RIVERBEND – The Riverbend Rotary Club recently awarded $3,000 scholarships each to two 2023 graduates of Alton High School: Madison Ingram and Rebekah Blackmon.
Madison is the daughter of Jennifer and Chad Ingram of Godfrey. She is pursuing a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Kansas. Madison is also participating in the STEMTeach KU program, a program where students can pursue a teaching license alongside earning a degree in one of several STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) fields. A member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta while at Alton High, Madison was involved in extracurricular activities in music and theater, as well as many service projects and academic excellence.
Rebekah is the daughter of Yeberzaf Yigzaw and the late Barnard Blackmon. She is attending California Institute of Technology (Caltech), majoring in Physics, with a minor in Neurobiology. While attending Alton High School, she was involved in many organizations including, Minority Excellence, National Honor Society, Upward Bound, Math Team, and Student Council. In addition to tutoring students at Alton High, she participated in several outside academic activities, including a six-month virtual neuroscience program and Stanford University’s SPINWIP program for the next generation of women in physics.Â
The scholarships were possible through various Riverbend Rotary fundraisers, including an annual trivia night. The next trivia night is set for Saturday, March 9, 2024, at the Alton-Wood River Sportsman’s Club in Godfrey.
Rotary, the world’s first service club organization, is a worldwide organization of more than 1.2 million business, professional, and community leaders. The local Riverbend Rotary Club meets at Noon every Thursday at Senior Services Plus in Alton. For more information on membership, please visit https://riverbendrotary.com.
