After 13 years of school and hard work, Mexico High School seniors will venture into a new world after graduation, whether it be a job, or to continue their education this fall.
The Mexico community once again is helping the students with financial assistance to further their education.

This morning at the MHS awards assembly $412,507.66 from local organizations, businesses, individual estates, colleges and universities was awarded to several students. This is $30,347 more than that awarded last year.

Topping the list are 22 students who accepted the A+ Scholarship of $3,150 each. These students include: Nicholas Adams, Spencer Beauchamp, Dominia Brown, Samantha Bulson, Tonya Clark, Christine Curry, Kalip Davidson, Denzell Eady, Caleb Frazier, Derick Hatfield, Paul Love, Katelin Mackey, Derek Marth, Katelynne Meyer, Lindsay Polston, Jennifer Ruble, Brian Schremp, Stephanie Spillars, Ashley Spires, Erin St.Cin, Tanna VanBoening, and Drew Widaman.

Students qualifying for the scholarship included: Amanda Allison, Sara Barnes, Sima Bhakta, Michael Blankenship, Rachel Bohrer, Kristin Brown, Kelcie DeClue, Jessica Deehr, Leslie Ellis, Kaitlin Fischer, Nathan Flavell, Ryan Hollenburg, Sarah Hotop, Nathaniel Iman, Kristen Keith, Jonah Krueger, Kelsey Louder, Jenna Nelson, Lindsey Phipps, Samantha Potucek, Elizabeth Ridgeway, Marcus Rodenbaugh, Amber Smith, Dallas Smith, Sara Stephenson, Shangyuan Teng, and Davy White.

Kelcie DeClue and William Seigfreid received Bright Flight Scholarships for $2,000 each.

Twenty-two students were recipients of the Roy Creasey Scholarship for $1,000 each. They were: Sara Barnes, Kristin Brown, Kelcie DeClue, Jessica Deehr, Desirae Exendine, Kaitlin Fischer, MaryAnne Heathman, Mailyn Knight, Jonah Krueger, Kelsey Louder, Katelin Mackey, Caitlin McIsaac, Caitlyn Orscheln, Lindsey Phipps, Samantha Potucek, Elizabeth Ridgway, Jack Scholting, William Seigfreid, Morgan Smith, Erin St.Cin, Shangyuan Teng, and Lindsey Walser.

Other scholarships and recipients presented today include: Michael Gilman, $800 Northeastern Okla., A&M College Scholarship; Sarah Hotop, $1,250 Adams Family Scholarship; Truman State University Alumni Scholarships were awarded to Jessica Deehr, $1,500, Kelsey Louder, $1,500; and Elizabeth Ridgway, $1,000; Alan Woods Memorial, David Dragoo, $1,423.11; AMC Employee Scholarship for $300 each were awarded to Rachel Bohrer, Ronald Ester, and Morgan Smith; William Seigfreid received a $5,000 A.P. and Josephine Green Foundation Scholarship; Michael Gilman received a Northeastern Okla., A&M College Athletic Scholarship for $8,000; Audrain Agribusiness Scholarship for $250 was also presented to Michael Gilman; The Audrain County Cattlemen's Association Scholarship for $1,000 each were given to Ryan Hollenberg and Paul Love; Katelynne Meyer received a $1,000 scholarship from Audrain County Law Enforcement/Fire Protection.

Six students received the Audrain Medical Center Auxiliary/Fern Braden Scholarship for $500 each. They were: Desirae Exendine, Caitlin McIsaac, Jenna Nelson, Olivia Reeves, Elizabeth Ridgway and Morgan Smith. Ryan Hollenberg received a $4,000 Kansas City, Kan., Community College Baseball Scholarship; Lindsay Polston received the $1,000 Ben Brown Memorial Scholarship; the $5,000 Berneice Deloney Gallop Athletic Scholarship was presented to Kaitlin Fischer;  Kaylee Ahrens received a $191.17 Beulah Roth Scholarship; the $100 Bill and June Baker Memorial scholarship was awarded to April Baker; and the $100 Bob Gooch Award was present to Jonah Krueger.

