Sophie Mennenga

Mark R. McTague Scholarship – Alayna Kjellesvik

Espi Siron Scholarship – Sophia Shaw

Dr. Keith & Senator Sue Rezin Endowment Scholarship – Kaylee Roether

Activity Awards by Kiwanis – Barry Amiano and Sophie Mennenga

Fred W. Anderson Scholarship – Rori Griffin, Madelyn Knapp, McKenzie Pilch, Simone Robinson-Stevens

Mazon Masonic Lodge Scholarship – Marissa Trobl

DAR/SAR Awards – Sophie Mennenga (DAR winner) and Dan Grant (SAR winner)

Yearbook Dedication/Retiree Recognition – The yearbook was dedicated to English teacher, assistant boys varsity basketball coach and head varsity baseball coach Todd Kein. Retirees include Kay Matteson (34 years of service as Guidance Office secretary and registrar), Michaeline Tooley (15 years of service as Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent and Board of Education), and Zan Higgins (24 years of service as Family and Consumer Sciences teacher)