Schools

Woman's Club Awards $1,500 Scholarships to Recent High School Grads

Awards were given to Lemont High School's Abigail Korte and Robert Smierciak, as well as Mother McAuley's Katherine Maslar.

The Lemont Junior Woman's Club recently awarded $1,500 scholarships to three high school graduates to recognize their outstanding volunteer efforts in the community.

Scholarship winners from were Abigail Korte and Robert Smierciak, both of whom received their awards during the school's . The third winner was Katherine Maslar, a recent graduate of Mother McAuley in Chicago.

“Each of our winners excels in academics, leadership and extra-curricular activities,” said BJ Marshall, the club’s education committee chairperson. “But their commitment to volunteerism and community service is extraordinary. Lemont is fortunate to have such incredible young people who are dedicated to helping others and enriching the lives of our residents.”

Find out what's happening in Lemontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Since its founding in 1993, the Lemont Junior Woman’s Club has provided financial and volunteer support to educational, civic and philanthropic efforts in Lemont. Members volunteer more than 7,000 hours and raise more than $25,000 each year to benefit the community, Marshall said.

“Volunteerism is what our organization is all about, and we’re proud to honor these outstanding young people for demonstrating a commitment to community service,” said Michelle Slater, president of the Lemont Junior Woman's Club.

Find out what's happening in Lemontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Abigail Korte

Korte, who also received a scholarship from the this week, is part of the Lemont Juniorettes service organization and has served the past two years as president.

Under her leadership, the group's membership tripled, Marshall said. Korte and her fellow members have volunteered at a wide range of events and programs, from Ronald McDonald House to Heritage Fest.

Korte has also volunteered at Lemont's Safety Village, Spring Fling and her church's youth ministry. Last summer, she spend a week with 400 other students to help create space for a children's park in Chicago through the Catholic Heart Work Camp.

She also played clarinet in the Lemont High School marching band, participated in spring musicals, worked on the school's literary magazine and studied dance. In March, she was named the Irish Queen in the village's annual St. Patrick's Day parade.

Korte plans to study psychology at Saint Louis University this fall.

“I have seen firsthand the vitality of volunteerism within the community of Lemont," Korte wrote in her scholarship application."It is inspiring to know the town that I call home is filled with volunteers, both young and old, committed to making our part of the world a better place.”

Katherine Maslar

Like Korte, Maslar also received a Rotary Club scholarship this week and is a member of the Lemont Juniorettes. She will also head to Saint Louis University this fall to study nursing.

Maslar has volunteered at Franciscan Village's Mother Theresa Home for more than two years, spending Saturday mornings and summer weekdays socializing with residents. She has also volunteered at a youth tennis camp and at the .

She was the captain of her high school tennis team, and was involved in numerous clubs over the past four years.

Maslar wrote in her scholarship application, "Spending time with my elderly friends has made me want to go into nursing, possibly even geriatrics. I believe that my service at Franciscan Village Nursing Home has impacted myself as a member of the Lemont community more than the residents. I have discovered my passion for helping people and my service is a direct cause of this.”

Robert Smierciak

Smierciak has been involved in a number of community service projects, including Lemont High School's Community Service for Everyone, an organization he recently served as president. He has also volunteered at both Franciscan Village and Holy Family Villa nursing homes and has worked regularly at local food pantries.

Over the past four years, Smierciak played varsity golf, captained the Scholastic Bowl team, played bass and guitar in a band and won at the state level in poetry reading.

Last summer, he spent one week in Appalachia repairing homes for impoverished families.

“We arrived with work gloves, a tool belt and the desire to pitch in," Smierciak said of his trip. "We left with real world skills and incredible insight into the lives of people who live in community where almost everyone is in need. Returning to Lemont after spending a week in Harlan was quite an eye opener. 

"You see you own community in a different light; not just how fortunate we are, but also how much must go into keeping Lemont so nice for so many different kinds of citizens."

Smierciak plans to attend Northwestern University, where he will study either economics or history.

Editor's Note: BJ Marshall is a contributor to Lemont Patch.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here