Waukon P.E.O. Chapter EK announces recipients of prestigious P.E.O. STAR Scholarship and scholarship from local chapter

P.E.O. Chapter EK of Waukon recently awarded a pair of scholarships to Waukon High School graduating seniors. Madelyn Helgerson and Ella O’Neill were each honored with a scholarship for their academic and extracurricular activity success, leadership and community involvement.

“P.E.O Chapter EK of Waukon is very proud of these two girls and we wish them success in their future educational pursuits,” P.E.O. Chapter EK leaders expressed.

Madelyn Helgerson, a senior at Waukon High School, was selected to receive a $2,500 STAR Scholarship from the P.E.O. Sisterhood.  She was recommended by P.E.O. Chapter EK of Waukon.

In addition to being an outstanding student academically, Helgerson participated in All-State Chorus, several choirs in high school, has taken the lead in many musicals, and has participated in speech, cross country, track, National Honor Society, Girls State, church activities and community service. She will attend Iowa State University in Ames in the fall to pursue a degree in Elementary Education with emphasis in reading and learning technologies.

The P.E.O. STAR Scholarship was established in 2009 to provide scholarships for exceptional high school senior women to attend an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the U.S. or Canada in the next academic year. The competitive STAR Scholarship is for women who exhibit excellence in leadership, academics, extracurricular activities, community service and potential for future success.

Ella O’Neill, a senior at Waukon High School, was selected to receive a $500 Chapter Scholarship from the local P.E.O. Chapter EK in Waukon. In addition to being an outstanding student academically, she participated in volleyball, softball, Student Council, National Honor Society, church youth activities and National Youth Conference.  O’Neill will attend St. Ambrose University in Davenport in the fall to obtain a degree in Physical Therapy.

Chapter EK has been a part of the Waukon community since it was organized in 1914. P.E.O.(Philanthropic Educational Organization) has been celebrating women helping women reach for the stars for more than 150 years. Since its inception in 1869, the nonprofit organization has helped more than 116,000 women pursue educational goals by providing over $383 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans.

Through membership, the P.E.O. Sisterhood has brought together more than a half million women in the United States and Canada who are passionate about helping women advance through education.  What started with a bond of friendship among seven women in Mount Pleasant is now one of the oldest women’s organizations in North America with close to 6,000 chapters.