Awards & Recognition

30 Individuals Named as IESA Scholar Attitude Award Winners

2009 Scholar Attitude Winners Taylor McGlaughlin, Emma Ross, Logan Orr, Ryan Hunt, Eva Meyer, Carly Niebrugge, Grant Leman, Danijela Jackovich, Trebor Mann, Matthew Sefton, and Calvin Quarterman Amanda Dahlquist, Ariane Wright, Edward Mulvihill, Eric Bassett, Jack Koeppel, Shelby Lessen, Rebekah Dagraedt, Megan Robin, Abbigail Brenner, and Courtney McEnery Shawn Milhauser, Kaitlyn Johnson, Onsi Kamel, Allison Benner, Neil Yockey, Kailyn Baalman, Ashley Tabb, Holly McDowell, and Kole Sedlack

The Illinois Elementary School Association (IESA) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2009 Scholar Attitude Award presented by State Farm. Thirty (30) students from across the state who attend IESA member schools were selected by a panel of judges and will be honored with a luncheon on Tuesday, April 28, at the Doubletree Hotel and Conference Center in Bloomington. It begins at 11:00 a.m.

The 30 award winners, two guests of each award winner, and the school principal will be guests of the IESA at the luncheon. All award winners will receive a plaque, an award medallion, a savings bond, and a DVD of the day's events. Mr. Stephen Bargatze, of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association, will be the guest speaker.

To be eligible, a student from an IESA member school must be of 8th grade status, have a minimum grade-point-average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, must have participated in at least one IESA activity during each year of their two-year junior high career, and demonstrated outstanding citizenship during their junior high tenure. In addition, each student is required to submit a typed essay titled "The Value of Sportsmanship."

"Prior to 2007, our judges selected one student from each of the membership divisions," said IESA Executive Director Steve Endsley. "This year, because of the support we have once again received from State Farm, our judges selected one girl and one boy from each division bringing the total number of award winners to 30. However, in two of our divisions there was not a male that met the criteria who submitted an application. Rather than only give 28 awards, we felt we should go ahead and honor the top two females from those two divisions. The judges believed that the integrity of the program is too important to simply give the award to a student who does not meet the criteria. The students selected for our 11th annual Scholar Attitude Award represent the finest junior high school students in the state of Illinois. The tradition of naming a Scholar Attitude award started in 1999 and that first group of students selected set the expectation bar at a high level. This year's class has met the challenge and has demonstrated their abilities in the classroom, on the playing fields, and in their communities. It is refreshing to see that the youth of Illinois are preparing for their high school careers and beyond. Our judges have a very difficult time selecting only 30 students. These students will be the leaders of tomorrow."

"The IESA Scholar Attitude Award honors those students who have maintained a high-academic standard while pursuing participation in their school community through IESA activities. We would like to congratulate the selected students on their focus, passion, and pursuit. We look forward to the leadership they will provide in the future and we are pleased to be a part of their journey." Jonathan Hauter IESA Assistant Executive Director Administrator for Scholar Attitude Award Email