Vienna High School’s Class of 2026 has collectively secured a staggering $3,000,000 in merit, academic, athletic, and community-based scholarships. The $3 million reflects a wide range of achievements, spanning prestigious national awards, institutional honors from elite universities, athletic signings, and crucial investments from local organizations. This dollar amount does not include the substantial savings of the over 3,000 credit hours of early college college courses taken by the Class of 2026, nor does it include MAP and FAFSA dollars that the group is eligible to receive due nearly 100% FAFSA completion rates.
Superintendent Dr. Joshua Stafford attributed this success directly to the tireless efforts of the high school's guidance and student career services team. "This phenomenal achievement doesn't happen by accident," said Stafford. "It is the direct result of a deliberate, strategic push by our staff to connect students with opportunities. I want to recognize the phenomenal work of Rhi Slife and Rosa Sparks in our guidance office, alongside Leslie Bradley and Laura Hosfeldt in our student career services office. Their combined dedication to tracking down aid, keeping students on schedule, and building community partnerships has saved our families millions of dollars this year alone. Even more significance than scholarship awards is that all of Vienna’s Class of 2026 has a comprehensive career plan."
According to the schools scholarship ledger compiled by the guidance department, several students received highly competitive national and institutional funding packages:
National Questbridge Scholars: Destiny Lynn Graham secured a full-ride scholarship to Washington University valued at $402,828, and Cadence Lynn Hennesy received a Questbridge scholarship to Washington and Lee University valued at $382,000.
Elite Honors: Gracyn Alexandrea Horn received the Chancellor’s Scholarship from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale (SIUC) totaling $108,000, while Bryce Eastman Partridge earned a $106,000 Presidential Scholarship to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
University Packages: Seniors also secured substantial university packages, including Iris Ceres Mount ($102,000 at Hillsdale College), Nevaeh Faith Nagy ($90,000 at the University of Kentucky), Miley Brennan Dalton ($85,288 at SIUC), Gabrielle Buretz ($76,000 at Maryville University), and Addeanna Mae Steinmann ($69,000 at McKendree University).
Vienna emphasizes that the scholarship journey begins much sooner than senior spring. For future classes to replicate this success, school leaders are urging a proactive partnership between parents and students.
"We strongly encourage all of our younger students and their parents to aggressively complete all of the scholarship paperwork and information they possibly can," said Guidance Counselor Rhi Slife. "There are substantial dollars out there, but you have to actively seek out every single opportunity. Our office is here to help families through the processes, but it takes a team effort at home to ensure success."
Principal John Giffin pointed out that winning the scholarship game is heavily dependent on a student's timeline. "One of the biggest pieces of advice we can give to our freshman, sophomores, and juniors is to apply to any university you have even a passing interest in as early as possible," stated Giffin. "Getting admitted early means you enter the institutional scholarship pipelines early, giving you access to priority funding that disappears later in the school year. The Class of 2026 proved that striking early pays off."
Beyond large institutional packages, the scholarship ledger highlights a deep network of local support. Dozens of students received scholarships funded directly by regional businesses, memorial funds, and civic organizations, including the Johnson County Farm Bureau, the National Beta Club, local Masonic Lodges, the Ministerial Alliance/Faith Alive, the Southern Illinois Future Teacher Coalition, and the American Red Cross.
Furthermore, several students will be taking their talents to collegiate athletics, including Gabrielle Buretz (Cheerleading, Maryville), Joscelyn Noelle Morrow (Track, Kaskaskia), Connor Quinn Reichert (Baseball, Shawnee Community College), Hannah Eileen Rojas (Golf, John A. Logan), and Jenna Lyn Waters (Dual Basketball/Volleyball, Rend Lake). Trace Allan Moore was also recognized for his enlistment and commitment to the United States Army.
Vienna High School is a career aligned, early college high school, giving students the 10xPlus Advantage as proven on the 5Essentials. Vienna is dedicated to providing a supportive, rigorous educational environment that prepares students for post-secondary success, career readiness, and lifelong civic responsibility.
You can learn more about Vienna's Career Connected Life Ready program at www.viennahs.com/cc.