Hopedale Medical Foundation proudly announces its 2023 scholarship winners.  Candidate selections were made by an independent panel of judges who reviewed applications from graduating seniors from Olympia, Hartsburg-Emden, Tremont, Dee-Mack, Midwest- Central, Christian Life Academy and Delavan High Schools.

• The $3,000 Founder’s Scholarship in honor of HMC’s founder, Dr. Lawrence Rossi, Sr., was awarded to University of Missouri student Ainsley Floyd, daughter of Lynn and Burton Floyd.  Ainsley’s course of study is a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences on the pre-medicine track.    
• The $1,000 Orville Augsburger/ Dorene Oehler Scholarship was awarded to Luke Pratt, son of Ellen and Robert Pratt.  Luke, a student at Olympia High School, has chosen a career as a doctor.  He will attend Wheaton College in the fall.
• The $1,000 David Eckhardt Memorial Scholarship, in honor of a dedicated HMC employee who passed away in 1974, was awarded to McKenna Carithers, daughter of Mike & Kerri Carithers.  McKenna is a student at Deer Creek-Mackinaw High School and will pursue a career in the healthcare field as a Physician Assistant. 
• The $1,000 Neil Alford, Jr. (Agricultural) Memorial Scholarship in honor of Hopedale’s past mayor and HMC board member, was awarded to Austin Kammeyer.  Austin is the son of Scott and Jamie Kammeyer of Manito.  He is a student at Midwest Central High School and will study agronomy at Illinois Central College.
• The $1,000 Phyllis Martin Memorial Nursing Scholarship which honors a long-time HMC nurse, was awarded to Tremont High School senior Sean Connell, son of Erin and Daniel Connell of Tremont.  Sean will be pursuing a career in nursing at Illinois Wesleyan University, in the fall.
• The $2,000 John Rossi Memorial Nursing Scholarship was awarded to Olympia High School’s Abigail Litwiller, daughter of Christina & Jeffrey Litwiller of Hopedale.  Abigail plans to pursue a career in healthcare in the oncology field.
• The $2,000 Donna Bitner-Springer Nursing Scholarship in honor of the first Director of Nurses at Hopedale Hospital, was awarded to Olympia High School’s Madeline Conway, daughter of Craig Conway and Janelle Trier.  Madeline plans to pursue a career in nursing at Illinois Wesleyan University. 

The Hopedale Medical Foundation congratulates these outstanding students and thanks the many applicants who participated this year.  Since its inception in 1980, The Foundation has awarded nearly $600,000 in healthcare and agricultural scholarships to local high school seniors and college freshmen.  Donations from the public are appreciated and are tax deductible as a charitable donation.  For more information, call Jill at (309) 449-4296.