Newest Gale Scholars to Be Inducted May 2

Gale Scholars Program Director Les Hunter speaks at the induction ceremony in 2012.

Fifteen Galesburg eighth-graders will be introduced as the George Washington Gale Scholars Class of 2017 during an induction ceremony Thursday, May 2 on the Knox College campus. Students in the Gale Scholars Program receive a tuition-free education at Carl Sandburg College and Knox College by successfully completing the program's requirements.

The induction ceremony, which is open to the public, will be at 1 p.m. in the Lincoln Room in Seymour Union. 

Knox College President Teresa Amott will be the guest speaker. Other speakers will include current Gale Scholars Morganne Malesker, a Galesburg High School student; Dana Cliff, a Carl Sandburg College student; and Antwon Martin, a Knox College student. Carl Sandburg College President Lori Sundberg, Galesburg School District 205 Superintendent Bart Arthur, and Gale Scholars Program Director Les Hunter also will present remarks.

The Gale Scholars Program offers academic support and mentoring for academically talented, first-generation, income-eligible students.

Students who meet the program's ongoing requirements, including community service, receive tuition waivers allowing them to complete an associate's degree at Carl Sandburg College and a bachelor's degree at Knox College. Highly qualified students may enter Knox College directly after graduating from Galesburg High School.

The newest Gale Scholars inductees are: Amber Colwell, Taylor Davis, Jessica Decker, Tarynn Lewis, Suleimi Lopez-Garcia, Rose Maciejewski, Savannah Miyler, Kayla Morrow, Jasmyn Pacheco, Emely Quintanilla, Hailey Sedgwick, Kaylynn Smith, Breanna Wade, Tyce Wade, and Sarah Ward.

The Gale Scholars Program is a collaboration between Knox College, Carl Sandburg College, and Galesburg Public Schools District 205. The program, named after the founder of Galesburg and Knox College, was created to encourage and support higher education aspirations and success in the target population of academically promising, first-generation and income-eligible youth within District 205.

Each year, up to 15 students are selected for the program, which has been designated a "Best Practice" by the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the Illinois Association of School Boards.

Founded in 1837, Knox College is a national liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois. Knox enrolls students from 48 states and U.S. territories and 51 countries. Knox's "Old Main" is a National Historic Landmark and the only building remaining from the 1858 Lincoln-Douglas debates.