St. Charles East student awarded Jan Bateman Willenborg Memorial Scholarship

Philanthropic Education Organization Chapter OB-St. Charles recently awarded the Jan Bateman Willenborg Memorial Scholarship to Ava Abbott of St. Charles.

Abbott attended St. Charles East High School and was selected from among 35 candidates from Batavia, Geneva, St. Charles North and St. Charles East High Schools. The scholarship was established in 2020 by the Willenborg family after the death of Jan Willenborg, a past member and president of PEO Chapter OB.

Abbott has been accepted to Hope College in Michigan and plans to major in Early Education and Spanish. She aspires to be an educator with the opportunity to directly influence students’ lives and make a positive impact on them.

She was a member of the National Honor Society for four years, an Academic All-Conference recipient for three years and team captain of the girls cross country team for two years.

PEO offers women opportunities for higher education and has helped over 116,000 women pursue educational goals by providing more than $383 million in grants, scholarships, awards and loans. In addition to educational philanthropies, the PEO Sisterhood provides a framework of support and community for all members.

For more information, visit peointernational.org.