Four Brookstone Scholarships for $500 each were awarded to Mailyn Knight, Caitlyn Orscheln, Lindsey Phipps and Lindsey Walser. Two students received the Caitlin "Katy" Flynn Memorial Nursing Scholarship. Morgan Smith received $1,000 and Erin St.Cin received $500. Receiving the Carl and Charollette Hirst Scholarship for $2,629.36 each were Ronald Ester and MaryAnne Heathman; Lyndsie Armstrong received the Cary D. Haynes Memorial for $500; Lindsey Walser received a $4,000 MU-Chancellor's Audrain County Scholarship; Ashley Spires was awarded the $6,598.97 Charles Cockelreas Scholarship; Amber Smith received a $1,000 church matching scholarship to attend MidAmerican Nazarene University; Amanda Allison was the recipient of a $9,500 Central Methodist Eagle's and Band Scholarship; Lindsey Phipps received a $500 MU-Columns Scholarship. Commerce Bank Scholarships for $500 each were presented to Kaylee Ahrens and Sara Barnes; the $127.50 Cora Darrah Scholarship was awarded to Morgan Smith; Kathryn Perll received two Creighton University Scholarships, a $10,000 Founder's Scholarship and a $1,000 Ignatius Scholarship; Olivia Reeves received a $3,000 Culver-Stockton College Curriculum Program Scholarship; Andrew Jurgesmeyer received a $1,000 Damon Lee Owen Memorial Baseball Scholarship; the David and Florence Meyer Vocational Scholarship for $1,790.53 was presented to April Baker; Amanda Allison received a $208.32 Deloris Sherwood Wheeler Memorial Scholarship; the $1,200 Denver M. Hudson Memorial was awarded to William Seigfreid.

Amber Smith received a $60.04 Doug Arnold Memorial Scholarship. Kristen Keith received two Drury University Scholarships – an Access Scholarship for $3,900 and a Drury Grant for $3,000;  Elizabeth Ridgway received a $1,250 Earl Collins Scholarship.
Three Elks Most Valuable Student Local Scholarships for $1,000 each were awarded to Kelcie DeClue, Elizabeth Ridgway and Jessica Deehr; Riley Groves was the recipient of the $414.23 Eunice DesCombes Scholarship; Olivia Reeves received a $375 Culver-Stockton College Experiential Reward Program award; Elizabeth Lierheimer received a $750 Farmers and Laborers Co-Op Insurance Association Scholarship; Riley Groves and Samantha Potucek were each awarded a $250 First National Bank Scholarship.

Seven students each received a $1,500 Frances Elvira Jenicek Scholarship. They were: Kalip Davidson, Kelcie DeClue, Kelsey Louder, Jenna Nelson, Samantha Potucek, Jack Scholting and William Seigfreid. Kylee Hedges received a $500 Northwest Missouri State Freshman Merit Award; and Nathaniel Iman received a $7,500 full-tuition award from Central Christian College of the Bible.

Four students were recipients of the G.H. Dudley Scholarship for $424.05 each. They were: Kelcie DeClue, Jessica Deehr, Kelsey Louder and Kathryn Perll; students receiving $500 George and Telitha Harvey Scholarship were Ronald Ester and Jenna Nelson; and the Global Service Club Scholarship of $300 was awarded to Amber Smith.

Five students received the Griffin Family Foundation Scholarship for $3,000 each. They are: Sara Barnes, Jenna Nelson, Olivia Reeves, Elizabeth Ridgway and Stephanie Spillars. Jenna Buffington received a $2,200 Hannibal-LaGrange Scholarship. Hardin Club Scholarships for $1,000 each were presented to Sara Barnes, Morgan Smith, and Sara Stephenson; a $1,000 Heather Brandow Memorial Scholarship was presented to Sima Bhakta; Nicholas Adams received the Helen and Walter Petersen Memorial for $945.48; two students received the Henry A. Jubel Memorial Scholarship for $1,000. They are: Jack Scholting and William Seigfreid; Jonah Krueger received a $500 Jared Selsor Memorial; David Dragoo received the $500 Jeff Doolittle Memorial; Jonah Krueger received a $1,000 Jerry Watkins Scholarship; a $300 Joan Thomas Scholarship was awarded to Ronald Ester; and the $500 John and Susie Willer Music Education Scholarship was awarded to Amanda Allison.

William Seigfreid received a $9,000 MU J.R. Gallop Engineering Scholarship. Students received Juliet F. Hulen Memorial scholarship for $1,500. They were: Jenna Nelson, Samantha Potucek, and William Seigfreid.

