May 15, 2024 – Hickory Point Bank honored local high school graduates during their 2024 Merit Scholar Awards ceremony.
Created for Decatur area high school seniors, the Hickory Point Bank Merit Scholars program recognizes the top four students from each of the seven area high schools where the bank has a presence: Eisenhower, MacArthur, St. Teresa, Unity Christian, Decatur Christian, Maroa-Forsyth, and Mt. Zion.
One overall recipient was named the Hickory Point Bank Merit Scholar of the Year from this pool of candidates. The Hickory Point Bank Merit Scholar of the Year received a $5,000 scholarship. Three runners-up received $2,500, $1500, and $1,000 respectively, from Hickory Point Bank.
The Selection Process was comprised of each high school principal or guidance counselor submitting names of its top four students from its high school’s graduating class of 2023 using an objective rating system that combines class rank and ACT/SAT score. In addition, candidates from each school submitted a 500-word essay on the topic: “Explain something that made a big impact on your life”.
Choosing the 2024 Hickory Point Bank Merit Scholar was conducted by The bank’s selection committee, who reviewed all candidate submissions and selected the Hickory Point Bank Merit Scholar of the Year and three runners-up based on a rubric tabulation and their essay.
The third runner up was Usman Qureshi, of Maroa-Forsyth High School. Usman has a class rank of 1 of 80, a GPA of 5.182/5.0 scale, and plans to major in biology on the pre-med track to becoming a physician.
The Second Runner up was Charles Gentle of Maroa-Forsyth High School. Charles has a class rank of 1 of 80, a GPA of 5.156/5.0 scale, and plans to attend the University of Illinois to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology and then get a Doctorate in Chiropracting.
The First Runner up was Paige Feinstein of Maroa-Forsyth High School. Paige has a class rank of 1 of 80, a GPA of 5.186/5.0 scale, and plans to attend college and major in mechanical engineering.
And the 2024 Hickory Point Bank Merit Scholar of the Year was Camille Mavis of Mt. Zion High School. Camille has a class rank of 8 of 172, a GPA of 4.5/4.0 scale, and plans to attend the University of Illinois, majoring in computer science and economics.
To see photos from the awards ceremony, click HERE.
