Barring any academic meltdowns, 30 Waukegan High School freshmen should each have college scholarships worth $20,000 waiting for them when they graduate.
A Lake County family foundation awarded the scholarships last week, part of a unique program that also includes a summer leadership course, college counseling and mentors. The students are asked to improve their grades each semester in high school.
“If we give these kids some financial backing and some support, not only financial but also a mentor, college isn’t going to be such a scary thing,” said Tanya Schuler Sharman, president of the Schuler Family Foundation’s scholar program.
The students, some of whom will be the first in their family to graduate from high school, much less go to college, will receive $5,000 annually for four years of college.
Since 2002 the foundation has awarded $1.7 million in scholarships to 57 students. More than 100 applied this year.
For Alberto Alvarez, a Waukegan High freshman who wants to be a writer, the scholarship makes college more affordable.
“It will help me out a lot,” he said.