Matthew Smith received a $250 Kenneth Dishman FFA Scholarship; and Rachel Bohrer received a $500 Kennette Hatfield Jaycee Spirit Scholarship. Key Club Scholarships for $100 each were awarded to Lyndsie Armstrong and MaryAnne Heathman; April Baker received a $1,000 Kirsten Thomas Agriculture Scholarship.
Four Knights of Columbus Scholarships for $1,000 each were awarded to Sara Barnes, Kelcie DeClue, David Dragoo, and Kaitlin Fischer. Sara Barnes received a $300 L. Buford Thomas Scholarship; and MaryAnne Heathman was the recipient of a $1,826.58 L.B. Hawthorne Scholarship. Rachel Bohrer and David Dragoo each received a $250 Ladies of St. Brendan Scholarship; the Laurene Miller Schwab/March of Dimes Scholarship for $100 was presented to Jenna Nelson.

Amber Smith received a $1,000 MidAmerica Nazarene University Leadership/Location Scholarship. Kalip Davidson received a $5,370 Linn State Technical College A+ Waiver; and Shawn Creed received a $2,000 Linn State SkillsUSA Competition Scholarship; Kristen Keith received a $2,500 Madge Ross Memorial scholarship from Drury University; and Rachel Bohrer received a $100 MAP Textbook Scholarship from Southeast Missouri State University.

Paul Love received a $500 Marvin L. McCowan Memorial Scholarship; Kristin Brown was the recipient of a $6,778.22 Mary Powell Davis Scholarship was Kristin Brown; Amanda Allison was the recipient of a $200 Melissa J. denHartog Memorial; Mexico Area Family YMCA Youth in Government Awards for $250 each went to Kelcie DeClue and William Seigfreid.

Ten students each received a $500 Mexico Bulldog Booster Club Scholarship. They were: Rachel Bohrer, Shawn Creed, Ronald Ester, MaryAnne Heathman, Sarah Hotop, Andrew Jurgesmeyer, Derek Marth, Jenna Nelson, Stephanie Price and Drew Widaman; David Dragoo was the recipient of a $250 Mexico Civic Club Scholarship; Sara Barnes received a $300 Mexico Community Foundation Scholarship.

Students receiving a $500 Mexico Community Teachers Association Scholarship were: Kaylee Ahrens, Christine Curry, Michael Gilman and MaryAnne Heathman. Michael Gilman was the recipient of a $150 Mexico FFA Foundation Scholarship; Elizabeth Ridgway received a $1,000 Mexico Heating Company Honoring Vince Fuemmeler; Ronald Ester received a $318.81 Mexico High School Class of 1933 Scholarship; Kymberly Fowler received a $132.91 Mexico High School Class of 1954 Memorial; Paul Love was the recipient of a $100 Mexico High School Class of 1954; Samantha Bulson received a $200 Mexico High School Class of 1965 Scholarship; Kymberly Fowler received a $100 Mexico High School Class of 2000 Scholarship;  and Matthew Smith received a $100 Mexico High School Class of 2001 Scholarship. Lindsay Polston was the recipient of a $500 Mexico Host Lions Scholarship; Mexico Human Resources Association Scholarships for $500 each were presented to Victoria Parson and Morgan Smith; Jenna Nelson received a $500 Mexico Jaycees Scholarship. Kathryn Perll and Elizabeth Ridgway each received a $1,500 Mexico Noon Kiwanis Scholarship.

Students received a $400 Mexico Optimist Club Scholarship each were Rachel Bohrer, Alex Crews and Austin Rippeto. Mexico Rotary Club Scholarships were presented to Kelcie DeClue, Kelsey Louder, Samantha Potucek and Jack Scholting for $500 each; and to Kathryn Perll and William Seigfreid, $1,000. Scott Booska was the recipient of a $100 Mexico Wrestling Club in Memory of Harold Barnett Scholarship. Receiving $300 each for the Mexico Young Farmers Scholarship were Samantha Bulson, Kalip Davidson, and Matthew Smith. Matthew Smith also received a  $2,000 MFA Scholarship. Amber Smith received a $4,000 MidAmerica Nazarene A+ Scholarship; Ronald Ester was the recipient of a $500 Miss Missouri Excellence Scholarship; Jenna Nelson received a $1,500 Missouri Heart Institute Foundation award; William Seigfreid was the recipient of a $10,000 Mizzou Scholars award. He also received a $5,000 Missouri Boys State -Samsung Scholarship. Rachel Bohrer and Sima Bhakta each received a $500 Southeast Missouri State University Missouri Leadership Award; Jack Scholting was the recipient of a Missouri S&T Trustees Scholarship. Lindsey Phipps received a $2,000 MU Missouri Teacher Education Scholarship.

