The Dixon Public School District Foundation on Wednesday night presented the DHS Student of the Year Scholarship to Dani Lovett during a ceremony at the Dixon High School auditorium.

The $18,500 scholarship is the largest DHS scholarship presented by a Dixon-area organization, according to a DPS Foundation news release.

In her high school career, Lovett, the daughter of Don and Nikki Lovett of Dixon, distinguished herself by extraordinary involvement in extracurricular and community activities, in several leadership roles, and by graduating among the top 10 students of her class. She plans to attend the University of Illinois majoring in biology and minoring in business.

At Wednesday’s event, the foundation also presented the following top awards:

• Gage Helfrich was the male winner of the Jones Scholarship of $15,000.
• Kate Boss was the female winner of the Jones Scholarship of $15,000.
• Aidan Brown, Gage Farster, Lilyanna Herrera, Alexis Kemmeren, Keegan Shirley, and Jayden Toms received the foundation’s high honors scholarships of $5,000 each.

This year, the foundation presented more than $80,000 in scholarships to DHS seniors. Over the last 26 years, the foundation has presented $1.5 million in scholarships to graduating DHS students.

Established in 1992, the foundation also provides about $50,000 in annual classroom grants for educational tools throughout the district’s schools. The foundation’s annual Stupor Bowl helps to raise funds for these grants.

The foundation welcomes donors who wish to support its mission to enhance the education of Dixon students. Since the foundation is operated by an all-volunteer board, 100% of all funds go directly to its mission.