By Jim Beers, Contributing Writer
CHESTER — Chester High School Principal, Missy Meyer has announced that six students from the Chester High School graduating Class of 2022 have been designated as Illinois State Scholars.
Chester High School is proud to introduce six seniors as 2022-23 Illinois State Scholars. Those honorees include (left to right): Kaitlyn Pfeiffer, Emma Bryant, Kaleb Rehmer, Madison Kribs, and Alyssa Seymour. Dylan Kelkhoff was unable to attend the photo session. Jim Beers Photo
They are: Emma Bryant, Dylan Kelkhoff, Madison Kribs, Kaitlyn Pfeiffer, Kaleb Rehmer, and Alyssa Seymour.
Emma Elizabeth Bryant is the daughter of Eric and Tiffany Bryant and Alisha and Daniel Guethle. She is 17 years old and is very active at CHS.
Emma participates in Scholar Bowl, ACES, SADD, Art Club, Spanish Club, Swing Choir, and she is a member of the CHS Summit Chapter of the National Honor Society.
She is also Vice President of the Student Council as serves as the leader of the Philanthropy Committee. Emma is the President of the GSA (Gender Sexuality Alliance), the President of the CHS Green Team environmental organization, and serves as Set Crew Manager for CHS Theatre productions. Finally, Emma the Editor of the STING school newspaper.
Currently Miss Bryant is working on her Girls Scout Gold Award Project which is designed to create a community-wide Gender Sexuality Alliance which will be known as, TSP (Totally Safe Place). She manages to stay on top of all of these activities in addition to working at Wal-Mart as a cashier Associate. After graduating from CHS this May of 2022 Emma intends to move to Farmington, Maine to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Actuarial Science and become an Actuary.
Dylan Kelkhoff is the son of Trevor and Michelle Kelkhoff. Dylan is a senior at CHS and is currently taking welding classes at CCSI, formerly known as Beck Vocational School.
In addition to his welding training at CCSI Kelkhoff is also taking a junior college course at Southwestern Illinois College to learn how to work with blue prints.
In the coming weeks Dylan will compete in a welding competition in Nevada, Missouri after which he will then compete at another competition in Union, Missouri.
Dylan has been an excellent student at Chester High School and has always appeared on the CHS Honor Roll for achieving good grades.
At CHS Dylan has played football all four years and excelled on the field. He was an All-Conference honoree this past season which was the Yellow Jacket’s inaugural year in the Cahokia Conference, Illinois Division.
Kelkhoff is also a four year member of the Yellow Jacket Baseball Team and is currently taking part in pre-season training for the upcoming 2022 baseball season.
In his spare time Dylan enjoys hanging out with friends, family and his girlfriend. He further enjoys the outdoors, specifically hunting.
He has maintained a part-time job at Derek’s Lawn Care in Chester for the past two years, and is known for being a good, hard worker.
Following graduation from CHS this spring, Dylan intends to get professional education and training in the field of welding and will begin a full-time career in that field upon completion of this training.
Madison Kribbs is the daughter of Tammy and Rodney Kribbs. She plans to attend Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) in Cape Girardeau, Missouri in the fall of 2022 to pursue a degree in nursing. She hopes to specialize in the area of Labor and Delivery and possibly be a NICU Nurse.
Madison is the President of the CHS Student Council and is Vice President of the CHS Summit Chapter of the National Honor Society. She is Co-Leader of the CHS Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and runs for the Lady Jacket Cross Country and Track Teams.
Madison competes on the CHS Academic Challenge Team and is a member of the Spanish Club.
She is also a member of the Memorial Hospital Explorers Club.
In her spare time Madi works as a cashier at Rozier’s Country Market in Chester. She will graduate in May of 2022 from CHS.
Kaitlyn Pfeiffer is the daughter of James and Marie Pfeiffer. Kaitlyn is a member of the Chester High School Band and sings in the select swing choir group at CHS, “Sound Affect.
Kaitlyn will graduate in May of 2022. She plans to attend Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC) next fall off 2022 and will pursue a career as an Ultrasound Technician.
Kaleb Rehmer is the son of Emily Keyser and Mike Keyser. He is a senior at CHS and is very active in numerous clubs and organizations. At CHS Kaleb is a very active member of the YellowJacket Band, Pep Band and Jazz Band as a tuba player. He also has been a hard-working member of the CHS Theatre Department.
In addition to instrumental music, Rehmer is a vocalist in the CHS swing choir, “Sound Affect”. He has also performed with the CHS Concert Choir.