Moberly Area Community College Superintendents awards for $300 each went to Samantha Bulson, Stephanie Spillars and Erin St.Cin. Sara Barnes received a $750 MU Academic Competition Grand and $2,150 MU Access Missouri  Scholarship; Morgan Smith received a $150 Mu Alumni Association-Audrain County Scholarship. Shangyuan Teng received a $6,256 Missouri State Multicultural Leadership Scholarship; Amber Smith was the recipient of a $1,000 Nazarene Ministerial Scholarship; Ronald Ester received a $350 Paul Friedberg Memorial award. Truman State University President's Combined Scholarship went to Jessica Deehr, $2,000; Jonah Krueger, $1,500; Kelsey Louder, $2,000; Elizabeth Ridgway, $1,500. Kristin Brown received a $1,000 Truman State University President's Honorary Scholarship; and Jonah Krueger was the recipient of a $1,000 Truman State University President's Leadership Scholarship. April Baker and Ryan Hollenberg each received a $3,000 Ralph R. Roth Scholarship; Mailyn Knight received a $1,125 Missouri State Recognition Scholarship. Amber Smith was the recipient of a $1,500 MidAmerica Nazarene University Residential Life Scholarship; MaryAnne Heathman received a $1,000 MU Robert A. "Red" Graham Alumni Scholarship.

Four students each received a $500 Robert M. White II Scholarship. They were: Ryan Kriegel, Andrew Nitcher and Samantha Potucek. Two Robert R. Collins Scholarships were awarded. Recipients were Kristin Brown, $250 and Jenna Nelson, $750. Kalip Davidson received a $500 Ron Whittaker Track Alumni Scholarship. William Seigfreid received a $3,500 Ross D. Ferris Scholarship. Scott Booska was the recipient of a $500 Sean Lamberson Wrestling Scholarship. Six students were recipients of Show Me Credit Union Scholarships. They included: Riley Groves, Jenna Nelson, $500 each; Kylee Hedges, Victoria Parsons, Stephanie Price and Sara Stephenson, $250 each. Matthew Smith received a $1,000 Stella Mae Smith Memorial Scholarship; Amanda Allison received a $200 Thomas A. Badaracco Band Scholarship and a $500 Troy Kysar Memorial.

Receiving Truman State University A+ Scholarships for $1,500 each were: Elizabeth Ridgway, Jessica Deehr, Jonah Krueger and Kelsey Louder. United Credit Union Scholarships for $500 each were presented to Rachel Bohrer, Desirae Exendine and Mailyn Knight. Amanda Allison was the recipient of a $500 United Methodist Women Scholarship. Samantha Potucek received a $1,000 United Transportation Union Scholarship; and Morgan Smith received a MU Velton and Vida Vance Memorial Scholarship in the mount of $2,500. Students receiving the Viola Leopold Maxwell Scholarships were Rachel Bohrer and Sara Stephenson, $2,239.11 each and Kaitlin Fischer, $2,218.11. Stephanie Price received the following scholarships from Westminster College, Westminster Breakthrough Award, $500; Westminster Dean's Scholarship, $6,000; Westminster Grant, $1,000; Priority Westminster, Stephanie Price, $1,000. Olivia Reeves, was the recipient of a $6,000 Culver-Stockton College Wildcat Scholarship. Elizabeth Lierheimer received a $614.35 William E. Lowry Scholarship; Kalip Davidson received a $500 WIN Nuclear Scholarship and Caitlyn Orscheln was the recipient of a $300 Zeke McIntyre Memorial Scholarship.

Additional awards presented this morning included: Civic Book Club Award, Rose DiBlasi; Mexico Ledger Citizenship Award, Jonah Krueger; and Mexico Ledger Courtesy Award, MaryAnne Heathman.
The Elks Students of the Year are Jack Scholting and Jessica Deehr.