Garden club to award three $2,000 scholarships
It's time to apply for the Arlington Heights Garden Club's three $2,000 scholarships for the 2022-23 school year.
Each year, the Arlington Heights Garden Club awards one or more $2,000 academic scholarships to assist area students. The club has awarded 39 academic scholarships to outstanding students since 2003. Students living in Arlington Heights and surrounding communities are eligible to apply.
Proceeds from the annual Garden Walk are used to fund the scholarship program. Information and applications are available on the AHGC website, ahgardenclub.com.
For questions, contact dennehm@gmail.com.
Two $2,000 were awarded for the current 2021-22 school year:
• The $2,000 Gilbert Krohn Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Alexis Opperman.
Alexis graduated from Buffalo Grove High School in 2018, and was awarded an AHGC scholarship for her first year of college. Now a senior majoring in environmental engineering, with minors in German and mathematics, Alexis has maintained a college 3.7 GPA over her three years of college.
She took many Advanced Placement classes in high school, allowing her an advanced start with her University of Alabama classes, which has come in handy during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the school year, Alexis has a job as student engineer with the Alabama Industrial Assessment Center, working with companies on ways to reduce energy usage and environmental emissions. While at school, she is the corresponding secretary for her Theta Tau engineering fraternity.
• The $2,000 Wendy Landwehr Memorial Scholarship was awarded to Marlena Kot.
Marlena graduated from John Hersey High School in 2019; this is the third year she has been awarded the Wendy Landwehr Memorial Scholarship.
During high school, Marlena completed 10 Advanced Placement classes, which provided her with a considerable advantage picking up a two-year class advantage in her major of nuclear engineering and physics at the University of Michigan, where she is maintaining a 3.37 GPA while taking advanced classes.
Marlena is very interested in cleaning up the environment by using nuclear fusion instead of coal to generate electrical energy. Fusion is a clean method for generating energy, where the current process of fission produces radioactive by-products. She is taking a plasma physics research course this year that is usually taken by graduate students.
Marlena has held a variety of jobs during her years at school. Playing basketball has been a continuous hobby and interest for her from age 6. She is now transitioning into coaching.