Scholarship recipients announced at State of the City address

Morris Mayor Chris Brown and Edward Jones representative Austin Feeney announced three recipients of the Mayor Chris Brown Community Scholarship at the State of the City event on Wednesday, June 19.

This year’s recipients were Stephanie Olena, who won a $2,500 scholarship, Miranda Muffler, who won a $1,000 scholarship and Sam Mateski, who won a $1,000 scholarship.

Olena will attend JJC, while Muffler is starting at Illinois State University, and Mateski is attending the University of Alabama.

Representatives Jim Feeney, Mike Wright, J.R. Hock, Austin Feeney, Grant Whybark, Mayor Brown and the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce funded the scholarship.

Applicants must have attended Morris Community High School and be leaders in the classroom. They must also exhibit a penchant for volunteerism in their school and community and plan on furthering their education at a college, university, or trade school.

“We see the volunteer spirit all around us in Morris,” Brown said. “It’s one of the things that makes our city so special, to pull together as a community and achieve great things. My hope is that this scholarship opportunity will serve as a salute to all those who give so much to Morris, and that it will serve as an inspiration for local students to give back, as well.”

Christina Van Yperen, the Grundy County Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, said the scholarship significantly assists deserving students in building their futures.

“Mayor Brown’s initiative on this illustrates his commitment to our community and to supporting local families,” Van Yperen said. “We enjoyed celebrating with the students and their families. We look forward to continuing with this opportunity in the future.”

The scholarship is privately funded, and no public money is used. Brown expressed gratitude to the local Edward Jones representatives and the Chamber for funding the scholarship.