ALTON - Elizabeth Blackmon is a senior attending Alton High School and is the daughter of Yeberzaf Yigzaw and the late Barnard Blackmon. She wants to begin by sincerely thanking the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club for selecting her as one of April’s Students of the Month—she believes that this is truly an honor.
Over the past four years, it’s been her personal goal not only to excel academically but also to make a meaningful impact through service. She walked into Alton High as a freshman with a vision. And thanks to God, her mother, siblings, and teachers, she is proud of what she’s accomplished. She currently has a 4.688 weighted GPA and will graduate as a Platinum Alpha Scholar. She’s received recognition from the College Board as a National African American Scholar and a First-Generation Student, and she’s proud to be an Illinois State Scholar, awarded for her GPA
and test scores. She also received the Silver Medallion Medal for being in the top 8% of her class.
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While academic success certainly requires self-discipline, she knows she didn’t do this alone. She remembers waking up at 6 a.m. to check her SAT score with her mom beside her and her sister on FaceTime—despite it being 4 a.m. her time. That kind of love and support has pushed her forward every step of the way. She’d like to especially thank two teachers who have been instrumental in her journey: Mrs. Lauschke and Mr. Spainhour. She’s known Mrs. Lauschke since freshman year through Math Team, and she was finally able to have her as a teacher in junior year for AP Precalculus. She is one of the best of the best—Elizabeth credits her entirely for helping her earn a 5 (the highest possible score) on the AP Pre Calc exam. She now has her for Calculus, and her high expectations have turned Elizabeth into a hardworking student who’s always ready for the next challenge.
And then—there’s Physics. For four years, she heard stories about how hard the class was. So naturally, she took it. She loves a good challenge, and Physics was unlike anything she had experienced. It required deep thinking—memorization alone wouldn't cut it. She loved that about it. She enjoyed Physics I so much that she’s now taking Physics II, and she honestly recommends both classes to every student at Alton High. Mr. Spainhour, the Physics teacher, always reminds his students that learning matters more than grades—an idea Elizabeth has taken to heart. Truly understanding a topic, rather than just chasing a number, has helped her grow in every subject. She’s so grateful to have had him and Mrs. Lauschke write her college recommendations. She would also like to thank the entire Alton High staff for making the school such a supportive and inspiring place, and for providing students with the opportunities they need to grow and better themselves.
At school, she’s involved in National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta (the math honor society), Math Team, Physics Club, and Upward Bound (a college readiness program). Earlier in high school, she was also in Student Council and Link Crew, a mentoring program for freshmen.
Outside of school, she’s a Khan Academy Schoolhouse Tutor, where she helps students from around the world prepare for the SAT math section. She’s worked with students from Nepal, India, the U.S., and more. One student from Nepal told her she was the first foreigner he ever spoke to in English, which was really wholesome. Another reached out excitedly after finally reaching her SAT goal. Moments like those remind Elizabeth why she tutors—she wants to continue doing this throughout college. Through Mu Alpha Theta, she also tutors students at her school after school. She loves helping others overcome their fear of math. She remembers one student who solved a problem he had been struggling with in under thirty seconds and asked her to tell the teacher. There’s truly nothing like seeing someone’s confidence grow when they finally “get it.” She strongly believes in the Rotary motto: Service Above Self.
In the summer of 2023, she took an online Intro to Engineering course through Johns Hopkins. It was one of the hardest things she’s ever done—but she made it through because of the encouragement from her family and her own determination. She loved collaborating with peers who shared her interests, and while she hasn’t chosen a major yet, she knows she wants to do something that helps people around the world—preferably using technology. This fall, she will be attending the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Again, Elizabeth wants to sincerely thank the Alton-Godfrey Rotary Club for this distinguished honor.
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