EAST ST. LOUIS – Kenneth Taylor, a senior at East St. Louis Senior High School, was honored Thursday afternoon, Feb. 6, 2025, with the SIUC Chancellor’s Scholarship, a prestigious award valued at $107,000.
The announcement came during a surprise gathering attended by his family and several staff members from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, including Vice Chancellor Williams, as well as school officials such as Principal Dr. Green and Associate Principal Ford.
Taylor is among 34 students selected from a pool of over 600 high school students across Illinois for this scholarship, which covers full tuition, mandatory fees, housing, and food for four years. The scholarship is renewable annually, provided that Taylor maintains a grade point average of 3.0 or higher.
In addition to his high school studies, Taylor is dually enrolled at East St. Louis Senior High School and is also earning his Associate’s degree from Southwestern Illinois College through the Running Start program.
“This is another great display of Achieving Excellence Together,” said a representative from the school district, reflecting the pride felt by Taylor’s family and the educational staff involved in his academic journey.
