On Track Award Scholarships for High School Seniors

The On Track Scholarship Award Program began with the celebration of our club 80th anniversary in November of 2001. The first two awards of $1,000 each were made in May 2002. The purpose of the Scholarship Award is to reward high school students in Bloomington-Normal area, who are in good standing in the high school, who have faced adversity and gotten back on track. The students must have goals, which include attending a college or university upon graduation from high school.

It is our intention to award at least two $1,000 scholarships, payable the college or university, to be used toward the student tuition or fees, where the student have been accepted. There is no restriction on who may nominate a student. The nomination for will require the person making the nomination to write a brief paragraph, explaining how the student got back on track. The nominee will also be asked to include a short essay on how this award will help them meet their goals.

Nomination forms can be obtained from our club secretary and must be submitted before March 15th each year.

2010 Award Winners

Josh Saxton, Normal Community High School,plans to attend Heartland Junior college this fall majoring in Construction Management. Josh had found out about the Construction Trades Program at Normal Community and the Area Career Center and has set his goal to attend Heartland. Josh's life is full of tragic stories, including being abandon at age three, diagnosed with ADHD, and being bipolar by Kindergarten age. By third grade he was kicked out of school and placed in a behavioral program. In fifth grade, due to medication switches he developed eating disorders and overweight where kids made fun of him, making transition to middle school tough. He ended up hanging around with the wrong crowd, became involved with drugs. He had been living with his grandmother and grandfather, and the grandmother moved to Tennessee and the grandfather died. He was reunited with is four sisters and at that time also found Christ from a DCFS worker who told him about a Christian youth group called "Young Life." His drug problem turned around when he saw his own mother overdose on drugs. He also joined a "Men of the Bible" group at East White Oak Church, and between the two groups has turned his life in a new direction.

Kylie Casey, Normal Community High School, plans to attend Heartland Community College to become a nurse. Kylie has worked hard to remove herself for the chaotic home life, filled with parents, step parents and sibling, that were either alcoholics, and or abusive. She will graduate in December, one semester early as she has never taken a study hall and got P.E. credits at zero hour PE at 6:20 AM. Kylie's mom has been in and out of life since she was 10 years old. It is no wonder that Kylie is working 60 - 85 hours per week, in addition to school, as it helps her avoid her time at home. Kylie has an enormous heart and prefers to take care of others instead of herself. Her career path as a Nurse fits her perfectly

Past Award Winners

• 2009 - Kristen Hallett and Kelsey Johnson
• 2008 - Brittan Martin and Catlin Feuer
• 2007- Rosney Beverly and James Casali
• 2006 - Alexandra Moses (Alex) and Chant'y Knight
• 2005 - Stephanie Adams and Samantha Watson
• 2004 - Daniel Nathan and Maria Castenada
• 2003 - Michelle Paterson and Lindsay May
• 2002 - Sabrina Smith and Tony Ruffin