Greenfield Residents Earn Kohl Awards

Dana Steffen of Whitnall High School  and Merve Senel of the Wisconsin Career Academy in Milwaukee were among the recipients of the 2011 Herb Kohl Foundation awards for students and teachers.

The $1,000 awards are being made to 100 teachers, their schools, and 181 graduating high school students.

Excellence scholarship recipients, such as Steffen, demonstrate excellence in the academic arena and high motivation to achieve, display a broad range of activity and leadership outside the academic setting, and show strong promise for succeeding in college and beyond.

Recipients are selected by a statewide committee composed of civic leaders, and representatives of education-related associations and the program’s co-sponsors: The Wisconsin Newspaper Association Foundation, Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Wisconsin Council of Religious and Independent Schools (WCRIS), and regional Cooperative Educational Service Agencies (CESA).

Initiative scholarship recipients, such as Senel, are chosen by their schools, demonstrate exceptional initiative in the classroom and show strong promise for succeeding in college and beyond, but have not yet received other academic-based scholarships.

The Kohl Foundation Scholarship and Fellowship program was established by U.S. Senator Herb Kohl in 1990. To date the foundation has awarded $7.4 million to Wisconsin educators, students and schools.

“Education is the key to the future of Wisconsin and our nation. I am very proud of the accomplishments of these students and teachers, and look forward to the great contributions they will make in the future”, Kohl said in a news release.

Steffen and Senel were invited to attend an awards luncheon at Pius XI on Sunday, April 3. Senator Kohl will attend all luncheons and present awards to recipients.