CHS students receive $150,000 in scholarships
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by LeAnn R. Ralph
COLFAX — As of the May 3 Colfax High School senior scholarship awards, Colfax seniors had received nearly $150,000 in scholarships, according to John Dachel, principal at CHS.
The valedictorian of the Colfax High School Class of 2023 is Braden Kiekhafer, and the salutatorian of the Class of 2023 is Ashton Yarrington, Dachel announced at the awards ceremony.
Kiekhafer has received the Academic Excellence Scholarship, which is awarded to the students in Wisconsin high schools with the highest grade point average who will be attending a University of Wisconsin school, Dachel said.
He is planning to attend UW-Eau Claire where he will major in pre-medicine. Kiekhafer’s scholarship is for $2,250 per year, renewable for four years, Dachel said.
The Wisconsin Technical Excellence Scholarship has been awarded to Mark Sonnentag, who will receive $2,250 per year, renewable for three years, he said.
The Technical Excellence Scholarship is awarded to high school seniors who have the highest demonstrated level of efficiency in technical education subjects and are planning to attend a Wisconsin technical college.
Sonnentag is planning to attend Chippewa Valley Technical College and will major in Information Technology.
Raveling
The Marlin Raveling scholarship goes to students who best represent Colfax High School on or off the athletic field, Dachel said.
This year’s recipients of the Marlin Raveling scholarship for $200 each are Molly Heidorn and Nick Jenson, he announced.
Raveling was the news editor for the Colfax Messenger and covered local government and high school sports.
Dachel recalled that Raveling attended every high school game and track or cross country meet and that he was passionate about the success of the Colfax Vikings.
Marlin Raveling died in March of 2010.
Larson
The Norman Larson scholarship is given in memory of Larson’s wife, June.
Larson was a CHS graduate in the Class of 1935. He served as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps and attended MIT in the development of radar and went on to have a career in education Dachel said.
The Norman Larson scholarship also is in honor of Martin Anderson and his work to encourage students, he said.
The scholarship is awarded to students who excel in academics, extra-curricular and community activities and who are planning to go into a medical field, Dachel said.
This year’s Norman Larson scholarship for $500 has been awarded to Kaitlyn Scharlau, who is planning to attend UW-Eau Claire in pre-dentistry, he said.
Norman Larson died in 2007.
Scholar Athlete
The WIAA Scholar Athlete award is given to 16 girls and 16 boys in the State of Wisconsin who have earned at least four varsity letters through the first half of their senior year and who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0. The award began in 1984.
Molly Heidorn was named a WIAA Scholar Athlete, Dachel said, noting that Colfax High School has had five scholar athletes over the years.
She will receive her award at a ceremony at the Hilton Inn in Wausau May 7, he said.
All together, 841 seniors across the state were nominated, Dachel said.
Other scholarships
Here are the other scholarships that were awarded:
• DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) Good Citizen Award — Ashton Yarrington, who will receive $1,000 and plans to attend UW-Madison and major in computer engineering.
• Chippewa Valley Technical School scholarship — Mallory Field, who will receive a $4,000 scholarship and plans to attend CVTC for dental hygiene.
• UW-River Falls — Allison Schmitt will receive a $2,000 scholarship and plans to major in agriculture education.
• UW-La Crosse — Maci Harvey has been awarded a $4,000 scholarship and plans to major in pre-pharmacy.
• UW-Stout — Naoki Sekiguchi has been awarded the Blue Devil Scholarship in an undisclosed amount and plans to major in mathematics and computer science.
• UW-Madison — David Lyrek has been awarded a scholarship in an undisclosed amount and plans to major in computer science.
• Anne Marie Foundation — Ashton Yarrington has been awarded $2,000. The Anne Marie Foundation award goes to students who are outstanding in their leadership and volunteer efforts.
• Anne Marie Technical Award — Miranda Knutson has been awarded $500 and plans to attend CVTC for the child care services program.
• Dunn County Farm Bureau — Nick Jensen has been awarded $250 and plans to attend CVTC for the agronomy management program.
• American Family Insurance — The Lane Berenschot Insurance Agency started awarding four $250 scholarships in 2017. This year’s recipients are Mallory Field, Allison Schmitt, Ashton Yarrington and Kyle Irwin.
