Eleven outstanding high school students have earned merit-based scholarships from the Garwin Family Foundation (GFF) to attend highly selective enrichment programs in STEM and the Fine Arts.
Marsha Ryan, MD, JD, FACS, and GFF Director: “The GFF is proud to be sponsoring its 10th cohort of regional high school students, adding Murphysboro High School to our Carbondale Community High School and Illinois Math and Science Academy scholarship recipients for 2022. These are the brightest and most dedicated students in science, math, and the arts. It is our privilege to know them and to be able to contribute to their learning this summer.
We are particularly pleased that the bulk of these programs will be in person this summer, adding to the students’ experiences of learning at the highest level.
This group of high-achieving students is a tribute to CCHS, MHS, and IMSA which provide them with such extraordinary structure close to home. We are convinced that these students will go on to make a difference in the world. We will be proud to have played this role in their development.”
The 2022 sponsorees are:
- Sydney Davis (CCHS) Iowa Young Writers’ Studio, Creative Writing
- Lauren Fakhoury (IMSA) City University of New York, Latin
- Katherine Herzog (MHS) Michigan Math and Science Scholars, Catalysis, Solar Energy and Green Chemical Synthesis
- Jordan Johnson (CCHS) Michigan Math and Science Scholars, Catalysis, Solar Energy and Green Chemical Synthesis
- Yoonseo Jung (CCHS) Stanford University, Fundamentals of Augmented Reality
- Jason Qin (IMSA) Yale University, Linear Algebra with Applications; MIT Beaverworks, Quantum Software
- Michelle Wang (CCHS) University of Colorado, Summer Science Program, Astrophysics
- Samuel Wang (CCHS) St. Louis Students and Teachers as Research Scientists, Cancer Research, Biology
- David Weng (CCHS) Awesome Math, Algebra 1.5, Elements of Geometry
- Robert Wigfall (CCHS) University of Chicago, Biotechnology
- Elaina Xiao (IMSA) MIT Beaverworks, Designing for Assistive Technology
The GFF program has a lasting impact on recipients. It enhances their academic and artistic excellence through advanced studies, provides a competitive edge in college applications, and readies them for college life through the development of time-management and independent living skills. Previous scholarship winners have pursued undergraduate majors in the area of their GFF-sponsored programs, and several have attended the elite university where they participated in summer enrichment activities.
Superintendent Daniel Booth states, “The Garwin Family Foundation’s support for CCHS students is a national model of how to give back and this partnership is one of the beautiful examples of our community supporting the next generation. The experiences that our students partake in from the scholarships awarded are mind stimulating, thought provoking, and direction giving for students that are working to chart their path in life. The support given to our students through the GFF is appreciated by our school community in ways that cannot be measured through words, and we look forward to continuing this partnership for years to come.”
CCHS Principal Ryan Thomas adds, “Thanks to the Foundation’s financial sponsorship, our students will have the opportunity to learn, create, and immerse themselves at some of the most distinguished academic institutions in the country. Their experiences at these institutions will open countless doors and create endless opportunities. It will also put CCHS students on display as some of the strongest in the country.”
Murphysboro High School Principal Cody Ellermeyer states, “Thanks to the generosity of the Garwin Family Foundation, the students of Murphysboro High School now have the opportunity to participate in highly selective summer enrichment programs. Learning at some of the top institutions, with some of the brightest students in the country will provide our brightest students an experience like no other. Our district is so thankful to the Garwin Family Foundation for including our students in this program this year. We look forward to continuing the partnership in the future so that more of Murphysboro High School’s best and brightest can take advantage of everything these enrichment programs can offer.”
GFF Liaison and CCHS Guidance Counselor Krista Antrim adds, “Every year I have the pleasure of witnessing former cohorts as they share their experiences with newly interested bright & talented students, such as those announced in this release. In these sessions, Garwin students speak about the cutting-edge education offered through their extremely rigorous summer programs. It is common to hear of the deep appreciation they feel towards the Foundation for supporting them in their fields of interest and the ripple effect the Garwin Family has had in their lives. We are grateful for their dedication to our youth and beyond proud of this newest cohort!”
The GFF, a tax-exempt operating foundation based in Carbondale, Illinois, was established in 1993 by Leo and Ruth Garwin. The Foundation’s principal objectives are furthering study and fostering achievement in the arts and sciences, humanities, law, and medicine. In the nearly three decades of its operation, it has underwritten many education programs, its latest being the Southern Illinois Student Sponsorship Program for Talented Students in Arts, Sciences and Math.
For more information, contact Lori Merrill-Fink, GFF Student Sponsorship Program Administrator, at lomerfi@outlook.com.