Extra-curricular activities include serving as President of the CHS Dungeons and Dragons Table Top Gaming Club, and he was a member of the CHS Student Council his first two years at CHS.
Rehmer has always been an excellent student at CHS and has proven his proficiency in the class room by maintaining a 3.9 Grade Point Average (GPA). He has managed to keep straight-A’s throughout his high school career with the exception of Biology. He lists his favorite classes at CHS to be Mr. Colonel’s Music Theory Class, Ms. Boyd’s Consumer Education Class and Band and Swing Choir.
In his spare time Kaleb enjoys playing Dungeons and Dragons in an independent group and he is fascinated with 3-D Animation. Gaming and computer activities are favorite pass times.
Community involvements include performing in the annual Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day events, performing in the Chester Municipal Band, and being a member of the Boy Scouts of America where he reached the Star rank.
Upon graduation from CHS Kaleb will attend Southern Illinois University in Carbondale where he wants to pursue a Music Degree. He also wants to get a minor in Theatre and hopes to learn the art of creating movie sound effects.
At SIU he intends to take part in as many extra-curricular activities as possible including joining the University’s Gaming Team. His career choice will be to eventually perform in a Symphony Orchestra.
Alyssa Seymour is the daughter of Yvonne and Shawn Seymour. Alyssa will attend Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville in the fall of 2022 to pursue a degree in Psychology.
Ms. Seymour is a straight-A student at Chester High School and has earned academic honors at CHS every semester of her four years.
At CHS Alyssa is a standout on the Lady Jacket Basketball Team and plays on the Volleyball Team. During her freshman and sophomore years she was a member of the Lady Jacket Track and Field team.
Her first three years at CHS Alyssa played in the Marching YellowJacket Band and the CHS Pep Band. She is also a member of the Spanish Club, and is a member of the CHS Summit Chapter of the National Honor Society.
In her spare time, Ms. Seymour enjoys spending time outdoors, hanging out with friends, and she loves horseback riding. She also plays club volleyball for the Notorious Dig Volleyball Team.
Finally, Alyssa works at Reid’s Harvest House as a part-time server.
Illinois Student Assistant Commission (ISAC) Executive Director, Eric Zarnikow, said, “On behalf of the ISAC, congratulations to all of the Illinois State Scholars for their hard work and commitment inside and outside of the Classroom.”
“In the past two years students and families have faced unprecedented difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; from financial and personal ordeals to all of the challenges of remote learning. The academic achievements of these students are a credit to their perseverance and resilience, and to the support and encouragement of their families, principals, teachers, mentors, counselors, and others invested in their growth and success.”
The Illinois State Scholar designation is a non-monetary award. Recipients receive a congratulatory letter and Certificate of Achievement from ISAC. They can also download an official Illinois State Scholar Badge to display on their online profiles and social media platforms. Such badges can further be shared with their high school counselors, employers, family members and others.
The designation as an Illinois State Scholar begins not on the year that they graduate from high school, but it is based on the year they would begin any post-secondary education.
The ISAC strongly recommends that all high school students complete the 2022-23 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, (better known as FAFSA) so that they can make the most informed decisions and choices possible about their education after graduating from high school.
FAFSA results are used to determine a prospective student’s eligibility for any available federal and most state and institutional financial aid. Such financial aid is available for any type of post-secondary education including certificates, two-or-four year degree programs, and some vocational programs.
There is also an Alternative Application for Illinois Financial Aid that may determine that a student could be eligible for some state financial aid even if they are not eligible for federal student aid.
ISAC further supports high schools and students statewide by offering free assistance with college and career exploration. They also help students complete financial aid forms and college applications. Recent college graduates are trained to serve as near-peer mentors to assist students and families in navigating education after high school.
State Scholars represent approximately the top ten percent of a high school senior class from about 765 high schools across the State of Illinois. These students possess strong academic potential.
Potential recipients must be United States citizens and be residents of the State of Illinois. They must also be attending approved high schools.
Finally, they must perform in the top one-half of their class at the end of their third semester prior to graduation.
Kristin Wolter, Chester High School Counselor, said, “I am extremely proud of our six Illinois State Scholars and wish them and all of the other members of the Class of 2022 the best of luck in navigating the exploration of post-high school educational opportunities.”
Wolter will be available to answer any questions and offer assistance regarding the FAFSA application process and other issues pertaining continuing education after graduation. She can be reached at Chester High School at (618) 826-2302.