• Synergy Cooperative — Ella Peterson has been awarded $500. She plans to attend UW-River Falls for the pre-veterinary program.
• Commercial Testing Lab — $250 has been awarded to Kaitlyn Scharlau.
• CTL Foods — $250 has been awarded to Mitchell Medin, who plans to attend the University of Minnesota at Duluth and to major in engineering.
• Dunn-St. Croix Scholar Athlete Award — recipients of the award are Molly Heidorn and Ashton Yarrington.
• WIAA Most Coachable Award — recipients are Molly Heidorn and Nick Jensen.
• Letter Club Top Female Athlete — Molly Heidorn.
• Letter Club Top Male Athlete — Nick Jensen.
• Colfax Youth Basketball Award — Molly Heidorn and Aynsley Olson.
• Association of Wisconsin Snowmobiles — $1,000 has been awarded to Nick Jensen.
• Hilson-Olson Memorials — Maci Harvey will receive $6,000 per year renewable for four years. Nick Jensen will receive $6,000 per year renewable for two years (to attend CVTC).
• Tainter Trail Tamers — a scholarship of an undisclosed amount was awarded to Nick Jensen. This is the group’s first year of awarding scholarships.
• Burnett Dairy — a $2,500 scholarship was awarded to Nick Jensen.
• Colfax Sno-Drifters — Awards of an undisclosed amount were received by Nick Jenson and Ashton Yarrington. This is the Son-Drifter’s 13th year of awarding scholarships.
• Chippewa Valley Bankers Association — a $1,000 scholarship was awarded to Mitchell Medin.
• Dairy State Bank — a $500 scholarship was awarded to Mitchell Medin.
• Colfax Kiwanis — a $500 scholarship was awarded to Mitchell Medin, Molly Heidorn and Nick Jensen.
• Cammie B. Johnson Memorial — $500 was awarded to Kaitlyn Scharlau. Cammie B. Johnson was a diabetic who died of complications in 2007 at the age of 20. The Cammie B. Johnson Foundation sends diabetic youth to summer camps, helps families buy supplies and awards scholarships to someone going into the medical field.
• Jeremy Wolfe Memorial — a $500 scholarship was awarded to Molly Heidorn. Jeremy Wolfe graduated from CHS in 1995. He was a first lieutenant and a Blackhawk platoon leader. He was killed in action.
• Scot Miller Memorial — a $1,000 scholarship was awarded to Kyle Irwin. Miller graduated from Elk Mound High School. He owned Fleet Feet in Menomonie for 21 years and operated the Whitetail Golf Course with his wife, Bobbie Jo, for 11 years. Miller coached for a number of years as well. He was killed in a car crash on Interstate-94 in 2018.
• Menomonie Masonic Lodge — $500 was awarded to David Lyrek. The Menomonie Masonic Lodge awards scholarships every year to students from Boyceville, Colfax and Menomonie to attend a technical college or a university.
• Donald and Leona Ubbelohde Memorial — a $1,000 scholarship was awarded to Allison Schmitt for majoring in agriculture education at UW-River Falls. Don and Leona met at UW-River Falls and both were teachers. Don eventually went into selling insurance, and Leona taught third grade at Colfax Elementary. Her last third grade class was in 2003, and she was a substitute teacher until 2014.
• American Legion Auxiliary Colfax — a $500 scholarship was awarded to Karlee Roe and to Aynsley Olson. The Russell-Toycen Post 131 American Legion Auxiliary’s scholarships are awarded to the children of veterans.
• American Legion Colfax — an undisclosed amount was awarded as a scholarship to Maia Valesquez. The Russell-Toycen Post 131American Legion’s scholarships are awarded to the children of veterans.
• Dunn Energy Cooperative — $1,000 scholarships to Ella Peterson, Kyle Irwin and Allison Schmitt. Dunn Energy gives out 15 $1,000 scholarships each year.
• Mayo Clinic Health System — $1,000 to Braden Kiekhafer.
• Menomonie Lions Club — an undisclosed scholarship was awarded to Nick Jensen. The Menomonie Lions Club is reportedly the third largest Lions Club in Wisconsin.