Hannah Lavender, a Carterville High School student, is all smiles as Chancellor Austin A. Lane announces she has received a Saluki Support Scholarship. (Photo: SIU)

CARBONDALE – Thirteen high achieving high school seniors from throughout the region are receiving Southern Illinois University Carbondale 2023 Chancellor’s Scholarships, which cover tuition, mandatory fees, food and housing for four years.

Chancellor Austin A. Lane and other university officials Monday paid surprise visits to present the scholarships and congratulate the 13 students – from 12 area high schools.

“I am excited to personally inform these high-achieving students in our own backyard about SIU Carbondale’s highest honor,” he said. “Each student exemplifies want it means to be a Saluki who imagines making the world better. I look forward to seeing them this fall, where they will get a world-class education close to home.”

Lane presented scholarships to students in Carbondale, Carterville, Herrin, Marion and Murphysboro. Others received surprise personal visits from university officials and Brown Dawg.

SIU will award 42 Chancellor’s Scholarships this year. Almost 670 high school students competed in a selection process that included a scholarship application and essay, with finalists participating in a personal interview. Selected students demonstrate high academic achievement, have a strong record of leadership in their communities and participate in numerous extracurricular activities. As in prior years, scholarship recipients will come from throughout Illinois and the United States.

Brock A. Hamburger, Du Quoin High School, learns he has received a Chancellor’s Scholarship from SIU. (Photo: SIU)

The other 29 scholarship recipients are learning of their awards during a Zoom session Monday.

The award is renewable for three years, contingent upon the students maintaining a 3.0 or higher GPA and completing 20 hours of community service and campus leadership activities per year.

Southern Illinois students who received Chancellor’s Scholarships include:

  • Alto Pass: Makenzie Hilliard, Cobden High School.
  • Ava: Lex Deming, Trico Senior High School.
  • Carbondale: Amira Alkhatim, Carbondale Community High School.
  • Carbondale: Corey Crombar, Carbondale Community High School.
  • Du Quoin: Brock Hamburger, Du Quoin High School.
  • Herrin: Fox Connor, Herrin High School.
  • Herrin: Haresh Kittu, Carterville High School.
  • Jonesboro: Isabel Tehandon, Anna-Jonesboro Community High School.
  • Karnak: Campbell Douglas, Vienna High School.
  • Marion: Bryson Burgess, Marion High School.
  • Murphysboro: Caden Robinson, Murphysboro High School.
  • Pinckneyville: Carly Heisner, Pinckneyville Community High School.
  • Ridgway: Sidney Raymer, Gallatin County High School.

In addition, nine students, eight of them from Southern Illinois, received Saluki Support Scholarships, which cover full tuition, mandatory fees, housing and food for four years. All high schools that had 13 or more enrolled students at SIU in the 2022-23 academic year were eligible to nominate one or more students for the Saluki Support Scholarship for fall 2023. Southern Illinois students receiving Saluki Support Scholarships are:

  • Marion High School: Matthew Surburg
  • Herrin High School: Lauren McCluskie
  • Carterville High School: Hannah Lavender
  • Carbondale Community High School: Jacob Powers, Desmond Stone and Aiden Taylor
  • Murphysboro High School: Kaitlin Monte
  • Du Quoin High School: Malayna Russell

SIU Carbondale offers various scholarships to high achieving high school seniors and transfer students. For more information on the university’s academic scholarships and financial aid, contact Amber Rivers, associate director of scholarships in the Financial Aid Office, at scholarships@siu.edu or 618-453-4628.