Scholarship winners and archive

The KEMPA scholarship program began in 1979 with three-year grants to students seeking degrees in journalism. The program was revised in the 1980’s to include related areas such as graphic design, photography and writing. Also, in 1985, the scholarships became one-year awards. Students may re-apply yearly, whether they are successful the first time or not. An asterisk (*) in the following list denotes “repeat” winners.

Only students from KEMPA member schools are eligible and must submit a letter detailing their goals and plans, a recommendation from an adviser, a transcript of grades and samples of their journalism work.

The president of KEMPA appoints a committee which reads the applications, confers and decides the recipients. The Board of Directors sets an amount to be used for scholarships; the committee decides how that money is to be divided. The Board may decide not to give any scholarships in a particular year.

2015 KEMPA Scholarship Winners:

Katherine Krall – Maine South H.S., IL, adviser Alexander Stathaki
Julie Lammers – Appleton North H.S., WI, adviser Aaron Ramponi
Autumn Jones – Harborside Academy, WI, adviser Cindy Renaud

 

ARCHIVE

1979 – 1982: The first five students were “on scholarship” in the 1982 school year, having been awarded their three-year awards between 1979-1982. *Stuart Ciske, Fort Atkinson (WI) / *Pam Olson, Fort Atkinson (WI) / *Mary Lee Rahrauer, Whitewater (WI) / *Thomas Spansta (school unknown)/ *Christin Wanie, Fort Atkinson, (WI)
1985 James Marshall, Whitewater (WI) / Mary Ellen Miller, Ozaukee (WI)
1986 James P. Schultze, Loyola Academy (IL) / Brian Jung, Milton (WI) / James Forti, Menomonee Falls (WI)
1987 Carole Vande Velde, Hoffman Estates (IL) / Michael Holtz, Racine Horlick (WI) / Michael Herbrand, Beaver Dam (WI) /Audrey Hartz, Milton (WI)
1988 Greg Chesmore, Milton (WI) / Jenny DuFus, St. Mary’s Academy, Burlington (WI) / Rebecca Weeks, Antioch (IL)
1989 *Greg Chesmore, Milton (WI) /Brian Johnson, Milton (WI) / Tracy Pritts, Streamwwod (IL)
1990 Ann Maxwell, Honenegah (IL) / Ingrid Vangsuess, New Berling Eisenhower (WI)
1992 Amy Hill, Lyons Township (IL) / Jessica Perinchief, Whitewater (WI) / Kathleen O’Dowd, Brookfield (WI)
1993 Michelle Jacobson, Wausau West (WI) / Nicole Jenks, Milton (WI) / Saleema Syed, Glenbard North (IL)
1994 Jonathan Hoste, Hartford (WI) / Lauren Lawley, Buffalo Grove (IL) / Saleema Syed, Marquette University (WI) High School / Marshall Wymore, Hartford (WI)
1995 Candance Hooker, Milton (WI) / Marc Juszak, Janesville Parker (WI) / Kelly Metcalf, Sun Prairie (WI)
1996 Sara Kaiden-Hanna, Prospect (IL) / Jeana Munchoff, Lyons Township (IL)/Patricia Pensa, Lyons Township (IL)/Megan Trainor, Carl Sandburg (IL)
1997 Amanda Miller, Antioch (IL) / Roman Salamon, Chicago Weber High School (IL)*Megan Trainor, Bradley University, via Carl Sandburg High School
1998 Susie Opalka, Wheeling (IL) / Rachel Powers, Fort Atkinson (WI) / Ben Zimbric, Wausau West (WI)
1999 Leah Kerkman, Madison LaFollette (WI) / *Rachel Powers, Kansas State University / Alana Stein, Wheeling (IL)
2000 Lindsay Renick Mayer – Wauwatosa East High School / *Rachel Powers – Kansas State University, via Ft. Atkinson High School / Daniel Purschwitz – Stoughton High School
2001 Vanessa Del Campo – Regina Dominican High School / *Lindsay Renick Mayer – U.W.-Madison, via Wauwatosa East High School / *Rachel Powers – Kansas State University, via Ft. Atkinson High School
2002 *Lindsay Renick Mayer – U.W.-Madison, via Wauwatosa East High School / Dianna Heitz — Glenbard North High School / Katherine Jett — Lyons Township High School / Diego Sorbara — Lyons Township High School
2003 *Lindsay Renick Mayer – U.W.-Madison, via Wauwatosa East High School / *Dianna Heitz — Loyola University, via Glenbard North High School Brittany Heck — Hartland High School / Matthew Bunke — Wauwatosa East High School
2004 Elizabeth Juranek — Maine West High School / *Dianna Heitz — Loyola University, via Glenbard North High School / Walter Shedd, Jr. — Grayslake High School
2005 Angie Barbian — UW-Madison, via McFarland High School / *Dianna Heitz — Loyola University, via Glenbard North High School / Bailey Diers — Sheboygan North High School
2006 Megan Geyer — Stevenson High School / Benjamin Paul — Lake Zurich High School / Dan Yadron — Grayslake High School
2007 Adam DeRose — Lakes Community High School / Logan Middleton — Wausau West High School / Christopher M. Renno — Conant High School / Nathan Winters — Pius XI High School
2008 Hayleigh Columbo — Lake Zurich High School / Marguerite Mueller — Maine West High School
2009 Joe Buzzelli — Lake Zurich High School / Jessica Loveless — Rolling Meadows High School / Jordan Palmer — Antioch Community High School Zuzanna Skwiot — Grayslake High School
2010 Sarah Beckman — Lakes Community High School / Jimmy Hibsch — Rolling Meadows High School / Murphy Larson — Craig High School
2011 Alexandria Johnson — Rolling Meadows High School / Siti Asma — DeKalb High School / Adam Pope — DeKalb High School
2012 Daniel Brount — Wheeling High School / Kelly Wang — Brookfield Academy / Amy Ausdenmore — Grayslake North High School / Justin Loewen — Waterloo High School
2013 Megan Jones – Wheeling High School / Rachel Tripp – Belvidere High School / Emily Jo Pahl – Grayslake North High School / Stephanie Drucker – Niles North High School
2014 Gabrielle Abesamis – Niles West High School / Kimberly Wethal – Stoughton High School / Joseph Salvato – Rolling Meadows High School / Michala Meyerhofer – Fort Atkinson High School